Studying Fiction

This guide offers an introduction to the basic skills and intellectual tools required for making a study of fiction. It presents an explanation of the most common features of prose, using practical examples drawn from six short stories which are included as part of the study programme. For anyone wanting to find out how to read fiction for more than just entertainment this book is the perfect starting point, Studying fiction contains six short stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, Katherine Mansfield, Thomas Hardy, Joseph Conrad, D. H. Lawrence and Charles Dickens, along with regular exercises and self-assessment questions. This combination of texts and questions enables students, at every level, to test and improve their skills in note-taking, summary, criticism and detailed textual analysis. This guide offers an introduction to the basic skills and intellectual tools required for making a study of fiction. It presents an explanation of the most common features of prose, using practical examples drawn from six short stories which are included as part of the study programme. The book is carefully structured in logical steps intended to lead the reader from attentive reading (to help produce a description of the piece), through analysis (inspecting, comparing and evaluating writing) to interpretation (making judgements on pieces of work and adopting different points of view). The overlapping of certain points and techniques is also explained and the book offers advice on spotting and analyzing specific writing techniques, gives practical advice on how to set about studying (keeping notes, organizing the page of work, drafting answers and so on) and offers self-assessment exercises and a detailed glossary. Under "Course Work", the book also suggests topics for discussion and essay topics for those using the book in a tutor-led setting.