Lisa of Troy's Reviews > How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading

Have you ever read a book and immediately thought, “I have no idea what that was about?”

That’s why I picked up this book, but it didn’t go beyond what I already know.

Originally published in 1940 and updated in 1972, How to Read a Book is extremely dated. It also focused more on non-fiction work (which isn’t what I normally read).

I don’t agree with some of Adler’s blanket statements. For example, he says do not consult secondary sources before completely reading the text.

However, when I started Medea, an Ancient Greek play from 431 BC, I was admittedly lost. Not only was I reading a translation, I was struggling with the archaic language and had no idea who the characters were. After I consulted a text which gave me a quick summary, I went back to the primary text and loved it! There is no reason that I should have to needlessly suffer.

Before diving into a book, I usually gather some background information. Here is what my template looks like:
Author (Last Name/Surname, First Name in the upper right corner so I can search later)
Title
Number of Pages
Year Published
Type: Fiction (Sub-Type: Historical Fiction, Contemporary, Classic Literature, etc.) or Non-Fiction
Read blurb and write down character names and setting (place, time period)

To prevent getting to the end and not having a clue what I just read, I stop at the end of every chapter and write at least one sentence.

You can also try annotating. This is where you are highlighting and writing things in the book, to prevent you from mentally checking out while reading. Tristan and the Classics has a really great video on how to annotate.

Beyond the above, this book could also be called, “How to Hate Reading.”

When I was little, I *LOVED* reading! I couldn’t wait until I could retire and read all day.

Yes, I was a weird little kid.

But then school had to mess everything up and sucked the joy out of it.

“Open your textbooks to page 368. 368. 3-6-8.”

A collective groaning could be heard.

What’s so wrong with the traditional academic system?

It is designed for the well-rounded student. It places a cookie cutter program onto a young, eager individual with a sometimes oppressive authoritarian figure in charge ready to slap the student’s hand for any misstep.

Contrast that to my life outside a structured learning environment. Each morning, I wake up with an insatiable hunger, passionately excited for literary discoveries, an Indiana Jones of literature.

How to Read a Book was published in 1940, and Adler strongly advocates doing things his way including having a well-rounded background in math and science.

However, I don’t want to read the classic texts of Charles Darwin and Sir Issac Newton. Scientifically proven, I have no visual memory. It is impossible for me to imagine scenes. It doesn’t matter how much I try to read these texts, I won’t like them and never will. It will just cause me to hate reading.

BTW, F. Scott Fitzgerald dropped out of Princeton, complaining of Chemistry.

Overall, in addition to this book being preachy and dated, Booktube videos are more helpful.

The Green Light at the End of the Dock (How much I spent):
Hardcover Text – $26.64 from Blackwell’s
Audiobook - 1 Audible Credit (Audible Premium Plus Annual – 24 Credits Membership Plan $229.50 or roughly $9.56 per credit)

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