The Dreaded Summer Reading

By Charlotte Pak

The Dreaded Summer Reading

To read, or not to read: that is the question…

Finally! Summer has arrived, but your summer reading is now raining on your summer vacation happiness parade. Of course, you are tempted to dismiss this assignment (or read SparkNotes :p) and just enjoy your break.

I will discuss the proper use of online review guides such as SparkNotes, CliffsNotes, Shmoop, PinkMonkey, etc. in another article, but for those of you who want to neglect your summer reading, PLEASE do not. Oftentimes, your teacher will hold discussions about the book on the first day, and maybe even give a quiz or a test in the first week. You must be ready to start your English class with a good grade.

There are several easy ways to tackle this assignment: read once, read twice, or read thrice. Whatever method you choose, each plan concludes with skimming and review.

Read once.

With this method, you can forget about the book(s) you have to read ― at least until mid- or late July depending on how many books you have to read and how long they are. Personally, I have to read Othello by William Shakespeare and two other books from this list:

A Cat on a Hot Tin Roof – Tennessee Williams

A Prayer for Owen Meany– John Irving

Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen

Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier

Luckily, since I have already read Othello and Pride and Prejudice, I only need to read one book. In that case, I can start reading from late July.

To calculate when to start, calculate the lengths of all your books, and realistically guess how long it will take for you to read them. Make an effective schedule, and allow some wiggle room: you may have unexpected engagements with others during this time. Moreover, ensure that you can finish within a week before school starts. Read slowly and meticulously and take note of details. Because this is the only time you are reading these books, come to a good understanding of the stories and themes in one read. After you finish, skim through the books again and read online review guides. Make sure to quickly skim through your books again before your first English class.

Read twice.

Now this method will only work if you can read fast, already read some or all of the books, or the books assigned are short or few in number. In this case read over the books as soon as the summer vacation starts just to understand the storyline. Then, if time allows, take a break, and forget the assignment. When you pick up the books again in mid-or-late July, read the books in search of symbolism, literary devices, character development, writing style, themes, and interesting details. Before the school starts, skim through the books and review with online literature guides. Prepare for your first class by skimming through your books and notes beforehand.

Read thrice.

This plan is really for the overachiever. Immediately start reading as soon as you receive (or find online) your list. In your first read, focus on the basics: character names, plot, primary conflict, etc. After reading through all the books once, read again for deeper content: author’s style, secondary conflicts, character development, interesting quotes and dialogue, major themes, etc. Then, in the third read, connect all the literary elements together. If you feel you have a very thorough understanding of and personal ideas about the book (which means you can write a brilliant essay about it), then just skim the books and your notes before the first class. Do not read an online guide, for it may taint your unique perspective of the books.

As for those who want to read the review guides, until next time….