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senoritaraquelita t1_jdv2n9g wrote

Another tip is don’t be afraid of checking Sparknotes if it helps you to fully analyze and appreciate more complex books.

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HeavyBlastoise t1_jdv8hov wrote

Agreed! Ive always had difficulty understanding classic short stories (often thought "thats it? Thats all?" When i reached the end) and sparknotes had been a great help in appreciating the work.

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MonsoonFlood t1_jdytcmi wrote

Yes. My only caution to readers using this approach is to be aware that SparkNotes chapter summaries contain pretty big spoilers sometimes. If you hate spoilers then read the SparkNotes chapter summaries after you finish reading the book.

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the_Bear99 t1_jdxoygm wrote

I mean I'm an English major and I wouldn't have been able to understand and appreciate Dante's Divine Trilogy if it weren't for brief explanations of what I just read. So this is a great point !

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Bonk4licious t1_jdvub30 wrote

agree, that's the only way I was able to start understanding stuff like author subtext, theming, the stuff that "isn't written" per se.

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