Buy now to get the main key ideas from Thomas C. Foster's How to Read Novels Like a Professor

When novels became a thing around the seventeenth century, it was all thrilling. It wasn't possible for readers to say, “This is unoriginal, this has been done before, this is a good or bad novel.” Every novel was an innovation. As time progressed, a framework for the conventional novel emerged: a linear narrative, stories about people growing up or falling apart, compelling characters, and definite conclusions that provide emotional satisfaction.

In How to Read Novels Like a Professor (2008), Thomas C. Foster dives deep into each of these elements, using his own set of laws for the novel to help readers increase their understanding. He backs up his explanations with a wealth of vivid literary examples that will make you want to read every novel he mentions.