How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines

A native of Ohio, Thomas Foster has a bachelor’s degree in English from Dartmouth College and a master’s and doctorate degree from Michigan State University. He taught full-time from 1975 to 2014, retiring after 27 years at the University of Michigan – Flint. His academic focus was 20th-century American, English, and Irish literature. Foster is the author of more than half a dozen books, including Understanding John Fowles (1994), Twenty-Five Books That Shaped America (2011), and How to Read Nonfiction Like a Professor (2020).

Foster’s decades in the classroom teaching undergraduates as well as his academic scholarship are apparent in this book. He understands the sticking points for readers who lack an academic background, and he is able to explain literary concepts in a layperson’s terms. In this way, he can anticipate key questions or areas of confusion to include in his discussion. One example is in the Postlude at the end of the book, in which Foster examines a point based on an actual e-mail he received from a student.

The author explains in the Preface that some of his best insights into teaching have come from teaching non-traditional students, whose population is significant at his campus. Most of these students have little experience reading literature, and they tend to expect clear explanations; these students will request more clarity if necessary. He also notes how many high school English teachers have used the book to help them teach literature in their classes. Their feedback, along with feedback from students, helped Foster decide what improvements to make in the second edition.

Foster’s avuncular tone characterizes him as an approachable professor, who is knowledgeable and eager to share that knowledge without being a stereotypical know-it-all. He guides readers through the various literary elements with a “Q & A” format, simulating a classroom discussion between students and teacher. While he draws on a wide range of authors and works in providing examples for the concepts he examines, there are several prominent authors to whom he often refers, some of whom are noted below.