Random
Only logged in members can reply and interact with the post.
Join SimilarWorlds for FREE »

Please advice about how to understand Novels better!:(

I love reading stories,all kinds of stories...But the problem is that I find it hard to understand Novels, even though my English is perfect.

Any advice about how to understand the strange,words or "sentences" put in a strange order?
This page is a permanent link to the reply below and its nested replies. See all post replies »
hartfire · 61-69
Try reading any novel written by Joseph Conrad.
Born Polish, he learned to read and write English far better than most native speakers.
Though a little old fashioned now, his language is still clear and brilliant.

Contemporary novels frequently use the latest idioms and slang. I myself find this frustrating because I'm 68 and don't understand most of it.
I far prefer novels that use classic language that bears the test of time. These can often use idiom in the speech of characters to add realism (verisimilitude), but the context makes the meaning clear. Charles Dickens is the exemplar.

Alternatively, try dipping into many books in a library, or sampling first chapters online.
You'll eventually find writers whose style matches your well developed English.

I'd be curious to know what you're reading now.
What are some example of the strange words, or "sentences" in a strange order?
peterlee · M
@hartfire How I hate Dickens. It sits there in English Curriculum, simply to put schoolboys off reading for life. Thank goodness I found Ernest Hemmingway at sixteen.
hartfire · 61-69
@peterlee What did you dislike about Dickens, and what do you love about Hemmingway?
peterlee · M
@hartfire Sentimentality and melodrama, of a bygone age.

Hemmingway is more succinct, direct, realistic.
hartfire · 61-69
@peterlee Okay, I can see what you mean.
I think one of Dicken's strong points is his portrayal of the problems created by poverty in his era.