How do you learn to understand and appreciate literature?

by smokershighlife

Question by La'Sarah: How do you learn to understand and appreciate literature?

For example, how do you know when you read a dense novel like "War and Peace" or "Swann's Way" that you are actually understanding it, and all the finer points and connections? How old do you think someone has to be to understand some of the tougher literature? Do you think it's necessary to read novels like "War and Peace" twice?
Can anyone understand good literature with practice?




Best answer:

Answer by feroluce
You have to learn to read them.
A sure sign of a good book is one where you find something new each time you read it.
Start with a genre you like to read and work your way up.
David Gemmell books got me interested in literature (plain english prose, they read like a movie), I moved on from there and now I always have a book on the go.
Take breaks between chapters to process the information.
It helps to read them in bed, your brain has all night to process the information.

Think of them like you think of a movie, you get more from the movie after you've left the cinema and it's rattling round in your head for a while.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!