I recently decided to read the Lord of The Rings trilogy, a 1200 page epic tale with dozens of characters, scenes, and parts of the story line. I hadn’t read the story in a long time, probably since junior high school. How am I going to keep oll of this straight?
I found a Black Friday special on this set and while waiting I developed my process
My Initial Approach
- Prepare a 4×6 inch index card with bibliographic information on the front. Use the back for notes and page references.
- Write a short statement of why I’m reading the book.
- Read with a pencil handy. The pencil is used to note page numbers and a very short reference on key passages in the book. These passages are identified with a small dot in the margin of the page.
- Tag key passages with page flags. I don’t use any type of color coding schemes.
- Write a short summary of each chapter in my Commonplace book, referencing my index cards as needed. Commonplace books are described in an earlier blog post.
SOME “ACTION SHOTS” FROM THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING
WHAT WORKED WELL?
- The brief notes on the index card kept me engaged while reading.
- Taking a few moments to briefly summarize each chapter also kept the story line fresh in my mind.
- Small dots in the margin of the book did not disrupt my reading flow, like a longer note might.
- My book has a fold out map of Middle Earth attached to the back cover. If I didn’t have that, I might have been tempted to draw a map as I was reading, just to keep the story straight.
WHAT DIDN’T WORK WELL?
- I started off taking way too many notes. Every time a character or a new location was introduced I put a note on my note card. Many of these characters or locations are just simply not worth recording.
- Attaching the flags didn’t add anything to my understanding of the book. I already had the key points referenced on my note card (along with the page number). Why add the flags?
WOULD I DO THIS FOR EVERY BOOK THAT I READ?
No. Books, or blog posts, or news articles that are read mostly for entertainment or short term understanding do not require this type of reading. Engaged and immersive reading takes more time, and more effort, and is not always necessary.
NEXT STEPS
I’ve just started reading the second volume of the trilogy, called “The Two Towers” and I’ve discovered that my Commonplace book notes are an excellent supplement to the synopsis of the first book.
For now, I’ve abandoned using the page flags and have reduced my note taking considerably.
I hope that these ideas will help you tackle more challenging books, even if your techniques differ from mine.