Classic literature includes older works that have survived the test of time. 【小题1】 Some well-known examples of classic literature include The Odyssey by Homer, Inferno by Dante, and Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. Whether you’re a student or just an eager reader hoping to dig into classic literature, you may be wondering where to begin.

【小题2】 You can find descriptions or summaries of classic works of literature online, or read the back cover of the book to gain a basic idea of what the story is about. Knowing a bit about the plot, characters, and setting may make it easier for you to follow and understand the writing when you begin reading.

Learn about a book’s historical period.【小题3】 It can help you to read that book. By researching the historical events that are described in the book or otherwise influenced its writing, you can come away with a better understanding of that novel.

Try reading and learning with a group. Some readers learn better while working within a group. Joining a book club or enrolling in a literature class at your local community college can give you the opportunity to discuss a novel with other readers and gain valuable insight from a teacher.【小题4】

Make comments in the margins of the text. If you’re trying to gain a better understanding of a difficult text, underlining passages may not be enough. Instead, try making comments in the margins to fully engage with the text.

【小题5】 Telling something about something you have learned is a good way to help you understand better yourself. If you have a friend who also has an interest in classic literature, then you might consider telling him or her about the text.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is a name that every lover of English literature will always remember and cherish. He is the pen father of the extraordinary detective Sherlock Holmes and a number of detective stories.

Arthur chose to go to medical field and become a surgeon from the University of Edinburgh, and this is the place where Arthur met a person who influenced him to become a writer. It was one of his teachers Dr. Joseph Bell who was master at observation, logic, detection and diagnosis. All these qualities were later found in the character of the celebrated detective Sherlock Holmes.

1888 was a significant year that rocketed Doyle to fame with his novel which was named as ‘A Study in Scarlet’ in which he introduced his two immortal characters—Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. The story ‘The Sign of Four’ was instrumental in establishing Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle in literature.

The writer tried to open a practice in Paris but not a single patient came to him, which proved to be a blessing in disguise. It gave him a lot of time to think. And it was here that he met an illustrator named Sydney Paget who created the image of Sherlock Holmes which captured the minds of the readers and made the detective famous all over.

Doyle’s next creation was the delightfully violent Professor Challenger. ‘The Lost World’ which involved Professor Challenger was an immediate success.

Finally, because of his wife’s illness, Doyle decided to devote his life to his previous work rather than writing. This was the time when he decided to end the stories of Sherlock Holmes, which he did in ‘The Final Problem’.

The great Arthur Conan Doyle died at the age of 71 in 1930. He has left a legacy (遗产) to last us a lifetime and is still alive through his books and stories.

In what has become an annual tradition, the staff of National Public Radio bring you a mighty year-end guide of Books We Love. Here are a handful of the most interesting picks. We hope you enjoy the selections and take time to look through for a while!

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

Michelle Zauner lays out the complexity and the ongoing sorrow of losing a parent in her 20s, just as her own life is about to start. Zauner writes about how she turned to Korean food to process her sadness when her mother, her only tie to Korean culture, died of cancer. The book reflects on how cooking and eating the food that her mom once prepared gives her a way to connect to her identity.

Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado

Crystal Maldonado creates a much-needed believable character with teenage and adult readers. Charlie Vega is fat and wears glasses, with a diet-pushing mother and a beautiful, athletic best friend. When her classmate Brian pursues a romantic relationship, Charlie is bothered with self doubt. The book, which tells a well-observed story of fat teenage life, is developed by internal (内在的) and external (外在的) conflicts.       

The Most Fun Thing: Dispatches (快讯) from a Skateboard Life by Kyle Beachy

The year 2021 was the year of skateboarding, which has been transformed into an Olympic sport. And many have picked up skateboards for the first time, so The Most Fun Thing couldn’t have come at a better time. Kyle Beachy, a longtime skater and writing professor, is devoted to exploring the meaning of skateboarding based on related essays of a decade.

The Secret History of Home Economics by Danielle Dreilinger

It’s generally thought that home economics is just a class taken at school, which is appropriately named Mrs Housekeeper. But in reading this book, you can discover that in the early 20th century, the field provided jobs for women in science, companies and governments. Danielle Dreilinger also makes the case that cooking and managing a budget are invaluable lessons for all children and should still be school courses.