Classics reading tips?

[Hyrrokkin]

Hey,
I was an avid reader as a kid, but then in high school I focused on my studies, so since then I stopped reading. I've been trying to get into reading again. I'm interested in classics, but my problem is that when I run into new vocabulary, typical in classics, I tend to look them up on the dictionary a lot, this interrupts my train of thought ,and then I stop. Any tips on reading classics, especially those with old vocabulary.

[Whifflingpin]

I was re-reading "Gawaine and the Green Knight" today, in its original. There were numerous words I'd forgotten the meaning of, but I just pressed on - the sense of the passage came through, and where a word was repeated often enough its meaning became clear. So, I'd say "Press on, don't worry about each word on its own but soak yourself in the language." If you feel that's cheating, then make a quick note of the word and look it up later. Keep the flow. Reading out loud may help, if you can.

[NikolaiI]

Build gradually and slowly. Read slowly, and absorb it. Choose selectively, the very best.

Have a great day.

[AllanMas]

I found that this approach works. As long as you don't give up, your vocabulary will grow and it'll become easier in time.

[kiz_paws]

I found that this approach works. As long as you don't give up, your vocabulary will grow and it'll become easier in time.

Yes indeed. This is true. Don't give up.

[Lemonade]

I take a sheet of paper and a pencil, tuck it in the book I’m reading and write down words I really don’t understand after reading. And then I look them up, write the meaning down and see if I understand the text better afterwards. Usually after a chapter or if there is a ‘natural’ pauze in the text.

[Yorick7]

This is a really good question. I've alternated between looking up every word and pushing forward and looking up nothing. Maybe the best idea is to use a pencil and check off, as you read, the words you want to look up later. Then you can erase the pencil marks later on. But as others have said here, it's very important to push ahead and not slow down. Half the time you will learn the word in context. You can go back later and look up the words you've marked.

[Pompey Bum]

Almost all the books I read these days are electronic. My tablet allows me to tap on any word and receive a definition from the Oxford English Dictionary (another tap provides a more extensive definition if needed). This takes only seconds and hardly interrupts my flow of reading. It's the best solution possible in my opinion.