Remembering What You Read

[DystopianGypsy]

Hello, everyone! :)

I think all literary enthusiasts have an obligation to read the classics. I've dabbled in such works as The Great Gatsby, The Bell Jar, The Time Machine, as well as others -- some of which I enjoyed, and others not so much. The point, however, is not that you enjoy each and every one of them, but that you tried them at all. Such is what I'll soon be doing with Anton Chekhov's The Three Sisters.

The problem I sometimes have with literature is recalling events from earlier in the book, and keeping the characters straight. Since this work, I've counted, has sixteen characters or so, I anticipate that I'll have some difficulty discerning who did what and when they did it.

When memory fails a person, as it sometimes does with me, how do you keep track of everything?

Thanks. :)

[Charles Darnay]

I'll start by suggesting that your line of thinking is backwards.


I think all literary enthusiasts have an obligation to read the classics

Outside of school or work related, reading should not be an obligation. Nor should the "classics" be an obligation for a literary enthusiast. You can love reading and never touch anything before the 20th century, and only the pretentious would call you out on it. If you enjoy reading the "classics" that's great, but don't do so because you feel obliged to.

If you are unable to keep characters and stories in your mind that generally means they don't have an impact on you. Think of the stories you love - even if you read them years ago you probably can still picture the characters and plot (maybe not every little detail.) When you forget a story, you mind is telling you that it is not worth keeping in mind.

As for keeping track of characters - this is a different issue. Sometimes it helps to jot down notes, or whatever you do, to keep certain details of characters fresh. For example, in Tolstoy there are a plethora of characters and they all have two or three different titles/names - so it is good to keep a list of who's who (a dramatis personae if you will). Or Dickens, who brings characters in and then expects you to remember them when they come back 500 pages later. Notes help in these cases.

[billl]

I'll give a rather unsophisticated answer here, just an opinion, really. Right now, I'm reading something that's actually a bit less than literary, and it begins with a bunch of characters. Soon enough, a few of them die. As the book moves on, I'm getting better at remembering who's who (beyond the protagonist and a couple others, who were clear to me from the start), but really, I haven't worried about it too much. As the characters reappear, the author sometimes does a little bit to "remind" the reader who the name refers to; and when the author doesn't, and the character is suddenly like a nearly blank slate to me (due to me forgetting earllier characterization), then it isn't the end of the world for me, and I sort of blame the author for it as much as myself. The book still works for me, anyhow.

[Dark Muse]

When memory fails a person, as it sometimes does with me, how do you keep track of everything?Thanks. :)

For most classics you can usually find places online that provide lists of all the characters in the book and a brief description of who they are, as well as sometimes a synopsis of different chapters which might help you keep track when you begin to forget or get confused by what is going on or who is who.

[mal4mac]

Russian names are difficult! Many translations have a discussion of the "unusual" form of Russian names - get hold of one of these and read it carefully. Your play might talk about this in the introduction. If not, look at a few Tolstoy novels in the library! Look at the cast of characters in your play and see how the naming system works for them. That will at least get you over the hurdle of "Why does everyone have the middle name Sergeyevna?"

But don't use this "study of names" to memorise all the names! I don't think anyone should be forced to memorise "Olga Sergeyevna Prozorova" and sixteen similar names! What I would do is try and remember the most used form of the name. So here it might be "Olya", and you should be able to guess that "Olga" is her more formal name, if that comes up.

As "The Three Sisters" is a play, why not watch a DVD, as well, so you can put faces to the names?

[Desolation]

If you're having trouble keeping track of everything that's going on, don't be afraid to use outside sources like SparkNotes or Wikipedia...It's not cheating!

I usually have a pretty good memory, but when I was reading Anna Karenina, it took meso long that eventually I had to write down the characters and their connections to each other.

I also picked up a few tricks to help memorize things from my psychology class. The best way is to build associations. Think of how a character's name and actions remind you of other things that may or may not be related to the book.

[kiki1982]

Well, it depends how bad your memory is ;). I mean, whether you have problems remembering like 5 characters or 20...

Russian novels are notoriously difficult because they use nicknames, full names, Christian names or names + patronymics depending on the relationship characters are in (and depending on the translator, I think; not a good thing). You need to know that an Alexander can be called Sasha just because that's the nickname. They are not all so strange, but some of them are slightly far-fetched and if you don't know you must think there are like three times more characters than there really are and that they are all very much alike :).

The same really with Austen, but that is mainly forms of address only. Fortunately.

Take notes? Or Sparknotes as someone said... If it is too much for you, then by all means seek outside sources or get a manual as there are for Russian novels and for Regency forms of address.

[mona amon]

Write a short summary of each chapter as you go along. I've been meaning to do this with Tale of Genji which I'm reading now, but never get down to it. :)

[loe]

As "The Three Sisters" is a play, why not watch a DVD, as well, so you can put faces to the names?
Instead of watching a DVD I would definitley recommend using your own imagination.
It doesn't matter if the picture in your mind fits exactly to the description in the book, but it helps a lot to remember the characters. (e.g. my main character of a book usually looks the same.)

Best regards

[kiki1982]

Now plays are mentioned, I have a problem with reading them. They just don't speak to me unless they are played, and that's what they're for. Strange, but true. Apart from closet dramas (which were not written to be played but to be read, hence the name) I just can't remember what happened. I do not have the same problem with regular novels.

DVD is not a bad idea, provided it is a good version.

[christinamellow]

It is through reading such great literary and poetic works, that one understands life. They help a person take a closer look at the different facets of life. In many ways, it can change one's perspective towards life. Lives of brilliant achievers and individuals who have made a valuable contribution to society, are sketched in their biographies. These works give the readers an insight into the lives of these eminent people, while also serving as a bible of ideals.