Summer 2008 Reading
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
In this novel based on the nightmare of a teenage girl, Dr. Frankenstein successfully creates “human” life and then must live with the unexpected consequences.
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
This historical novel is a classic saga of true love, revenge, and death during the French Revolution.
Assignment: You will take a reading test on these works during the first week of school. Reading casually or reading an abridgement like Clifff’s Notes or Spark Notes will not prepare you for the test or class discussions.
Special instructions for Frankenstein
Concentrate on the novel’s structure, characters, plot and themes. Skim the descriptions of settings. The reading quiz will not contain any questions about setting details.
Kaplan, the SAT preparation company, publishes a version of Frankenstein which highlights and defines 629 SAT words included in the original text. These “footnotes” make the difficult text much easier to read and thoroughly understand. In addition, learning the words and their definitions will improve your vocabulary, and thus, your SAT score. The exact title is Frankenstein: A Kaplan SAT Score-Raising Classic. The ISBN number is 0-7432-5578-X. The cost is $ 6.99. While you certainly may read a different version, I highly recommend this one.
Special instructions for A Tale of
Two Cities
A Tale
of Two Cities dramatizes the contributing factors and effects of the
political revolution in
The title
suggests the setting, which involves not only two cities, but two countries.
The action of the novel alternates between peaceful
The complexities of the novel require careful reading. I suggest that you become familiar with background information about the French Revolution. Due to the many plot strands and characters, taking thorough notes will help you keep track of what is happening. I recommend keeping an index card for each character on which you can record appropriate information. Just to clarify a few character names, “Monsigneur” refers to all French nobles, while “Jacques” includes all French revolutionaries.
Movies made of this novel distort the book and will only confuse you. Take the time to read the entire book carefully and conscientiously. Review your notes before the reading test.
Happy reading!