How to Read a Novel

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How to Read a Novel

Instructor: Hannah Boast

6,059 already enrolled

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4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

4.6

(18 reviews)

Beginner level

Recommended experience

8 hours to complete

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

4.6

(18 reviews)

Beginner level

Recommended experience

8 hours to complete

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

Identify key strategies used by authors to alter the temporal progression of the narrative.
Reflect on the effects generated by a narrative frame.
Evaluate novels for signs of narrative unreliability.
Discuss my reading of contemporary fiction with a large online learning community.

Skills you'll gain

Writing

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

2 assignments

Taught in English

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There are 4 modules in this course

What makes a great novel? How is a novel woven together? How can we best appreciate works of fiction?

Answer these questions and more with this course from The University of Edinburgh. On the course you鈥檒l discover four of the main building blocks of modern fiction: plot, characterisation, dialogue, and setting using examples from a range of texts including the four novels shortlisted for the 2025 James Tait Black fiction prize. You鈥檒l also explore the formal strategies authors use, how they came to be, and how they affect us as readers. Learners can apply for Financial Aid directly with 糖心vlog官网观看 to assist with the cost of accessing the full course and gaining a certificate for successfully completing the course.

What's included

4 videos8 readings3 discussion prompts

4 videosTotal 31 minutes

Introduction to plot2 minutes
Flashbacks and flash-forwards6 minutes
Pace4 minutes
Meet the translator18 minutes

8 readingsTotal 67 minutes

Welcome!2 minutes
Introductions10 minutes
Framed narratives10 minutes
Further frames and unreliable narrators10 minutes
Narrative perspective10 minutes
Announcing the winner of the James Tait Black Prize for Fiction10 minutes
Plot in My Heavenly Favourite10 minutes
From plot to characterisation5 minutes

3 discussion promptsTotal 40 minutes

What makes a good book?10 minutes
Whose perspective is it?10 minutes
Book club20 minutes

What's included

4 videos5 readings1 assignment2 discussion prompts

4 videosTotal 33 minutes

Introduction to character1 minute
Names and appearances5 minutes
Speech and behaviour6 minutes
Meet the author21 minutes

5 readingsTotal 45 minutes

Omniscient narrators10 minutes
First-person narratives10 minutes
Stream of conciousness10 minutes
Characterisation in All My Precious Madness 10 minutes
From characterisation to dialogue5 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 15 minutes

How much have you learnt about characterisation?15 minutes

2 discussion promptsTotal 30 minutes

Who's your favourite character?10 minutes
Book club20 minutes

What's included

4 videos5 readings2 discussion prompts

4 videosTotal 33 minutes

Introduction to dialogue1 minute
Reading between the lines: what does dialogue reveal to us about the characters?5 minutes
Presenting a variety of perspectives3 minutes
Meet the author23 minutes

5 readingsTotal 45 minutes

Introduction to dialect10 minutes
Varieties of speech10 minutes
The politics of dialect10 minutes
Dialogue in Ours10 minutes
From dialogue to setting5 minutes

2 discussion promptsTotal 30 minutes

What's your favourite example of dialogue10 minutes
Book club20 minutes

What's included

5 videos7 readings1 assignment2 discussion prompts

5 videosTotal 37 minutes

Introduction to setting1 minute
City novels5 minutes
Environment and atmosphere5 minutes
Behind the scenes: The James Tait Black Prize2 minutes
Meet the author23 minutes

7 readingsTotal 65 minutes

Space and mood10 minutes
Environment and character10 minutes
Environment as a plot device10 minutes
Environment as setting10 minutes
Setting in The Coin10 minutes
Thanks and congratulations!5 minutes
Post-Course Survey10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 15 minutes

How much have you learnt about setting?15 minutes

2 discussion promptsTotal 30 minutes

Set the scene10 minutes
Book club20 minutes

Instructor

Instructor ratings

4.7 (8 ratings)

Hannah Boast

The University of Edinburgh

1 Course6,044 learners

Offered by

The University of Edinburgh

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Frequently asked questions

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can鈥檛 afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you鈥檒l find a link to apply on the description page.

糖心vlog官网观看

How to Read a Novel

What you'll learn

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

There are 4 modules in this course

Plot

What's included

Characterisation

What's included

Dialogue

What's included

Setting

What's included

Instructor

Offered by

Explore more from Music and Art

Write Your First Novel

Writing for Young Readers: Opening the Treasure Chest

Creative Writing

Reading and Comprehension of Text in English

Why people choose 糖心vlog官网观看 for their career

Open new doors with 糖心vlog官网观看 Plus

Advance your career with an online degree

Join over 3,400 global companies that choose 糖心vlog官网观看 for Business

Frequently asked questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?

What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?

Is financial aid available?

More questions