I began to read this novel with a negative attitude, similarly to many other of my classmates. Its daunting reputation set me up for disaster with this book. And as I read each page and gathered more information, I got more and more lost and confused. I had no idea what was happening even though I struggled through every word of the text. My reading quiz grade reflected what was happening, and if I had any intention of passing the test, I knew something had to change.
After an extremely low F and a few difficult nights of reading, I realized that our class discussions were the answer to my problems. Sentences and words with no meaning were brought to light and the true meanings and themes were discovered. The novel is now easier to understand and I am able to appreciate all that it offers.
This just goes to show the power of your peers and the thoughts of others. When you share your confusions with others, as we did in our small groups, one often finds others in the same situation. As cliche as it sounds, two heads are truly better than one.
Sure, discussions may be long and somewhat boring at times. But their is lots of value to them. Simply let yourself sit back and listen as the powerful ideas of this novel unfold around you. You will find that what seems nearly impossible can become understandable.
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I definitely agree with Rachel on this. HoD could have been extremely confusing. But, it was really brought to life through our discussions. Things that I didn't understand in the night's reading, my classmates clarified, and things that they didn't understand, I could sometimes make light of. I don't believe that any of us could have read this novel without each other. Or, at least, if we could, we couldn't have understood it with the great depth that we did, without each other. Therefore, reading HoD was truly a class project.
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