<P>Close reading is the most essential skill that literature students continue to develop across the full length of their studies. This book is the ideal guide to the practice, providing a methodology that can be used for poetry, novels, drama, and beyond. Using classic works of literature, such as <I>Hamlet</I> and <I>The Great Gatsby</I> as case studies, David Greenham presents a unique, contextual approach to close reading, while addressing key questions such as:</P><UL><P><LI>What is close reading?</LI><P></P><P><LI>What is the importance of the relationships between words?</LI><P></P><P><LI>How can close reading enhance reading pleasure?</LI><P></P><P><LI>Is there a method of close reading that works for all literary genres?</LI><P></P><P><LI>How can close reading unlock complexity?</LI><P></P><P><LI>How does the practice of close reading relate to other theoretical and critical approaches?</LI><P></P></UL><P></P><I><P>Close Reading: The Basics</I> is formulated to bring