do we *really* have to read module b texts? (1 Viewer)

[ND]

I'm doing cloudstreet, but i just can't bring myself to read it. I tried once but didn't get past the second page (i hate novels). Is it absolutely necessary to read the book (to get good marks)? Can a good study guide be an acceptible substitute for the book? I just feel that the time spent reading could be better devoted to other subjects.

 

[Butterfly_Wings]

Well, I didn't do cloudstreet...but generally speaking-I think a lot of peopel manage to get away with just reading summaries. But obviously-you will most likely be in a better position if you actually do read the book.
But yeah, it is usually quite easy to fake.

 

[bobo123]

im doing cloudstreet too

and yeah
the intro pages are like wacked up random shit
but after a while the story gets going and its quite good

you would probably only understand the intro after you finish reading it

 

[chip]

hey my brother did the HSC in 2001 the first year of the new course....... he didnt read any of the books and just bullshited in the exam and got 93........ so i guess if your actual language skills and all that are strong you probably dont have to read all the texts.......
however i'm in year 12 this year and have read all my texts.......

 

[no_proof_needed]

one word: YES.

It's meant to be critical study. That means that you have to know the text in detail. Don 't rob yourself of the marks. I've had to read stuff I hate, too, but I want the marks (who would read "Snow Falling on Cedars" for fun?)

 

[anti]

Interestingly if you read the novel and find passages or chapters which nobody else writes about but can back up your answers, you'll be at an advantage to everybody else.

 

[pri]

Originally posted by no_proof_needed
one word: YES.

It's meant to be critical study. That means that you have to know the text in detail. Don 't rob yourself of the marks. I've had to read stuff I hate, too, but I want the marks (who would read "Snow Falling on Cedars" for fun?)

my teacher fell asleep when she was reading snow!

 

[honky tonk]

Here's one for you to think about..

My friend and I had never read "Emma", and we both magically got 90 (18/20) each in an assessment.

We both decided to actually read it, to up our marks, and in the half-yearly I got 19/20... but he got 10.

I think maybe if you read it, there's too much information to remember and so you end up writing irrelevant bits of gubblegirt that could have been avoided if you simply read necessary quotes, techniques and themes in summaries.

*shrugs* I guess it depends on the person.

(Yes, I made up gubblegirt.) :apig:

 

[Ragerunner]

i just got study guides

im on page 134 on the book and i can't get any further.

and im not doing bad

 

[spin spin sugar]

a friend of mine is doing Emma in class and never read it and got 20/20 for her assessment.

having said that i think you should read it, there's not much merit in doing well in a task when all you're doing is regurgitating someone elses opinions about the book because you've never read it

 

[TastesGoodBut]

yeh but i liked cloudstreet - was really good

 

[lm1122]

Originally posted by spin spin sugar
...having said that i think you should read it

I have to say I agree - I'm all for reading and extending ones knowledge on different books and all that. However, I must admit that I have not read Emma either, but only because I read the first half and realised there was no way I was going to be able to find the time to finish it (what with all the sleeping i was doing while i read...) But i think the moral of the story is to at least give it a go. Then you can at least say you learnt something! For me, it was that I'm not a great fan of Austen...but never mind, we'll just se how I do in the trial tomorrow...*sigh*

 

[Universal]

I haven't read Emma or Lear, and don't plan to.
I've done my research, i know what's going on so i figure reading the actual play/book would just be a waste of time.
Although this is not for everyone, only the really lazy kind.
If you have the time, and the patience.. give it a go.

 

[MiuMiu]

I haven't read a couple of my texts. I get away with just reading study guides. Some people do, some people don't. Teachers are really just looking for regurgitated information so I don't see anything wrong with it and nor do my marks.

 

[MicK_eT]

hmm... im doing cloudstreet... and i dont even know how im supposed to analyse the damn book.... i dont like it... but i like the rose character... and the study guides arent that great... the ones on cloudstreet that is...

 

[yc]

I wasn't going to bother reading Cloudstreet, it bored me to tears. Though then I found class also bored me to tears and I spent alot of lesssons sleeping in the corner. So I mustered up some energy and read it..........great it had a bloody slow start but ends up being a good book

I don't feel like I can score any better than having not read it. A few practice pieces before and after I read it are not that different, though I guess they are looking for how deep your understanding of the text is. So being able to quickly refer to the little things Excel books don't cover surely can't hurt, besides you have the advantage of writing something a little orginal.

 

[White Rabbit]

I haven't read my texts properly (I didn't get very far in Brave New World, and King Lear we read in class, but I was away half the time) but

1) King Lear may be a critical study, but all we're really expected to do is talk about our interpretation. I know what happens, it's Passions gone homocidal . Then you just get someone else's production to back up what your saying. It's all about interpretation - so, just say you see it as a Family Saga, you then use Richard Eyre to back up what your saying .

2) BNW - I really wanna read it It does seem really interesting.. but whats the point? You read it, jumble your information and your screwed. I started reading it, and pretty much got too much info rolling round in my head and ended up getting 8/15 for my assessment on it (compared to Lear, which I never read - 11/15. Not great, but alot better.) If you read the study guide, your covered. It's all you really need.

LOL, I don't care if I'm reguritating someone elses opinions either If I get decent marks, thats all that matters - (I really, really hate english. No. Really.)

 

[Lexicographer]

I'm doing Jane Eyre, and even the study guides are boring. I guess that shows in my 50% mark for that assessment, but perhaps actually remembering those two readings will help in future.

Most people I know get away with the Excel guides and collect about 18/20, so it really depends on how mediocre you want to be.

 

[iambored]

dnt know if this has been said b4 but reading them is gonna put u ahead of like half the state who dnt read them

 

[anti]

Originally posted by White Rabbit
1) King Lear may be a critical study, but all we're really expected to do is talk about our interpretation. I know what happens, it's Passions gone homocidal .

Very true.. lots of shakespeare is reflected in popular culture, anyway. My class in yr11 wanted to do a soap opera version of Othello, except Iago just doesn't die.. keeps getting reincarnated by Desdemona, the evil witch. Who has multiple personalities, obviously. ahhh.