Since the course in Central European Literature is new, there are no sample notebook entries available from it to show you. The example below is taken from a different course, but it should provide you with some guidance in your notebook entries. Perhaps the most important characteristic of the entry below is that the student comments on how he or she is reading. Actual reading strategies will vary from person to person and story to story. The important thing is to notice how you are reading, and also to try new ways of reading in the course of the term.
| Page |
Narrative |
Response |
|---|---|---|
|
ACD, 156 |
There were very few clues presented in this case (or so it seemed to me). Miss Stoner basically gives all of the necessary information during her visit to Holmes' house. |
The clues presented in this case seemed impossible to me. It is possible that because this was a short story there was not much room to go into deep investigation (as in a novel). This presented a particular challenge for me, because I am used to many clues being revealed over an extended period of time, while we get to examine the characters' personalities and make inferences from there. |
|
ACD, 63 |
At this point in the story Mr. Wilson has just discovered that the Red-Headed Leauge has been dissolved and it seems that no one has any knowledge of their whereabouts. |
This story is very different from "The Speckled Band." There has not been a murder and the whole mystery is very amusing, even to Holmes and Watson. However when they laughed at him Mr. Wilson got very offended. This story is reminding me of an episode of "The Twilight Zone." |
ACD, (Twelve Napoleons, no page #) |
The policeman is describing the second crime of the mysterious burglar. Watson speaks and Holmes disproves! |
Watson is so great. He is finally given the opportunity to state facts on his profession that might lead to the capture of the criminal. I have always felt that Watson was like me in that he at times was just dumbfounded by Holmes. Neither of us know at times what is going on or why Holmes says some of the things that he does but now Watson has spoke on a subject and it is with great delight that this one fact of psychology (his profession) might lead to the capture of the criminal. When Holme's states that Watson's theory "will not do" I am very upset I feel as though Watson is contributing to the capture and Holmes is just brushing him off. I think what Watson is saying has merit because it makes no sense that a man would bust heads of Napoleaen only that look alike. ... I think this story is better than any other I love the fact of not having a real person to suspect it makes me want to keep reading more and more. I find that the only person I suspect at this point is the man in the picture. The only thing we know of this man is that he has a face and what he looks like but we have no name or characteristics of this person. This is unlike any other story we have read of Doyle's I think. I have been able to pinpoint the criminal within the first couple of pages but now there really is no one. I am completly in the dark but I like this feeling. The fact that the criminal needed to see what he was doing is also funny to me because it makes no sense. |