The Tutored Read thread: explanations, Q&A, hook-ups, and links

Hello, all!

Last year we introduced to the 75 Books Challenge the concept of the "tutored read". As distinct from a traditional group read, a tutored read involves one-on-one coaching, with a nominated tutor and tutee who work through a book at the tutee's pace.

The tutoring may involve extensive explanations of the concepts underlying a work of non-fiction, clarification of the historical background of a work, assistance with language, or just encouragement and support - whatever is needed to assist the tutee through their book.

While last year both a thread and a wiki page were set up to administer the tutored reads, experience shows that having information in two places was confusing for many people, rather than helpful. This year, this thread will be the single source of information about tutored reads. Use this thread to:

1. Ask questions about tutored reads
2. Request a tutor
3. Find out about current and upcoming tutored reads
4. Find links to past tutored reads

Please note that if a book has already been tackled during a tutored read, that does not preclude anyone from initiating a new tutoring session on the same work. Tutored reads are all about the needs of the individual. Alternatively, the tutee may prefer to use the pre-existing tutored read thread(s) as a resource, or to request the tutor to "re-open" that tutoring session.

There are few rules about how a tutored read is conducted; the tutor and tutee decide between themselves how they want to run any particular read, addressing issues such as the pace of the read, the nature of the tutoring required, whether there will be more than one tutee, and whether "lurkers" will be permitted to ask questions.

All we do ask is that both parties make a good-faith commitment to completing the read in question (while accepting that real-world issues may sometimes intrude).

Completed 2012 tutored reads:

During the first year of the tutored reads, 18th and 19th century fiction was a popular topic. However, our tutors and tutees also tackled contemporary fiction, science, history and poetry - including a marathon (and still ongoing) journey through the sonnets of William Shakespeare.

Here are the links to the threads for the 2012 tutored reads. Please feel free to use the discussions as a resource.

Anathem by Neal Stephenson - Thread 1
Jonathan Strange And Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke - Thread 1
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel - Thread 1

The Castle Of Otranto by Horace Walpole - Thread 1
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen - Thread 1, Thread 2
Persuasion by Jane Austen - Thread 1
Clermont by Regina Maria Roche - Thread 1, Thread 2
The Monk by Matthew Gregory Lewis - Thread 1, Thread 2
The Warden by Anthony Trollope - Thread 1
Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope - Thread 1

The Sonnets by William Shakespeare (ongoing) - Thread 1, Thread 2, Thread 3, Thread 4

The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene - Thread 1

2013 tutored reads:

NB: When you begin a tutored read, please list it here with a link to the thread, and add a few details about the work in question.

The Sonnets by William Shakespeare - cynara tutoring rosalita - poetry - Thread 4 (continued from 2012).
The Trail Of The Serpent by Mary Elizabeth Braddon - lyzard tutoring SqueakyChu - 19th century literature, sensation fiction, detective fiction - Thread 1.

Tutors needed

- T. S. Eliot - The Waste Land and Complete Poems And Plays - see msg #12
- Thomas Mann - The Magic Mountain - see msg #17
- J. R. R. Tolkien - The Silmarillion - see msg #26

And we're under way for 2013! :)

marathon (and still ongoing) journey through the sonnets of William Shakespeare
Ha! You can say that again, Liz. Cynara has the patience of a saint, I must say. It's been such a fun ride.

I'm enjoying following that sonnet read - though I've fallen behind so I've not been commenting. I'll try to catch up if possible so I can be reading along with you.

>#6

Yes, me too!

I keep planning to read some of Shakespeare's Sonnets too, but never get around to it... Well, maybe some time later this year :) It's good to have a whole year ahead, I can say 'maybe later this year' to everything and not worry about it ;)

...as opposed to, "Next year I'll----", which we've all been saying for the last two months at least. Or at least, *I* have! :)

>8 Britt84: & 9 Yes, the first three months of the year are reserved for "Later this year I will ..." and the last three months are reserved for "Next year I will ...". Now all I have to do is get through those middle six months when things are actually supposed to get done. :-)

Genny and Liz, feel free to dip in and out as time allows! We are always happy to have guests pop up and share whenever you are moved to do so.

I want to read Complete Poems and Plays and The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot this year and I would be more than happy about a tutored read. Not right at the beginning of the year, because there's already too much on my list - but maybe in the second, third or fourth quarter. So, there's no rush at all.

I'll make a note of that, Kathy, and we'll see if we can get something sorted for you.

I have added a note to msg #3.

#13: Thank you, Liz!

If you get that tutored read of 'The Waste Land' arranged, Kathy, I'll be lurking along. :-)

Eliot's good fun, though I don't think I'd be up for the plays.

I'm plodding my way through The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann, but have a strong feeling that a hefty chunk of it is flying right overhead. I'm OK with details, but I know there is symbolism here that is escaping me... Anyone able to assist?

On the plus side, I tutored Smiler/Ilana for Wolf Hall last year and would be happy to pick up with Bring Up the Bodies or any other Tudor/Plantagenet/late Stuart history. (Not James I or the Civil War/Cromwell...) Other European history also OK, with an emphasis on 14th through 18th centuries. Also finance, some political philosophy.

I can attest that Cynara is an excellent tutor, should any of you find yourselves lucky enough to avail yourselves of her services. She has the patience of a saint, the wit of a late-night talk show host, and the charm of a cruise ship social director. Oh, and the brains of a professor!

Crazy person. Anyway, we're going to finish the sonnets before I commit to anything else.

(double post. sheesh.)

(triple post)

Ha, you tried to call me crazy three times! And that's just in this thread. Ha Ha Ha! And we will finish the sonnets! I am especially energized after today's lovely installment.

She's losing her mind and IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!!

Guilty as charged! After a year-long experience tutoring me, Cynara will be able to handle anything any 75er could ever throw her way.

#12 Kathy: I'm not qualified to be a tutor for the whole of The Waste Land, but I'd be happy to add my few cents on the classical references (of which there are *tons*) once you get started...

Anyone up to tutoring a German reading the English Silmarillion?

Hee. That sounds like fun, too. I hope you find someone!

:) Yeah...there must be someone who fancies themselves up to tutoring the Silmarillion. I've always been daunted by that book

It's not that bad, really - you just have to go into it expecting a history textbook instead of a story.

I haven't ever finished The Silmarillion. I'd love to join in on a group read.

#15: Julia, you would be welcome!

#16: Cynara, I can also imagine to start this year only with Eliot's poetry. If I get some insight into his backgrounds, I might manage to read the plays on my own.

#17: I haven't read The Magic Mountain, but it's on my list for 2013. If you find a tutor, I might "watch" your reading process from time to time.

#25: Amber, I will be happy for every hint. Everything that helps to get a way into Eliot's writing.

I don't know about tutoring, but I am feeling like a reread of The Silmarillion this year. I've between reading about the early genesis of Tolkien's mythology during WWI recently.

I wouldn't mind joining a group read on The Silmarillion either. I have got that book on my TBR pile for years.
*wave at* aquascum - So, what do you think about a group read? I am German as well BTW *smile* .

31: I recently used the Norton Critical edition of Eliot's The Waste Land to try to clarify some things that had mystified me for years. (Mostly found out that they are generally mystifying, but at least now I know.) So if you don't find a tutor, you might find that edition helpful.

@Silmarillion people: sure, I'm in!

And talking about the German connection ;)

Into The Storm

Give it to me
I must have it
Precious treasure
I deserve it

Where can I run
How can I hide
The Silmarils
Gems of treelight
Their life belongs to me
Oh it's sweet how the
Darkness is floating around

We are following
The will of the one
Through the dark age
And into the storm
And we are following
The will of the one
Through the dark age
And into the storm
Lord I'm mean

Blackheart show me
What you hold in your hand
I still hunger for more
Release me
From my pain
Give it to me
How I need it

I did my part
Now it's your turn
And remember
What you've promised

(Blind Guardian, of course)

About The Magic Mountain; there was a group read of it in Le Salon a year or two ago and the leader, Macumbeira, provided a ton of fascinating information to think about it. Not the same as a tutored read, but might be useful to someone without a tutor. The first of several threads is here.

#34: Thank you very much for the tip! But I already own both books and I would like to avoid buying others. It's even not so much about the symbolism for every single poem, because there's a lot of secondary literature about that. My main problem is that I don't know how to start at all: Should I first read about his life? Should I read the poems in a chronoligical order? I just don't know how to approach Eliot's work.

I'd use the old reliable; read it, and see if you like it. If you enjoy it, then digging into the secondary sources will enrich the experience, but if not, then I'd move on to something else!

#36 -- THANK YOU!! This will encourage me to go back & finish the book this month...

This looks interesting; I've been seeing the tutored reads around, but haven't joined in yet. I'll keep tabs on this.

There do seem to be some from last year that I'd be interested in; shame I missed them the first time.

37: Hope Cynara's comment was helpful. (I lost track of this thread for a while).

I'm totally with Cynara here. If poetry doesn't move you on some visceral level, then studying isn't going to do you any good. So you should always start with the poetry and move on with questions from there.

I generally despise Eliot, especially the plays, but there are things in The Waste Land and Prufrock that still gnaw at me from time to time, hence my foray into the Critical Edition. But if there's nothing you like about the poetry in the first place (the Four Quartets just washed right over me), there's no reason to look at them any further. There's lots of poetry in the world and too little time to read it.

Yes, your tips are very helpful: Thanks a lot! :) Well, I think I will just give it a try later this year and see how everything turns out for me.

Rosalita and I have finished our Shakespeare sonnets thread! I'm going to take a break from poetry, but I've updated my interests on the wiki.

(Edit: possibly the wrong wiki; I see it said 2012. Is there a 2013 one I should have used?)

OH MY GOODNESS - WELL DONE, YOU TWO!!!!!!!! :D

There is a 2013 thread, on which it has been deathly quiet - here - so please post your amazing news there too and wake it up!

I think this is the 2013 thread - I just meant the wiki I updated was marked 2012!

Did I just link back here?? Duh! :)

No, we didn't do the Wiki this year because last year people seemed to find having the information in two places confusing.

Cynara is an awesome tutor. I would follow her anywhere, and have fun doing it, too.

Aw, thanks Rosalita! I should add that Rosa is a very good student and the most appreciative person ever.

I'm about to start a tutored read of Wolf Hall with Miela. After last summer's read with Ilana, it will be interesting to see how two different readers approach and interact with this book. If anyone is interested in following along, here is the link: http://www.librarything.com/topic/156577

I'll be following along with great interest, Suz!

Just found this - I studied The Waste Land some years ago so I too could be a (but not the) tutor - any possibility of a group tutoring session?

I'm looking for someone to tutor me with The Canterbury Tales in 2014.

#51 by @wandering_star> I'd certainly be up for some sort of group tutored read of 'The Waste Land', but only has a reader, not a tutor!

#52 The Canterbury Tales is on my classics TBR as well. I would like to follow along with your tutored read if it gets set up cyderry.

I'm still waiting for a tutor. :-(