How to Have an Intelligent Conversation About a Book
- 1). Become familiar with a book. Ideally you will have read it, but reading just part of a book, skimming it or reading about it (for example, a review of it) can also spark a satisfying literary conversation.
- 2). Think about what interests you most about the book. Sincere interest makes a conversation about a book more stimulating. Consider whether a particular line or part of what you read made you curious, shocked or emotional. Note if anything that you read reminded you of something outside the book, whether it is an idea from another book, a current issue or an event from your own life. Any original connections to the book's material yield a richer discussion.
- 3). Come up with some quick open-ended questions you could ask to get the person you're talking with more involved in the conversation. For example, if talking about the book "Jane Eyre," you could say, "I really admired how Jane overcame her role as a governess to become an equal to her employer, the man she fell in love with. Do women still have to try to become 'equals' with men to have good relationships with them today?"
- 4). Find a person, place and time for your conversation. The person can be someone you know already and would like to talk with more often, somebody you've just met or a group of people. The place can be a park, restaurant, your home or any other place where you can relax with the other person. The time doesn't have to be exact, but it's helpful to plan a meeting in advance. Then, even when you're just meeting with friends, your discussion doesn't have to be rushed.
- 5). Listen to what the other person has to say. Taking yourself and the book seriously is fine, but allowing the conversation to wander will let you have a richer understanding of what you have read. Reference the book again to steer the conversation if you want to, but let yourself be amazed at the topics that develop naturally.
