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 Hamlet and The Great Gatsby as case studies, David Greenham presents a unique, contextual approach to close reading, while addressing key questions such as: O What is close reading? O What is the importance of the relationships between words? O How can close reading enhance reading pleasure? O Is there a method of close reading that works for all literary genres? O How can close reading unlock complexity? O How does the practice of close reading relate to other theoretical and critical approaches? Close Reading: The Basics is formulated to bring together reading pleasure and analytic techniques that will engage the student of literature and enhance their reading experience.