York Notes

Does anyone else use these? I picked up "Death of a Salesman - Advanced" from the school library. It was on "restricted loan" for one night, but I somewhat disregarded that rule :p:

...It is very useful and interesting to help revision and consider other ideas too. I hope this'll help me in my revision.

Reply 1

Johnny 5

12

I bought that. Also, I'm hoping to get through my AS by re-reading my Tess of the D'Urbervilles guide instead of the actual book. Seven hundred pages? Get outta here...

Reply 2

No Future

OP

17

2 5 +

I bought that. Also, I'm hoping to get through my AS by re-reading my Tess of the D'Urbervilles guide instead of the actual book. Seven hundred pages? Get outta here...

Ah, time management for you :smile:

Reply 3

Mrs Rickman

2

I think they're ok for a general overview but a bit basic for in-depth critical points. I know the teachers at my school aren't too impressed with them.

Reply 4

rottcodd

3

I've got the York Notes for The Handmaid's Tale. It's good for chapter summaries, and gives you some information about the critical history of the novel, which is useful, but like Mrs.Rickman said it doesn't really go into detailed textual analysis.

Reply 5

Endymion

9

steerpike1985

I've got the York Notes for The Handmaid's Tale. It's good for chapter summaries, and gives you some information about the critical history of the novel, which is useful, but like Mrs.Rickman said it doesn't really go into detailed textual analysis.

They do go into textual analysis. Obviously not at vast critical level, but certainly enough for what you need to know at A-Level/GCSE. The A-Level ones are particularly good. You'll actually find that most York Notes are written by University lecturers, with specific subject knowledge on that text, and you won't find a better tutor than that! :p:

Reply 6

fasterpurple

I don't use them because often they contradict the slant on the text that we're taught in class - and I want to go into an exam with a very definite idea of what I think of the play. I don't want to be unsure of anything - not saying I don't want other opinions, but if I want other opinions then I'll go to critics that I can cite.

Can't really cite York Notes in an exam :wink:

Reply 7

kellywood_5

17

I have the York Notes Advanced for Hard Times and they're a godsend! I wouldn't have a clue where to start with revision otherwise, and I find them very detailed....

Reply 8

happydinosaur

15

I think those books saved me last year. Well I only used the Wuthering Heights one last year. This year I used them a lot to help with my coursework comparing two novels as although the library had loads of stuff on Toni Morrisons Beloved the shelves were bare when it came to Alice Walkers the Color Purple...

York notes=good for some things but awful for others really

Reply 9

Endymion

9

sparklyteacosie

York notes=good for some things but awful for others really

Awful for what?

Reply 10

happydinosaur

15

Endymion

Awful for what?

In my opinion the ones one some poetry were not helpful. The Donne one wasn't good...

Reply 11

chloe_sh

I always get York Notes, because my attendance is quite low (50%-ish) due to illness, and they give a reliable overview of what one needs to know to do well in the exam. That said, I do find them rather facile - it's much more rewarding to read proper criticism and analyse the text yourself.

Reply 12

Johnny 5

12

Actually, if you're doing Salesman, or poetry, you would probably be better just to read the literature again.

But for Dickens, Hardy et al, they're quite invaluable.

Reply 13

annabellewalter

1

My teacher doesn't let us use them. So I stopped going to her lessons and only used them. Got 100%. As long as you don't get sucked into to everything they say and are capable of critically analysing their points it's all good. I'd marry them if it was legal/ sexually gratifying.

Reply 14

Johnny 5

12

annabellewalter

My teacher doesn't let us use them. So I stopped going to her lessons and only used them. Got 100%.

Did you actually read the books as well? If not, I'm not wasting my time... :rolleyes:

Is this A-level or GCSE you mean?

Reply 15

annabellewalter

1

This particular occasion was Chaucer 'The Miller's Tale' A2. I didn't read it though. In fact, the exam was the first essay I'd ever written on it. Hmph, I use them all the time though, and I wouldn't say I was the sort of person who just learns them and then reels them off, just saves time reading stuff again and again and finding all the similies and imagery and so on and so forth, I find them useful on the language and narrative structure side of things. I tend to do well when I don't read the book, and then when I've read them I do less well in the exam. Grr.

Reply 16

spider from mars

13

I've found that they are really good for plays. For AS I got the ones for A Streetcar Named Desire and they were fan-diddly-tastic. This year I've got the ones for Measure for Measure and they're almost as useful. For poetry they aren't really that good, usually because they talk about a poet in general, with only some analysis of individual poems. For example I'm doing The Rime of the Ancient Mariner this year (great poem) and the York Notes are no use whatsoever because they deal with basically everything that Coeleridge did. It's no good looking at general themes when you have to write about one specific poem. I haven't found the ones for novels very useful in general either.

fasterpurple

I don't use them because often they contradict the slant on the text that we're taught in class - and I want to go into an exam with a very definite idea of what I think of the play. I don't want to be unsure of anything - not saying I don't want other opinions, but if I want other opinions then I'll go to critics that I can cite.

I quite like having more than one slant, it gives me something to think about. Besides, my teacher is a drunk (very annoying that I have english first period twice in a week as she's frequently too hungover to teach) so her slant is often more of a physical one than an opinion of the text!

Reply 17

happydinosaur

15

clockworkapples

I've found that they are really good for plays. For AS I got the ones for A Streetcar Named Desire and they were fan-diddly-tastic. This year I've got the ones for Measure for Measure and they're almost as useful. For poetry they aren't really that good, usually because they talk about a poet in general, with only some analysis of individual poems. For example I'm doing The Rime of the Ancient Mariner this year (great poem) and the York Notes are no use whatsoever because they deal with basically everything that Coeleridge did. It's no good looking at general themes when you have to write about one specific poem. I haven't found the ones for novels very useful in general either.

I quite like having more than one slant, it gives me something to think about. Besides, my teacher is a drunk (very annoying that I have english first period twice in a week as she's frequently too hungover to teach) so her slant is often more of a physical one than an opinion of the text!

I was thinking of getting the Measure for Measure one mainly because it is such a difficult play to study. I had one for Streetcar Named Desire which I think was a bit useful but I find I usually have a very good idea of plays (being a drama student at heart) so didn't use it as much as I used the Wuthering Heights one. For novels I would say they are brilliant!! I am going to my local second hand bookshop tomorrow to have a look to see if I can find any useful ones...