How to Read a Novel: A User's Guide Book

I didn't mean to read this book when I had come across it some months ago somewhere in Bangkok but I changed my mind. Later I vaguely recalled his name from an OUP hardcover in its omnibus edition I decided to buy in 2005 at the Chulalongkorn University Book Center and read some topics I liked. The book in question entitled, The Literary Detective: 100 Puzzles in Classic Fiction (Oxford University Press 2000) has since allowed me to know him more as a renowned scholar in the name of Professor John Sutherland. Notably, the omnibus volume comprises three collections of literary puzzles: Is Heathcliff a Murderer? (1996), Can Jane Eyre Be Happy? (1997), and Who Betrays Elizabeth Bennet? (1999).

From its twenty-eight chapters, it seemed to me the readers would find reading them arguably entertaining and informational from his inspirational writing style, direct quotes, black-and-white illustrations as well as his step-by-step narratives on how to literally tackle any novel one's going to read as we can see, for instance, from the first five chapters: 1. So many novels, so little time, 2. Declarations of independence, 3. Every other thing has changed: why hasn't the book changed?, 4. Fiction - a four-minute history, 5. Targeting - first find your book.

Indeed, I found a few chapters a bit tough, for example, Chapter 27 Book of the film? Film of the book? I had no choice but kept reading on and on till I finally found some consolation in Chapter 28 After all is said and done, what use are they? in which the author has encouraged common novel readers by ending his message in the last paragraph as follows:
Novels can do many things. They can instruct, enlighten, confuse, mislead, soothe, excite, indoctrinate, misinform, educate and waste time. Each novel has its own rewards, or frustrations. And, at the highest pitch of achievement, novels can indeed be the one bright book of light. The trick is finding which, among the millions now accessible, fits that bill. For you, that is. And that, as Virginia Woolf told us, is something no one can tell you. Or, if they do, ignore them. (p. 243)
In brief, this A User's Guide notifying its readers as the subtitle has seemingly been adopted there like other recent popular advertising catchwords; however, I think A Reader's Guide should be equally impactful to those readers or passersby. One of the reasons is that the word User signifies something mechanic, technology or computer-oriented whereas the word Reader aims at those common readers themselves since, eventually, they would soon learn from reading this Guide to acquire better understanding as well as vision to read or not to read, that is the question they should find out some solution via their exploration, evaluation and appreciation in the world of innumerable novels.