Whats your opinion on websites like sparknotes?

Question

Would you consider it cheating if someone read the book, and understood it, but used sparknotes to further their understanding and make themselves feel more comfortable about it?

I know its considered cheating to just use sparknotes as a way to get away without reading the book, but if someone read it and just wanted to go over the characters for instance, would it be wrong to go to the list of characters and read sparknote's analysis?

Some friends and I got into a disagreement about this. I think that sparknotes is okay to use if someone needs help, but doesn't have any other resources at the time, as long as they have read the book and tried to understand it on their own. But some friends think that sparknotes is ok to use instead of reading the book, and others think that it should just be totally avoided.

so what do you think?

thanks in advance =D

Answer 1

I used to read books and then go to SN if I didn't quite understand them. I really only wound up there for things written in old english like Canterbury Tales. I don't consider it cheating as long as you actually read the source material as well.  

Answer 2

I don't think Spark-notes should be used as a substitute for reading the book if you're in an English class. I think it's fine to use it as a supplement (esp. if you're reading something particularly challenging), but even then their analysis tends to be very basic and not very imaginative--very much like "Literary Analysis for Dummies". If someone is just looking to figure out the gist of a particular book, I think it's fine. Basically, I don't think anyone should depend on it for analysis because it takes away the reader's involvement in the book (the reader's responsibility to think about and understand the material) by simply spelling out a possible interpretation.

Bottom line? Read and discuss the book on your own.

Answer 3

Personally I'm not against using notes in order to further your understanding or sort of list what you've already gathered.  It's sometimes easier than writing your own notes.  Sometimes notes also mention things about author insight or character development that you wouldn't normally find or that you missed but can use to give you ideas as to themes for writing papers or essays.  In some cases I've totally disagreed with the interpretation of cliff notes and monarch notes seeing stories/novels/and plays in a totally different light but the notes were still helpful in that I was armed with two perspectives as well as being able to defend my own perspective knowing in advance what possible arguments would be presented.

:P

Answer 4

If you read the book yourself and then gather other perspectives on the book--Sparknotes or other websites or books or articles--then you are supplementing your understanding by thinking about other people's perspectives.  This is a good thing to do!  The main thing is that you don't just borrow other people's analysis/ideas when you have to write about what you read for school.  If you do ever want to incorporate any of the ideas you picked up from a website or other resource, you have to be sure to give credit to your source, even if you are just borrowing an idea and not using the exact words from that source.

This page gives a brief overview of working with sources and making sure not to accidentally plagiarize:

http://www.writing.northwestern.edu/avoi...

You sound like a thoughtful person and interested student.  :)