any book that strongly features symbolism andforeshadowing it is important to read at least twice.  I would suggest reading more often, but I know that is likely to be unreasonable for most students.  If you cannot read a book twice, it is a good idea to read summaries and analysis of the book, such as those available on enotes, before or as you read.  Although this many ruin some of the joy of the book, it will give you some of the benefit of multiple re-reads when you only have time to read the book once.

To really understand this book, you have to be able to pick up on the nuances of language and the foreshadowing the author uses throughout.  You will not notice these the first time you read the book, because when we read a book the first time we tend to focus on plot and details of characters.  These things are important, but when we already understand them we will get more meaning out of the story.  As we read a book the first time, we get a feeling in the back of our mind that something may be important but we really do not know until we finish the book.  That is what foreshadowing is for—authors hint for careful readers, or readers who are reading the book again.

If you can’t re-read a book, another option is to read the book once and then read all of the summaries, critical analysis and criticism that is available.  Since you are already here at enotes, you have all of that at your fingertips.  It will not be quite as good as reading it beforehand, but you will still develop a deeper understanding.

Your question makes me smile, katemckay, when I think of all the books I've read numerous times to fully understand them. The truth is, I'm not sure a really profound novel will ever be fully understood, since our understanding of it changes as we change. I read To Kill a Mockingbird about every ten years, and each time I read it, I find meaning that had escaped me previously. The book had not changed, but I had.  That being said, I think what you are referring to really is a mastery of the novel in terms of its literal content and perhaps literary elements, such as theme and symbolism.

To understand the setting of the novel, the Deep South (Alabama) in the 1930s, some research of American history would be helpful--not necessarily the history of events, but the historical time: how people lived, how they dressed, the cars they drove, the social values they adhered to, what was happening in the world, etc. Understanding the time period would help you understand many specific references in the story.

In terms of its literary content, your understanding of this will grow as you develop your own literary skills. Reading the novel three times in a row, for instance, won't develop immediate understanding.

One way to develop a greater understanding of the novel, or any novel, is to keep a journal while you read. Write down references or passages that you don't understand and follow up on them in class or through some independent research. You don't have to understand every detail to understand this novel, but clearing up the "unknowns" will make it more meaningful overall.

I'm including some links below to several eNotes references that should be helpful. There are many others on the site. Good luck and keep reading. Also, read To Kill a Mockingbird again in ten years.. You will be amazed at what you find in it that does not speak to you right now.

First off, I would say that no one ever “fully” understands any text. For example, an expert scholar of To Kill a Mockingbird (or an expert on any text) would probably say he/she has read the book dozens of times and has found something new or reinterpreted something differently. This is just the nature of our subjectivity, historical changes in perception and the importance of the reader’s interpretation. This is one of the fundamentals of modern literary analysis. No one can ever fully understand a text because any text can be interpreted in multiple ways. But, experts do have a fuller understanding because they are practiced readers and have studied a text multiple times.

But, if you’re asking a more practical question such as, “how many times does an average student have to read the book in order to get the general themes,” then I’d say it does depend on the student’s reading ability and how much practice they’ve had in reading. I think the average student can get the general themes from one reading if he/she has a good teacher who encourages the student’s own interpretations while also explaining the themes, style, historical background and criticism that already exist on this book. Without a comprehensive and interactive study of the book, you may have to read it more than once.

Even with a comprehensive study, I would encourage rereading any book because you’re bound to find something new. And practically speaking, the more you read, the better you become at critical reading. This is analogous to playing a musical instrument. The more you practice, the better you become. The more you practice a particular piece of music, like Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, the better you will become at playing that particular song. Likewise, the more you read To Kill a Mockingbird, the better you will become at finding and interpreting meaning in that book and in your overall reading ability.

There is no single answer to this question.  A student's ability to comprehend a text is dependent on an individual's reading comprehension skills--the reading strategies that are used and the level at which a student is able to decode vocabulary.  To read more effectively a reader should use skills like questioning the texts while reading, making connections to the readers own life and experiences and reading with a purpose (know what you're looking for before reading).