To lay the foundation is to be familiar with Tong Qingbing's literary theory, so that you can not only understand a famous book in a deeper level, but also use some technical terms appropriately when writing literary criticism (another professional course at Huda University also involves this book, which is a matter of killing two birds with one stone). If you have spare capacity, you can look at Wang Xianpei's Guide to Literary Theory and Guide to Literary Criticism, which can confirm each other.

As for literary books, it is not recommended to read more if you want to take the exam, because your energy is limited. Four Great Classical Novels had better choose a book that interests him. First, these four books are generally familiar; Second, there are many people studying, and reference materials are easy to find.