[BookCat]

I don't understand why so many skip or skim descriptions of scenery or places. For me, a strong sense of place is important in order to become immersed in a book. I especially like writers who write descriptions using all the senses, so I know what a place looks like, smells like, feels like, sounds like, yes even tastes like. (At the moment I keep reading about the salty taste of the sea.)

By the way, I wasn't refering to 'recall' when I mentioned comprehension. I mean a full feeling of the nuances of the author's meanings, as well as the plot and character. For example, this afternoon, while sitting on my sofa reading, I came across this passage in Frenchman's Creek:

"And somewhere too there is a Dona of tomorrow ... to whom all this will be a thing to cherish ... to remember. Much will be forgotten then, perhaps, the sound of the tide on the mud-flats, the dark sky, the dark water, the shiver of the trees behind us and the shadows they cast before them, and the smell of the young bracken and the moss. Even the things we said will be forgotten, the touch of hands, the warmth, the loveliness, but never the peace that we have given to each other, never the stillness and the silence."

At this, I laid aside my kindle, looked out of the French window at the birds playing in some trees in my garden and thought about things I remember and forget. I mused for about ten minutes before continuing to read. This often happens while I'm reading - I'll stop and consider a passage, turn over the ideas in my mind. They often get highlighted on my Paperwhite, with a short note beside it.

I had no intention of beginning a reading version of Python's "The Four Yorkshireman" when I made the original post. I'd been watching book review videos on youtube (my biggest time suck) in which individuals reviewed many books a month. I couldn't help wondering if they had a secret store of time to which only certain people had access (a bit like Platform 9 3/4).