Slow Reading

[astrangerhere]

From The Guardian earlier this month:

‘I want to savour every word’: the joy of reading slowly

There is something about churning through books that induces envy and even admiration, never more than at this time of year when piles of finished tomes are splashed across social media. Bragging rights seem to go to those who have read lots of books and read them quickly – how many times have you seen someone boast about finishing 10 books in a year? What about five?

But there is power in reading slowly, something the Chinese-American author Yiyun Li tells her creative writing students at Princeton University. “They say, ‘I can read 100 pages an hour’,” she says. “But I say, ‘I don’t want you to read 100 pages an hour. I want you to read three pages an hour’.”

I love the concept of slow reading, and having been a professor for some span of years, I would love it if my students and mentees would find that patience as well.

I know it all comes down to personal preference and what you want to get out of reading, but I appreciate that Li is at least trying to pass the skill on.

[DNSB]

Hmmm... 10 books would be a very slow month. As for slow reading? I had one friend who pushed that idea. I tried it but never really worked for me since I did not find myself gaining any more enjoyment/information by trying to read most texts slowly. The only exceptions were some poetry where the information is very dense and does take time to think about and absorb and some textbooks where I was referring to other sources while reading.

I will admit that most of my reading is fiction which tends to be about as dense as a 10^-9 Torr vacuum.

[DiapDealer]

I have different speeds for different authors/genres. Some I savor, and some I gobble.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I have different speeds for different authors/genres. Some I savor, and some I gobble.

You got that right. There are some Authors that write like a Pizza maker.
It is meant to be Gobbled and have to beg for more.
Other are like your morning porridge. Ya eat because that is what was put in front of you.

[ZodWallop]

I read mainly for entertainment. I don't exactly zip through books, but I don't read slowly either. There are some writers whose writing I especially enjoy and I do occasionally take a moment to enjoy their writing. But I don't ever feel the need to slow it down.

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I have different speeds for different authors/genres. Some I savor, and some I gobble.

This. I am slowing down overall, but I still read some faster than others. I have discovered that a lot of the books I enjoy from the Golden Age Mystery era are more enjoyable if I slow down, but more modern books I can read faster without losing the atmosphere

[4691mls]

Seems like this would depend on the kind of book you are reading. Classic literature yes. Action thriller no.

[Thasaidon]

Originally Posted by theducks

You got that right.
Other are like your morning porridge. Ya eat because that is what was put in front of you.

That is a slur against porridge, I like well made porridge!

[Pierre Lawrence]

I think we would all agree that with the possible exception of textbooks and the like, if you have to stop and reread what the author has written to figure out what he or she meant, the author has failed. Almost as bad is a plodding narrative, typical of the pre-Hemingway era.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Pierre Lawrence

I think we would all agree that with the possible exception of textbooks and the like, if you have to stop and reread what the author has written to figure out what he or she meant, the author has failed. Almost as bad is a plodding narrative, typical of the pre-Hemingway era.

No, actually, we wouldn't all agree with that. The "fault" for prose that might not flow naturally for every single reader does not always lie with the author.

I often have to "learn" how to read authors I've never encountered before. Which involves rereading some sentences from time to time (especially early on) for full comprehension. They may not all become instant favorites of mine, but even for those I can't quite seem to adjust to, I wouldn't automatically attribute it to a failure on the part of the author. Many times it's my fault for being a dense brick who's unable to stretch/adapt. Other times it might be cultural vernacular I'm not familiar with (yet).

No. The notion that every author must write in such a way that every single reader (who is fluent in the language) can easily and instantly comprehend every single sentence in a novel, or be deemed a failure, is not one I'd agree with.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Thasaidon

That is a slur against porridge, I like well made porridge!

I used to. Of coarse, I loaded it with a large dollop of sugar and cream, which my health prohibits both. (same thing with Bacon )

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Thasaidon

That is a slur against porridge, I like well made porridge!

Originally Posted by theducks

I used to. Of coarse, I loaded it with a large dollop of sugar and cream, which my health prohibits both. (same thing with Bacon )

Easy on the sugar and cream but with added berries is my preference.

[Pierre Lawrence]

In response to Diap's post, the points there are well made. I should have stated I was expressing a personal preference - that to me, clarity and flow are the most important attributes of good writing.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Pierre Lawrence

In response to Diap's post, the points there are well made. I should have stated I was expressing a personal preference - that to me, clarity and flow are the most important attributes of good writing.

Fair enough.

And on the porridge front: I tend to go with the kitchen sink approach. Blueberries, chia, walnuts, yoghurt and cacao nibs are typical for me these days.

[Apache]

Brown sugar and Cinnamon for me.
Apache