Ebook fans who read slowly - Page 8

toomanybooks · 06-07-2009, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparrow

That would certainly be the case if I tried to speed read poetry - but maybe other readers can do it; I was curious to know if that's the case, and what it's like.

In college I learned how to speed read poetry when taking a survey course. We had to read most of the Faerie Queene and this was in addition to three other novels for my other English courses. You can speed read poetry well enough to pass an exam, but I still would never claim that I have read the Faerie Queene. Speed reading poetry is not real reading and it is painful.

doreenjoy · 06-07-2009, 08:30 PM

The notion of speed reading poetry is painful for me to contemplate. It's like reading the Cliff's Notes for Hamlet instead of reading Hamlet.

Yeah, I'm a geek.

Sweetpea · 06-08-2009, 02:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doreenjoy

The notion of speed reading poetry is painful for me to contemplate. It's like reading the Cliff's Notes for Hamlet instead of reading Hamlet.

Yeah, I'm a geek.

The notion of reading poetry is painful for me to contemplate

I never liked reading poetry. There are some pieces of poetry I semi-liked... if only they were in prose...

doreenjoy · 06-08-2009, 02:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

The notion of reading poetry is painful for me to contemplate

I never liked reading poetry. There are some pieces of poetry I semi-liked... if only they were in prose...

OUCH!

nohmi2 · 06-08-2009, 02:24 AM

For some inexplicable reason I find that I read far slower on an ereader than I do when reading pbooks. The reason why this should be escapes me, although it could be because I have far too many choices on the ereader, and can therefore *grasshop* from one subject to another.

Methinks that age is also a big factor.

HarryT · 06-08-2009, 04:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

The notion of reading poetry is painful for me to contemplate

I never liked reading poetry. There are some pieces of poetry I semi-liked... if only they were in prose...

I find that the only way to appreciate poetry is to "read it aloud", even if only "inside my head". I just can't read it the way that I read prose.

Sweetpea · 06-08-2009, 04:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I find that the only way to appreciate poetry is to "read it aloud", even if only "inside my head". I just can't read it the way that I read prose.

You may be right about that. It may be I'm too impatient to get to the end of the story to really appreciate poetry.

Robertb · 06-08-2009, 12:59 PM

Dear all:

I read this book called "The Marshall" when it was released about 20 years ago. Then it got lost when I moved. It took me twelve years to find another copy and I read slow and savor every word every time. The Marshall is not a true western at all. It takes place in modern times: "He hears the victim's crys and he is there. The black powder, gun-toting image of Wyatt Earp. But Wyatt Earp is long dead, isn't he?"

I admit to having spent five years studying every facet of Tombstone and the OK Corral and what happened that famous day. I even learned how to play "Faroh" to better feel the times. This book by Denis St. Pierre likely sold 100 copies total... but I love the plot: a modern detective tracking down a "vigilante" who uncovers the impossible.

So, I re-read The Marshall every Summer and look forward to it all year. That book I read so slowly and enjoy it.

DixieGal · 06-08-2009, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

You may be right about that. It may be I'm too impatient to get to the end of the story to really appreciate poetry.

I always plow through long poetry, especially old stuff like Chaucer and Shakespeare, as if it were plain text. They would have written in plain text, if anyone had thought about it. Invention was a slow slow thing back in days of yore.

sakura-panda · 06-10-2009, 01:51 PM

I have a list of books that I've read this year and some months have a lot of books and some months have only one. It all has to do with the size and scope of the book and how much time I can devote to it. I finished ten books in January but only one each in March, April and May. I think June and July will end up one book months as well. The January books were a couple of "light reading" series but since then I've been reading either longer books or "classics".

I've been trying to slow down my reading -- I generally read a book through very quickly, trying to get the high points and past the any suspense or hidden surprises. Then, if I liked the book, I'll read it again more thoroughly and take the time to absorb all the other details.

Now it seems to be taking me longer to read books since the ebooks are forcing me to read carefully the first time through; I can't just flip pages (easily) to read bits at the end before I get there. (Books go faster when you know what's coming.) It's both frustrating and amazing at the same time -- I mean, to actually be surprised when something happens because I didn't know it was coming? That used to never happen to me!

06-08-2009, 12:59 PM	#113
Robertb Astak Director, Bus. Devl Posts: 2,560 Karma: 2500000 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: Astak Pocket PRO	Robertb re-reads a lot Dear all: I read this book called "The Marshall" when it was released about 20 years ago. Then it got lost when I moved. It took me twelve years to find another copy and I read slow and savor every word every time. The Marshall is not a true western at all. It takes place in modern times: "He hears the victim's crys and he is there. The black powder, gun-toting image of Wyatt Earp. But Wyatt Earp is long dead, isn't he?" I admit to having spent five years studying every facet of Tombstone and the OK Corral and what happened that famous day. I even learned how to play "Faroh" to better feel the times. This book by Denis St. Pierre likely sold 100 copies total... but I love the plot: a modern detective tracking down a "vigilante" who uncovers the impossible. So, I re-read The Marshall every Summer and look forward to it all year. That book I read so slowly and enjoy it.

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06-07-2009, 08:30 PM	#107
doreenjoy 01000100 01001010 Posts: 1,889 Karma: 2400000 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Polyamorous	The notion of speed reading poetry is painful for me to contemplate. It's like reading the Cliff's Notes for Hamlet instead of reading Hamlet. Yeah, I'm a geek.

06-08-2009, 02:24 AM	#110
nohmi2 Pensively observing. Posts: 1,758 Karma: 12675456 Join Date: Jun 2008 Device: Varied.	For some inexplicable reason I find that I read far slower on an ereader than I do when reading pbooks. The reason why this should be escapes me, although it could be because I have far too many choices on the ereader, and can therefore grasshop from one subject to another. Methinks that age is also a big factor.

06-10-2009, 01:51 PM	#115
sakura-panda Guru Posts: 923 Karma: 9558874 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Southeast Michigan, USA Device: 2017 10.5" iPad Pro (Kobo, NOOK, Kindle, Google Play Books & Scribd)	I have a list of books that I've read this year and some months have a lot of books and some months have only one. It all has to do with the size and scope of the book and how much time I can devote to it. I finished ten books in January but only one each in March, April and May. I think June and July will end up one book months as well. The January books were a couple of "light reading" series but since then I've been reading either longer books or "classics". I've been trying to slow down my reading -- I generally read a book through very quickly, trying to get the high points and past the any suspense or hidden surprises. Then, if I liked the book, I'll read it again more thoroughly and take the time to absorb all the other details. Now it seems to be taking me longer to read books since the ebooks are forcing me to read carefully the first time through; I can't just flip pages (easily) to read bits at the end before I get there. (Books go faster when you know what's coming.) It's both frustrating and amazing at the same time -- I mean, to actually be surprised when something happens because I didn't know it was coming? That used to never happen to me!

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