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How do you read novels? (self.books)

submitted 11 months ago by tributarium to c/books

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These past few months I've come back to reading novels for the first time, really, since I was a kid. I just read them an alternative to scrolling, though, so I don't really pay much attention. When I sit down to watch a film, I try to make sure my mind is clear, my environment is undistracting, and I try to watch observantly and engage on multiple levels. Not always easy to maintain that level of attention even for a 1.5-3h movie, to try to do so for a novel seems unreasonable. I've felt mostly indifferent about the novels I've been reading during this streak. I had one moment where I felt moved but I can't really speak eloquently as to why or how. I have too many goals that matter infinitely more to me to make becoming a more refined conscientious fiction reader a goal, but I'm curious by-the-by how other (more experienced?) people approaach their reading.

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[–] tributarium 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I dunno, I just mean like, in a qualitative way. A painter just puts the paint on the canvas, mechanically speaking, but there's some idiosyncratic internal imagery going on as they make the decisions as to what goes where, right? Some people do things faster than others. I imagine some people read more by theme, maybe including reading several pieces on the same thing in sequence. Others read more by character. Some people see literature as being morally instructive, others as escapism. Some people are very sentimental and loving towards some aspect of a work and not an other. Some people re-read a lot. I actually re-read about half of a novel because I initially came into it with a lot of suspicion but as I became sympathetic to the protagonist and author midway through the book I wanted to go back and suck in what I'd already read with more generosity and love. We all do things a little differently, it's fun to hear about how folks do it.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

I don't think so deeply about it. I am like the poster above, just pick up the book and read it, just like you pick up the phone and read any post, before scrolling to the next.

I did use to skim on most of the descriptions, so I would get the meat of the story, but not all the flowery imagery with it, but that was when I was more into finishing more books than actually enjoying them. Now I don't care about that, just focus on what I am reading and try to enjoy it.