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A few months ago, I was at home and saw a book that my mom was reading on her nightstand. Oddly enough, it was titled: How to Read a Book. At first, I was confused by the title. Is there really a "right" way to read a book? After contemplating my process, I don't think there is a "right" way, but I do think there are different lenses we can look through while reading a book.
I am currently reading Hard Times
by Charles Dickens. Previously, I have read Oliver Twist and David Copperfield, so I am
fairly familiar with Dickens’ style of writing. When I read a book
by an unfamiliar author, the first thing I notice is style. Particularly, I pay attention to sentence structure and word choice. I am always curious to see how effective the author's choices are in creating a mood and an image.
Next, I pay attention to character
development. How does the author introduce new characters? Are their physical
features described right away, later on, or never at all? Dickens certainly belongs in the first
group- his descriptions come immediately when introducing a new character- not just as mere physical traits but also as hints to personality. I actually enjoy Dickens' approach- even though I am more of a fan of Hemingway in regards to character description.
After I have noticed style and character development, I focus on plot structure and story-telling. How is the author shaping the plot? Is it a standard plot structure or something unique? Is the author telling a story or painting a picture? Although I have only read about 40 pages of Hard Times, I believe Dickens is trying to paint a picture rather than tell a story. I'm not saying there won't be a beginning, middle, and end- or that the main characters won't change by the end of the story, but I believe that Dickens is really just trying to portray the lives of people living in the Industrial Age, struggling with hard work and having little hope for imagination and creativity.
This is my process; I read through the lens of a writer. What is your process? What lens do you choose to look through while reading a book?
If you like Hard Times by Charles Dickens, then you should read Mr. Pip by Lloyd Jones. Both are exceptionally good. What other novels would you recommend reading of Hemingway's novels? I have read The Sun Also Rises, which was fantastic. To answer your questions: my reading process is to pay particular attention to the details of the novel in order to draw connections to the bigger picture. Also, I like to understand the cultural context behind the novel. An interesting topic to think about. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI love A Farewell to Arms by Hemingway. For Whom the Bell Tolls is also a good one. Cultural context is always a great thing to pay attention to while reading...have you read The Poisonwood Bible?
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for reading and commenting, Taylor! I really appreciate it...hope you are doing well!
Thank you so much! I have not read The Poisonwood Bible, but plan to now, especially since I just finished my book yesterday and need suggestions for my summer reading list--which is still pretty extensive! Your blog is authentic and poses great questions about reading and writing. I look forward to reading more of your posts.
ReplyDeleteI'm doing well; I hope you are enjoying your summer and are doing well too!
Thank you so much, Taylor!
ReplyDelete