tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7497062501059248350.post2418837903902573950..comments2024-03-06T04:22:42.200-06:00Comments on Readerbuzz: Sunday Salon: How to Read, Use, and Abuse Beautiful and Pointless Novels Like a ProfessorDeb Nance at Readerbuzzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12128529491888701996noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7497062501059248350.post-40041540960655609822011-08-01T12:17:13.164-05:002011-08-01T12:17:13.164-05:00Some time ago I read How Harry Potter Cast His Spe...Some time ago I read How Harry Potter Cast His Spell (http://rannthisthat.blogspot.com/2008/10/my-review-how-harry-potter-cast-his.html). On thing that has stayed with me is that the author was asked whether he spoke to JK Rowling about whether his interpretations were correct--whether she meant to say what he said she said. His reply? No, but that who is to say that she is the only one who can interpret her books? Me, I like stories, I'll leave the themes and symbols to folks who have nothing better to do.RAnnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04102249990885174107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7497062501059248350.post-16007590193065752962011-08-01T10:36:06.259-05:002011-08-01T10:36:06.259-05:00I like to read deeply, but I don't like to fol...I like to read deeply, but I don't like to follow along with too much structure. I just read a bit more slowly, look up references as I am reading, etc. Some books lend themselves to being read deeply whereas others do not.Tihttp://bookchatter.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7497062501059248350.post-28409393376025154872011-07-31T21:33:08.621-05:002011-07-31T21:33:08.621-05:00I have How To Read Books Like a Professor. But, I ...I have How To Read Books Like a Professor. But, I haven't read it yet. I also saw Mortimer Adler's book How To Read A Book (I think that's the title) at my mother's. Haven't read it.<br /><br />Ultimately, I think it comes down to reading...some books are great hits, some are misses, but the ones that cause us to grow, to expand our horizons and consider new possibilities are the ones that deepen our reading. Perhaps we don't need a book to teach us how to do that; it just comes naturally.Bellezza https://www.blogger.com/profile/18073864187188953633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7497062501059248350.post-38704365759976387762011-07-31T20:17:52.026-05:002011-07-31T20:17:52.026-05:00Wow. Thank you, Becca. If Flannery O'Connor ca...Wow. Thank you, Becca. If Flannery O'Connor can acknowledge her occasional inability to dig deep, I suppose that I can, too.Deb Nance at Readerbuzzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12128529491888701996noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7497062501059248350.post-80333405539987551372011-07-31T20:07:33.256-05:002011-07-31T20:07:33.256-05:00Sometimes I feel guilty because I just gulp down b...Sometimes I feel guilty because I just gulp down books like jelly beans and don't savor them as much as I should. Earlier today I was reading Habits of Being, the letters of Flannery O'Connor, and was comforted by this comment of hers to a friend:<br /><br />"I've read your book with great delight and i wish I had some reasons to tell you why I think it's so fine. However, I merely enjoys, I does not analyze. It's a book that's alive all the way though, and that's as close as I can come to saying anything intelligent about it."Beccahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14623887166087444590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7497062501059248350.post-27662438219857594312011-07-31T18:07:18.962-05:002011-07-31T18:07:18.962-05:00I think the poetry book sounds very useful. I'...I think the poetry book sounds very useful. I've alwasy wanted to know how to read and understand poetry better than I do.<br /><br />Textbooks - any books that purport to teach how to read better and properly sound like they are full of hot air. As long as you read, pay attention to what you read and think about the dialogue, the characters, the descriptions, the setting, what the author's written, you're good to go. I don't believe there's a right & wrong way to read so long as you're reading books because you want to read them. Just my humble opinion :o)Amyhttp://homeofaimala.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7497062501059248350.post-45547775801781841132011-07-31T17:38:50.815-05:002011-07-31T17:38:50.815-05:00Thank you, Robyn. I think I will do that. I think ...Thank you, Robyn. I think I will do that. I think I will read the way I want to read.Deb Nance at Readerbuzzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12128529491888701996noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7497062501059248350.post-53106429034463285902011-07-31T17:26:05.763-05:002011-07-31T17:26:05.763-05:00I wonder what exactly "deeply" means? A...I wonder what exactly "deeply" means? Are you reading deeply if you connect with the characters on a personal level? If the book changes your life? Being in academic myself, I know some academics try to define reading "deeply" one way, and that's their way. That doesn't work for everyone, so I say read the way you want to read.Robyn Rylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07510195754917893035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7497062501059248350.post-18278946869900290102011-07-31T13:48:38.545-05:002011-07-31T13:48:38.545-05:00I could not agree with you more. I loathe textboo...I could not agree with you more. I loathe textbooks and I spend a majority of my year reading them, as I'm still a college student (But that ends December 8th!)<br />I try to read deeply but sometimes I feel like if I spend too much time thinking about things it just confuses me or it makes me not like what I just read. So, I just read :]Samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15909018393122599017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7497062501059248350.post-39603949602471659572011-07-31T12:31:21.670-05:002011-07-31T12:31:21.670-05:00Thank you, Carrie, for that suggestion!Thank you, Carrie, for that suggestion!Deb Nance at Readerbuzzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12128529491888701996noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7497062501059248350.post-6768053580697066712011-07-31T12:03:26.304-05:002011-07-31T12:03:26.304-05:00Have you read Ruined by Reading by Lynne Sharon Sc...Have you read Ruined by Reading by Lynne Sharon Schwartz? It won't exactly teach you how to read deeply but it is one of the most delicious books I've ever read about the love of reading. And although I try to read deeply most of us I think just love to read. And that is the best thing ever.Cat Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08698347120336934638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7497062501059248350.post-56604685532227948702011-07-31T10:43:12.616-05:002011-07-31T10:43:12.616-05:00Have you read Reading Like a Writer by Francine Pr...Have you read Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose? So, so, so very good -and not like a textbook at all! :) Have a great Sunday.Carrie K.http://booksandmovies.colvilleblogger.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7497062501059248350.post-16055080089014850632011-07-31T09:30:57.995-05:002011-07-31T09:30:57.995-05:00I am not a fan of text books either. I have a hard...I am not a fan of text books either. I have a hard time reading book that tell me how to read books. Makes steam come out my ears. ;-)Confuzzled Shannonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06738492612572914119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7497062501059248350.post-7525134813705363142011-07-31T09:27:45.972-05:002011-07-31T09:27:45.972-05:00Thank you, C.B. I think you are right. I have (ver...Thank you, C.B. I think you are right. I have (very, very occasionally) written and spoken thoughtfully about books and it is generally after I've spent a little time letting my yeast ferment. I need to spend more time letting my yeast ferment.Deb Nance at Readerbuzzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12128529491888701996noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7497062501059248350.post-49908238804577106572011-07-31T09:21:53.012-05:002011-07-31T09:21:53.012-05:00I will stop trying to be erudite, Helen. It doesn&...I will stop trying to be erudite, Helen. It doesn't sound like it's that much fun to be erudite.Deb Nance at Readerbuzzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12128529491888701996noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7497062501059248350.post-54012455894709137082011-07-31T09:18:47.230-05:002011-07-31T09:18:47.230-05:00I think you are right, Annette. I am capable of re...I think you are right, Annette. I am capable of reading deeply. (Well, maybe not deeply, but deeper.) I don't do it very often.Deb Nance at Readerbuzzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12128529491888701996noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7497062501059248350.post-88837282834743726512011-07-31T09:08:48.802-05:002011-07-31T09:08:48.802-05:00I absolutely loved graduate school because I got t...I absolutely loved graduate school because I got to spend hours in a seminar talking to people about the books we read. Reading deeply only added to our love of the books we read. The more we understood about how the writer and the books worked, how they used theme, imagery, symbols, language, the more impressed we were. <br /><br />Unfortunatly, I cannot think of a book for you that will give you this experience. I do think starting with Stephen King's On Writing is a good idea. You might want to skip the first half, the memoir, if it doesn't interest you. <br /><br />What I think would help is re-reading a few books you love. If they are great books, you'll probably find all kinds of things you didn't notice the first time around when you were focused on the story. Reread one or two with a pencil in your hand to mark passages, words, characters, whatever you like. See what you'll find. That's really all you need to do to read deeply. <br /><br />I suspect you'll find it's worth the effort if the book itself is worth it.cbjameshttp://www.readywhenyouarecb.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7497062501059248350.post-28741968830216127622011-07-31T09:01:38.007-05:002011-07-31T09:01:38.007-05:00Great post! My advice? Don't worry about being...Great post! My advice? Don't worry about being "erudite", let's leave that to the textbook writers!Helen's Book Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01404788769349792460noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7497062501059248350.post-88815239562638832392011-07-31T08:49:35.274-05:002011-07-31T08:49:35.274-05:00Glad you cleared that up -- now I can take those o...Glad you cleared that up -- now I can take those off my reading list (just kidding). But I, to feel I read a lot but not deeply -- but I think it's because what I read doesn't require much deep thought. I think I'm capable of reading deeply, I just usually don't want to (because then it's like reading a textbook!)<br /><br />Great thoughts! Happy reading!Annette Millshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13850197520930988077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7497062501059248350.post-14352819524753489142011-07-31T08:40:07.229-05:002011-07-31T08:40:07.229-05:00I have avidly steered away from anything pompous a...I have avidly steered away from anything pompous and resembling a textbook after my many years spent in colleges! <br /><br />I literally seemed to flee toward anything and everything light and fun. Nowadays, though, I do mix my light and fun books with those that offer some social issues. Like a couple of the books I read this week. <br /><br />Check out <a href="http://accidentalmoments.wordpress.com/2011/07/31/the-sunday-salon-another-month-gone-july-31/" rel="nofollow">MY SUNDAY SALON POST</a>Laurel-Rain Snowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00101090217639410913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7497062501059248350.post-48756953560781063912011-07-31T08:18:00.646-05:002011-07-31T08:18:00.646-05:00Reading on whim...sounds like good advice! Off to ...Reading on whim...sounds like good advice! Off to add this to my TBR....Deb Nance at Readerbuzzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12128529491888701996noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7497062501059248350.post-80528784719505570012011-07-31T07:37:49.748-05:002011-07-31T07:37:49.748-05:00I'm currently reading The Pleasures of Reading...I'm currently reading The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction - OK so a professor wrote it but it is a bit radical - he advises reading on whim .....!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7497062501059248350.post-63084624229179460482011-07-31T07:00:02.956-05:002011-07-31T07:00:02.956-05:00I liked How to Read Literature a lot, SmallWorld. ...I liked How to Read Literature a lot, SmallWorld. The sequel, How to Read Novels...not so much.Deb Nance at Readerbuzzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12128529491888701996noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7497062501059248350.post-24577318573967859332011-07-31T06:58:59.094-05:002011-07-31T06:58:59.094-05:00Trish, I am with you: I seem to learn more from co...Trish, I am with you: I seem to learn more from conversing with someone rather than trying to listen to someone pontificate. Well, maybe I don't actually learn more, but it is a more enjoyable experience.Deb Nance at Readerbuzzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12128529491888701996noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7497062501059248350.post-41818362404779586382011-07-31T06:55:19.752-05:002011-07-31T06:55:19.752-05:00Thank for the heads up, BookBelle. I'm off to ...Thank for the heads up, BookBelle. I'm off to add this to my TBR.Deb Nance at Readerbuzzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12128529491888701996noreply@blogger.com