Tuesday, August 30, 2011
"A History of Reading" Response 1
When I first bought "A History of Reading", I thought, sarcastically, to myself, "Oh great, we get to read about reading. How interesting can that be?" How wrong my first impression was. In reading the first 100 pages of this novel I learned things about my own reading habits that I didn't even know I did. For example, I find myself reading out loud to myself when I'm reading something that I find especially hard to grasp, conversely I find that the works I most enjoy to read I do so in perfect silence. It is true, however, like the researcher E. B. Huey found, that every person reads at a different level and pace, which in and of itself is an interesting concept, considering that the act of reading is seemingly universal. My personal favorite aspect of this novel is Manguel's habit of telling his own story through the overall history of reading. It fascinates how he so quietly interjects his personal anecdotes into the different ways in which we, as humans, read and process knew knowledge. In conclusion, I am now excited to continue reading Manguel, and the world's history of reading.
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I confess to having a similar preconceived notion about the content of the work. The trail of how people read in this age becoming conventional was indeed an interesting one. I think it is probably a common experience for most people to sound out particular passages or sentences so as to better grasp their meaning, but I relate with you also on the point that deep, personal reading is better accomplished by reading silently.
ReplyDeleteI also find myself reading aloud. It helps me to keep focused and clear my mind of clutter. Glad to know I'm not alone.
ReplyDeleteThe history of my reading also mirrors the history of my life. I can look back on the things I was reading at certain time period and see the effect it had on my life.
I, too, was fascinated by the incorporation of Manguel’s personal anecdotes in “A History of Reading.” Not only were his stories refreshing, but I found them to be remarkable as well. One personal experience, in particular, I found to be quite uplifting was when Manguel was explaining how he taught himself to read at the tender age of four. His unique technique of correlating the illustrations of the book to the "stern black shapes"(text) printed below those illustrations has to be one of the most odd, but intriguing, techniques I have ever heard (pg. 5). Just the image I receive in my thoughts while reading that anecdote—the vision of a four-year-old child piecing the shapes of the letters together in order to form words, correctly—is an astounding image all on its own.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of those images that will remain in my memory bank for a lifetime.
-Terri
When I first saw that we were reading this book, I was skeptical as well. However, the entire time I was reading it I found myself engrossed and kept waiting for the technical, boring parts to come, but they never did. Silence is best for reading because it lets you become part of the book, rather than being reminded you're a part of the real world with background noise. I read aloud as well when I don't quite understand something. Interesting.
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