Thursday, August 25, 2011

Good Readers and Good Writers

     Nabokov believes that to be a good reader, a person must re-read. In doing this the reader gains a better understanding of what is happening in the story. Also, each time a reader re-reads something, the reader begins to see details and information that they missed when they first read the book. Nabokov also believes that to be a good reader, you must have an impersonal imagination when you are reading. He believes that the worst thing a reader can do is relate to the characters in a story and thats why he says to have an impersonal imagination.
     I agree that to be a good reader you need to re-read often. I've found that the more I re-read books, my  understanding and my comprehension become stronger. I do, however, disagree that a reader should have an impersonal imagination. A reader who connects to the characters or a character, has greater empathy and understanding of the characters. When a reader understands a character, the story also comes to life faster in the reader's mind.
     I like to think of myself as a good reader, but I know that I still have to work hard if I want to become an even better reader.

website:  http://avko.org/Essays/good_readers.htm



6 comments:

  1. I like that you brought attention to the idea of having an impersonal imagination. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet. I generally try to relate to the main character in the story but maybe this could lead to a bias or favor of that character. I don't consider myself a great reader, but hope to use some of these methods to become a better one. I enjoyed your thoughts. Good post.

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  2. Hello,
    I agree with your response entirely! For myself I also read and reread a story three, maybe four times before I feel that I have taken all that I could from it. Just as you stated, with each read I as well comprehend a little bit more.
    You mentioned you disagree with Nabokov's idea that a reader should not have an impersonal imagination. Personally, I relate any story I read to my own experiences so I was a bit taken a back at that statement in his story. I was pleased to read that I was not the only one!

    Good luck this semester,
    Carissa

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  3. After reading yours I realized that I didn't understand what I read. I think that your post is exactly right. I never re-read anything usually and I always compare myself to the main character and I never thought it affected my reading but theres always something new to try right? I think you did an awesome job in response to the assignment.

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  4. I totally agree with you on this. You also nailed the point that I think Nabokov was trying to make. I only wish that I could read fast enough to re-read books often. I'm a slow reader because I read and absorb everything. I read every descriptive detail. Good Job!

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  5. I agree with what you have said, having read and written about the article myself. I definitely agree that an individual cannot completely have an objective point of view when reading something. It's in human nature to try to identify with something and I like that you mentioned that fact.

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  6. Thanks for the blog post buddy! Keep them coming...
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