When reading this short story I was trying to think about what really makes a good reader and if there is such a thing, and if so, how can I become one. I believe what Nabokov was trying to tell us is that good readers just like good writer use many different types of styles to write or read plus good writers have levels of writing. A good reader starts a book with a clean slate, not knowing anything at all about the book just having a open mind. Another thing a good reader does is he or she re-reads everything they read to fully understand every little detail the author is trying to convey to us.
I think a good reader is only a good reader if he or she is reading a well written book, because if the book is very straight forward and tells you what do think then its doesn't leave much room for you to explore and feel emotion that maybe a good writer would use. But if someone was to read a well written book then that is when you can sift out the good and bad readers. Nabokov talked about writers using storytelling, teaching and enchanting to describe authors styles of writing and if your a good writer you have to use all three, and that goes back to what I was saying early about levels of writing. If the author uses storytelling, teaching and enchanting all in one sentence then it make just one word mean a million different things it creates opinions about what the authors really trying to portray to us. That is why I think Nabokov says that all good readers re-read everything they write, it is because you couldn't fully comprehend what they writer is saying by just reading the book or even the sentence once. I enjoyed reading this short story because I felt like I learned something new in each sentence that he wrote, now I have a better comprehension on what is expected of a good reader and how to become a good reader.
Sean,
ReplyDeleteI would not describe myself as a good reader. About the only quality that I have that Nabokov considers a good reader to have would be imagination, But even at times if I don't comprehend what the reader is implying in his or her story the picture in my head goes away just like that. I don't think it means that the book is bad, it could be possible that the person reading the book just doesn't grasp what the other is trying to imply. Many times have I read with someone and when I ask them what that means. It is completely different then what I had believed the other was trying to say. Growing up i never enjoyed reading but now i am expanding my reading materials to comprehend all the different styles of reading. Someday I hope to become a great reader.