In "Good Readers and Good Writers", Nabokov states that we should approach a new book or writing assignment as something brand new, and not starting with an already made generalization. A good reader possess imagination, memory, and artistic ability. A good reader is also a reader who is active, creative, and a re-reader. A re-reader is someone who doesn't just scan through the book that they are reading but they actually read it. If they have to re-read the passage they just read that way it sticks, or like me take notes while they read a text book that way the information sinks in better. Nabokov shows us what he's talking about by comparing it to viewing a painting. While you stand in an art gallery looking at one painting at a time instead of having to read line to line as in a book. We have the time to take in the painting and see everything that the artist is showing us.
I agree with Nabokov on his characteristics of a good reader. I agree with the characteristic of imagination and the re-read that a reader must do. I find myself so engrossed in a book that when I close my eyes I can see exactly what the writer is talking about. That's the imagination coming out of me to help create the images that the reader wants us to see. When I do school work I always take my own notes out of my text books. I have always done this and I've found that it helps me to learn the material a lot better and to remember it when it comes to test time.
I do consider myself a good reader due to the fact that I use my imagination and I am re-reader when it's necessary. My imagination takes on a life of it's own when I'm reading a good book. I'll see the scenes in my head as I'm reading, hear the characters voices talking, and it's like I'm in my own personal theater seeing everything that the writer wants us to see. My grades in school have gotten ten times better since I started taking my own notes so I have to re-read the important parts of the textbook.
I come to an agreement with you. I also believe when someone rereads a book you can get a better visual of it far as imagining it. One good thing about reading a book is that it’s like watching a movie with just subtitles. So yes a good reader does have an imagination when reading, because without it how would someone comprehend what’s going on in a story. Very well put I do agree entirely.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with many of your views on what makes a good reader. I feel the same way that one must approach literature as something new and keep an open mind and not starting it with a generalization to enjoy the writers work. Re-reading seems to be something many people do, i know i had to when i was reading Nabokov's article.
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