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“All books are divisible into two classes, the books of the hour, and the books of all time.” – John Ruskin
14th April 2008
 I am currently reading “The Craftsman” by Richard Sennett. The book is a fascinating enquiry into the importance of craft (“there is a craftsman in every human being”) and I recommend it to anyone interested in history, craftsmanship, philosophy, education or sociology (or all five!).
Sennett’s discussion of craft is broad enough to encompass the parent, the citizen and the computer programmer alongside the goldsmith and the instrument maker.
So, one wonders, is reading a craft, too?
They say it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert at something.
This means that I should be able to class myself as an expert reader by now!
What does this mean: that we can read faster – or read better – by reading more? If all we mean by being a good reader is the speed at which we read, are we not missing something important? I recall an incident from school during a ‘library-hour’, when a teacher said to me that she had read 100 pages to my meagre 30: I felt overawed by her massive brain and thought what a great reader she must be.
Indeed, I soon came to conflate quantity of reading with quality. How appalled the French writer Flaubert – who agonised over every sentence of Madame Bovary – would be to think that I had ‘done’ (quelle horreur!) his novel in a day.
There are some in the ‘blogosphere’ who encourage a return to Slow Reading
John Miedema and Making Another Library; that reading is not always about wolfing a book down like fast food. ‘Devouring’ books is no bad thing in itself – but perhaps we should chew them first!
In this vein I encourage you to join the Slow Reading movement by coming down to your local library and browsing: allow your eyes to linger over unfamiliar titles; chat to other users about their favourite reads; read a chapter or two before making your choice …
… but if you really must rush, you can use our ‘Select and Collect’ system (which allows staff to pick things for you according to your preferences) or grab something from one of our Quick Pick displays.
Happy (Slow) Reading.
David H.
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Comments
15th April 2008
It may that reading warps time - often I've been lost in a book, inhabiting its world, and not seen where the time has gone. Does slow reading make time go faster?
Tim D.
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15th April 2008
Having been born in a century where art is not just there for art's sake, but for life's sake, does the art of slow reading awaken us to our being in the society?
Chandra B.
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15th April 2008
That reminds me of Irish comedian Frank Carson reading correspondence from his mother - "I am writing this letter slowly because I know you can't read very fast." Perhaps Flaubert had the same idea. I do most of my slow reading in the bath. If I want a quick read I take a shower.
Andy W.
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