What is reading?

I often say I love reading, but what *is* it, anyway? Ruminate with me!

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[NerdyNurseReads]

Oooo I love this discussion you’re having!! I keep seeing this argument that it’s not reading if you’re not reading closely and if you can’t recall some amount of the plot, themes, etc. then you’re not reading. I hate it so much. There are so many ways to read. Sometimes you’re in the weeds of the text dissecting everything and other times you just being carried along with the story and enjoying the read more superficially. One form of reading isn’t more valid than another. Let people enjoy books how they want to enjoy them. We’re all different and that’s what makes this world so magical.

[limbo_landia]

I read an instruction manual on how to take care of Bonsai and I definitely learned one or two life lessons from it. So I think reading, though regarded as passive, is often a creative act. The author is never fully in control. And I've grown to think (perhabs wrongly) that truly Reading a book means rereading it (which means I've only read a handful of books, really) . There should be other verbs used for the different levels/kinds. I "skimmed" a book, "devoured" a book,  "hate-read" a book etc.

[SavidgeReads]

Wow. many thoughts and I’m going to be mulling them all over. Lots of questions and observations and big brain energy. it. And your takeaways were SPOT on! 💜

[ReadingIDEAS.-uzxk]

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies . . . The man who never reads lives only one.” - George R.R. Martin

[semiote]

Great video! I loved your example of reading music, which made me think a couple other kinds of cases might be interesting to bring into the mix when thinking about reading:

-Reading comics, which often involves reading words, but in conjunction with images. Words conjoined with images in sequence. But then, there are cases like Jim Woodring's Frank. I think of myself as reading his books, even though they're wordless comics.
-Other similar uses of images. For example, think of a 'text' like the Codex Seraphinianus, which is 'written' in a 'language' that isn't really a language or any sort of code for one. It merely looks like some alien language conjoined with surreal images in ways that suggest strange and ultimately incomprehensible uses the text might have had in whatever alien society from which it originated.

[thelefthandedreader]

A brilliant talk. I loved this. While I don’t listen to many audiobooks, the ones I have, while I was driving, while I was painting a room, etc, I have been entirely absorbed in. And I either read the book physically as well - an audio and physical book combo - or in the case of My Year of Magical Thinking, the audiobook experience has turned me completely on to the author - in this case Joan Didion.

Because I’ve listened to Magical Thinking several times over the years, I feel like I really know that book well - know that writing well - and i adore it. I adore that book.

I’m now learning to read a book on different levels - the enjoyment level and sometimes the critical level. Not very often. I don’t have formal skills. But I enjoy that too.

[DogEaredMusings]

This video reminded me a lot of the video Pato just put out on drawing-the idea of approaching it at every level! I loved your ruminations, kind of an interesting experiment in technique and finding joys in all the ways of doing-not just one right way of doing it!

[sarahg]

Thank you so much, Sophie. This was a really fascinating discussion 💛💛

[rebareads]

I love love love LOVE this video ❤️ an exceptional synthesis of reading and all its many forms. I’m very much aligned with your thoughts here. Reading should not be constrained!

[AnnNovella]

absolutely! As a child reading was a safe haven so I guess my brain chose to wire itself that way 🤷🏻‍♀️☺️

[MJ-in-Canada]

There are indeed so many ways to read. My late uncle read books with his fingers. Braille!

[whereisawesomeness]

I’d intended to ruminate with you, but ended up with nothing sufficiently formed to say. Reminded me of the preface to Blanchot’s Lautréamont et Sade, which I suspect you’ve probably read

[saintonfire]

Enjoyed hearing your reflections on reading. In watching and listening to your reflections on "what is reading?" this book came to my mind "The Guttenberg Elegies: The Fate of Reading in an Electronic Age" by Sven Birkerts-I found chapter 6 of this volume interesting on Reading-the chapter is titled 'The Shadow Life of Reading' pg. 95. I personally have enjoyed reading all of Sven Birkerts books. Once again thanks for sharing your reflections on reading.

[katsfieldnotes]

Ok, reading as coauthorship is fascinating. Ive always felt that writers are constantly engaging in this (baffling, to me) act of surrender with their work. Sort of like a change in custody. But I hadnt I guess fully rounded the thought that yeah, in some aspects, the reader ends up "writing, " too. Thesis of all this is that reading is fucking weird, and we love that weirdo 😂

[AnnNovella]

My ADHD brain struggles with audio books. In the car I prefer to focus on the road, while walking I prefer to listen to nature (Hardly any cars allowed here), during chores I prefer music to motivate me 😊

[evelynjozsa]

I think it’s perfectly fine to say that “i listened to an audiobook” instead of “i *read* an audiobook”. The act itself is different, and the experience might be different too, but that doesn’t mean that we have to rank these and regard one as better than the other. It’s great that there are more than one ways to consume books and everyone can decide what they prefer. ^^

[slashgee]

Interesting, I've been exploring similar ideas in my reading on asemic writing/art i.e. writing that is not meant to be understood or legible & strangely enough Cy Twombly's art was referenced. I find especially in regard to your thoughts about translation, it's amazing how much is lost & transmuted in & between languages. Thanks for sharing

[Knogger]

wholly agree with your conclusion, enjoyed this a lot!😊

[jameskatie]

ohhh challenging ableist, elitist, and moralist notions of reading?? this is the kind of rumination i love x

[ieh]

thank u for the insight ! audio books help me, different synesthesia