The pleasure of reading

[old bob]

Hi everybody

What kind of pleasure you feel reading a story at GA ?

 

[GaryK]

Do you agree with this definition ?

I've never given any analytical thought to why I enjoy reading. I just know I enjoy reading about lots of different things, not just the stories on GA. The definition you provided fairly well summarizes the process I go through when reading fiction. It's completely different when I'm reading non-fiction like my books about WWII.

 

Does it apply to the GA stories ?

It applies to many of the better stories on GA. Finding those stories is often a challenge.

[old bob]

I've never given any analytical thought to why I enjoy reading. I just know I enjoy reading about lots of different things, not just the stories on GA. The definition you provided fairly well summarizes the process I go through when reading fiction. It's completely different when I'm reading non-fiction like my books about WWII.

Your books about WWII ? Books you wrote ?

he, where could I find these books ? I like stories about WWII. I lived it

Old bob

Edited June 7, 2008 by old bob

[GaryK]

Your books about WWII ? Books you wrote ?

he, where could I find these books ? I like stories about WWII. I lived it

Old bob

Sorry if I wasn't clear enough. By my books I meant books that I own. I have a room at home devoted to books about WWII. Same with my father who was in WWII in the Pacific theater. It's a topic we both love to talk about when we get together for meals during the week. We both just recently finished reading FDR. While it doesn't focus entirely on the war there's still enough information about the war to warrant my interest.

 

Reading a book like that is nothing like reading fiction. It certainly doesn't fit the formula you mentioned in your first message. Especially the types of fiction on GA.

[old bob]

.....Reading a book like that is nothing like reading fiction. It certainly doesn't fit the formula you mentioned in your first message. Especially the types of fiction on GA.

Quite right !

Apart fiction, I also have to read a lot of books, mostly new published, about my daily business work (management consulting). Some of them I go through by "quick reading" (I suppose you know this reading method), some I have to read them in details, making notes and summaries.

BTW, what would FDR think of the democrats of today if he would come back ?

Old bob

[GaryK]

Quite right !

Apart fiction, I also have to read a lot of books, mostly new published, about my daily business work (management consulting). Some of them I go through by "quick reading" (I suppose you know this reading method), some I have to read them in details, making notes and summaries.

BTW, what would FDR think of the democrats of today if he would come back ?

Old bob

I'm in a similar situation with my work as a software developer. It's seems I do as much reading as coding.

 

We're in the wrong forum to discuss how FDR would feel about democrats of today so all I'll say is I don't think he'd recognize them as the same type of democrat he was and leave it at that. If you want to pursue this let's take it to the Soapbox.

[AFriendlyFace]

Good topic, Old Bob!

 

I think that's a pretty good definition.

 

"Reading as specific activity requires from the reader three interrelated operations. (1) to discover the antagonism in the text, (2) to solve them in the course of reading and (3) to follow up the linearity of the text.

I was going to say that I agreed with you guys about non-fiction being complete different, and I do agree that's very different. I certainly get much different things out of each. Personally I like to read fiction here online, and read non-fiction books related to sexuality, psychology, gender studies, sociology, and other related disciplines.

 

However, I think in many ways those definitions would work for most of those even.

 

Let's say we're talking about sexism which is something I often study.

 

1) to discover the antagonism in the text to me that translates into "What's the conflict or problem?" Answer: the subjugation of women and perpetuation of gender roles.

 

2) to solve them in the course of reading and to me that translates into "What can we do about? What are possible alternatives? What other options have existed throughout history?" Answer: we can try to empower people to behave and think as they really feel and desire instead of being bound by society's 'rules'.

 

3) to follow up the linearity of the text. to me this is the most straightforward and speaks of simply enjoying the way the text is constructed and getting pleasure to reading it (to me this would be the most basic part of your question 'what pleasure in reading?'). So Answer: I'm going to read the essay and take pleasure in the way the author has constructed it in a flowing, logical, linear sequence. (An illogical, poorly ordered text is certainly less enjoyable to read!)

 

So to me those definitions would work for much of non-fiction. Let's look at it with the WWII book:

 

1) What's the problem or conflict? Answer: Well certainly there were tons with WWII! The holocaust maybe, or basically the bid for world domination and tyranny.

 

2) What can be done about it? One possible answer: What is the Allied response to this?

 

3) Enjoy the linearity Answer: Enjoy the information the author presents and the way it is presented.

 

 

It would be slightly harder to apply this paradigm to something that was purely informational but didn't seem to reflect a struggle. However, there are really very few things like that when you get right down to it. Even if you're just studying something like the ways of the indigenous Eskimos most of their behaviour (solution) is based on some response to the environment or their general situation (problem). Obviously the linearity aspect will always come in with enjoying good literature.

 

So I think those definitions do work for most any topic, nonfiction or fiction. Though I most certainly agree that there are huge differences between the two, that I read them for very different reasons, and that I get very different things out of them.

 

 

Just my thoughts,

Kevin

Edited June 8, 2008 by AFriendlyFace

[Graeme]

I think that definition is over-analysing things. Reading has, for me, always been about escapism. I read to escape. In my teenage years, it was to escape my life, which was largely boring and not particularly interesting (being an introverted gay teen in a society where there were no out gay teens didn't help my social life). That followed through to the rest of my life, where I read because I want to leave the life I'm in and visit a fantasy world. Needless to say, most of personal print library is science fiction and fantasy.

 

It was online stories like Don Hanratty's "Working it Out", Brew Maxwell's "The Foley-Mashburn Saga" and Dewey's "Brian and Pete" where escapism met reality, and they helped me understand and finally accept myself.

 

But even today I read because I want to be entertained, and taken to another world. I don't look for things in a story, per se, but if a story doesn't take me to another world, I'll stop reading. I'm not interested in life; I'm interested in another life. I don't want to be reminded about my place in the world; I want to know about other place, other situations, other (better?) people.

 

It's why I've enjoyed Dom's "Desert Dropping", Dan's "Dreams of Humanity" and "The Rider's Pride", and CJ's "For The Love" and "Let The Music Play". They are all stories that take the reader out of the world they live in and put them in another place. That's what I look for and that's what I found in those stories. I'll be honest and say that there are a lot of other stories here at GA that I haven't read (eg. That story of Dom's is the only story of Dom's I've read. I haven't read the rest because I know I'm going need to find the time to read them all in one or two sittings, because I won't be able to stop).

 

As an author, reading is important, but reading great stories is a two-edged swords. I like to write. If I'm reading, I'm not writing. That's the main reason there are so many stories here at GA that I haven't read. I know that if I get started, I'm not going to stop.

 

Even though most of my print library is SF&F, I don't write that stuff. I tend to write relationship and contemporary stories, which, strangely, are not stories I would normally want to read. But I like to entertain. I like to think I'm putting out stuff that does to others what I look for in what I read -- to be taken to another world, where the lives of the characters touch a chord and make the reader want to be, or even fantasize that they are, in that world. I'm not an author who needs feedback on what I write to be happy. I just need enough to know that I'm meeting my goal of touching people, and making them think. And since I get that much, I'm happy

[kitten]

Reading has, for me, always been about escapism. I read to escape. In my teenage years, it was to escape my life, which was largely boring and not particularly interesting (being an introverted gay teen in a society where there were no out gay teens didn't help my social life). That followed through to the rest of my life, where I read because I want to leave the life I'm in and visit a fantasy world. Needless to say, most of personal print library is science fiction and fantasy.

 

------------

 

As an author, reading is important, but reading great stories is a two-edged swords. I like to write. If I'm reading, I'm not writing. That's the main reason there are so many stories here at GA that I haven't read. I know that if I get started, I'm not going to stop.

 

Even though most of my print library is SF&F, I don't write that stuff. I tend to write relationship and contemporary stories, which, strangely, are not stories I would normally want to read. But I like to entertain. I like to think I'm putting out stuff that does to others what I look for in what I read -- to be taken to another world, where the lives of the characters touch a chord and make the reader want to be, or even fantasize that they are, in that world. I'm not an author who needs feedback on what I write to be happy. I just need enough to know that I'm meeting my goal of touching people, and making them think. And since I get that much, I'm happy

 

This is getting scary-creepy...

Almost every time I read a post by Graeme it seems he's saying exactly what I want to say.

Is he reading my mind? Is he my antipodean alter-ego?

 

Anyway, yet again I find myself able to add only...

Me too!

 

Kit

[Graeme]

Is he reading my mind? Is he my antipodean alter-ego?

Do you really want a forty-five year old Australian as an alter-ego?

 

What I said is something I've heard other authors say, so I don't think it is particularly unique. Relax, Kit, your mind is safe. Though, having said that...