Most Americans Want to Read More
Inviting Books Into Our Lives
“Reading is aspirational,” says NPR, which struck The Middlebrow as both good and bad news. The good news is that respondents to an NRP/Ipsos poll conducted in February believe that reading is a great way to learn, a great skill for their children to have, a reliable way to relax and a good way to connect with other people. The bad news is that this simple act is a far-off goal in a complex and busy world.
Reading is daunting. Those of us who always have many books going at once always feel torn between interests and obligations, as well as the futility of reading in an infinite library where, by the end of our lives, we will always have left more unfinished than we ever even got to try. Then there’s rereading — some of these books demand more than one pass because of their complexities, insights or stories. There’s the false dichotomy between reading for pleasure or betterment. There are other demands on our time.
In an era where the skills of dealing with long narratives in fiction and non-fiction are no longer emphasized in education, we need our own methods to keep up. From one reader to the rest of you, readers or aspiring readers, here are some ideas that I hope will help:
Collecting books matters!
I get it, we have left behind the era where we own our media. We stream our music and movies rather than keep them in physical libraries and we can access almost any book in the public domain for free online, if we think to do it. But books are a little different than video or audio content. Because of TV and radio, we have a long tradition of passive choice there. Books are a slower medium, so there is no service that just serves them up like items in an automated Japanese sushi restaurant. You might pick up a song on a drive to work, but you have to seek books.
Our books collections are maps to our psyches, museums of our inspirations and a record of our intellectual and physical travels. Libraries large and small, with every volume read or gathered for their own sakes, tell us about their owners and caretakers.
Did you know George Washington’s greatest fear was being mistaken for dead and buried alive? That’s why he owned a copy of this voluminous manual about resurrecting the “dead” with early techniques that we now consider first aid:
I found that book, by the way, at the new Peter Harrington location in New York City. The rare bookseller, a fixture of fairs and events in New York and around the country (and the world), has just opened its first store and gallery on Madison Avenue, a testament to the aspirations of the American book collector.
But this isn’t just about collectible books and antiquities or loving books as objects (which I do) but about building a levy of material so that you always have something to read when the urge strikes. When people see our family’s books collection they often ask, “have you read all of those?” No. That’s not even the point of it. We often buy books that go unread for years. But they are there when the mood calls for them. I like to have a personal library I can always draw from, even if it means I am reading the “it” book from 15 years ago.
Bookstores Matter
It’s getting harder, I admit, but for years New York City would always offer up a book store to cover idle time. Early for an appointment? Bookstore. Appointment ended early? Bookstore. These days, you have to find them when you can, but make sure to stop in.
Even at chain stores, employee recommendations can be a great resource, as they are generally made lovingly and people who hand sell books really do care. Used bookstores hold a special place in my heart, from the mustiness to the rare finds, but the remainder tables of first run stores are also fun to hunt through for those volumes you may have missed. Stores are also a good source for finding readings, signings and other events. Reading doesn’t have to be solitary.
Use Tools for Rereading
I admit that the books I have re-read tend to be on the shorter side. The Great Gatsby, Heart of Darkness, The Old Man and the Sea and Catcher in the Rye all jump to mind on my multiple reads list. I have read Infinite Jest twice, which is a huge commitment, but I gave myself a lot of help the second time around, to make sure I got the most out of the experience. I joined a David Foster Wallace email list, and before I cracked the book again, I read a short “readers guide.”
I know, for sure, that my one reading of The Brothers Karamazov was not enough, but there’s too much I want to read right now to embark on that journey again. So, I am listening to the Cosmic Library podcast, which is devoting season 6 to the book. The first episode is an audio play, dramatizing the broad outlines of the plot. It’s not as good as a reread, but it brings back memories of my original journey through those pages.
Fiction vs. Nonfiction is Not A Thing, and Short Books Are Great
The book internet, such as it is, has no shortage of people who are fiction or non-fiction partisans. Ignore them.
Similarly, all books count as reading, including play scripts, screenplays, graphic novels and books read on e-readers. My only advice with e-readers is to check in frequently with your digital “library” shelf, especially before trips, because it is very easy to buy cheaper electronic editions of books and to forget about them. Physical books are merely likely to remind you that you own them.
Short books, including scripts, poetry and excerpts are a huge advantage for busy people. If the only Dostoevsky you ever read is Notes from the Underground or the “The Grand Inquisitor” from The Brothers Karamazov, you have still read Dostoevsky.
Where Online Reading Fits In
The Middlebrow has no bias against e-readers but browsers, which smack of office work, are a problem because of their associations and distractions. I do like to keep the internet handy when I’m reading a book because, every now and then, you want to look up a word or concept and setting it aside for later just won’t do. I also find that it can be helpful, when a book gets tricky, you look up contemporary reviews of it, which is kind of like tagging in a partner for a difficult tome. The trick is to make sure the text is the primary focus and to avoid online rabbit holes.
Reading at Bedtime
So many people have told me that reading physical books at night knocks them out. That’s no reason not to do it. For one thing, it is a better way to fall asleep than under the light of a screen, which can be disruptive to your overall rest. This is, to be a honest, an “I need to take my own advice” moment. With an e-reader, by the way, you can choose a background or display that is less disruptive to sleep.
As for those of you who zonk out after a few pages, don’t worry about it! A few pages read is better than a few pages not and the stories or information can affect your dreams, which is a type of processing not often available. You can glean benefit from this by journaling or reading a few more pages as soon as you wake, taking advantage of the altered reasoning available in the liminal state of waking.
It’s great news that people want to read more. It doesn’t have to be a burden to achieve that goal.