Parker, James

1/28/2011

English 102

Good Readers and Writers

Nabokov thinks a great reader is defined by his or her ability to stay a little "aloof" while discovering, and passionetly enjoying, the magic, story, and lesson behind a "masterpiece." Generally this takes more than one read, and Nabakov states that a good reader will not merely read a book, but reread it. The first read is more of an informational read, according to Nabokov, in which the reader is familiarized with the world the writer is trying to create. He goes on to write that when rereading a book one's mind can start to appreciate all the artistic characteristics it holds. "The mind, the brain, the top of the tingling spine, is, or should be, the only instrument used upon a book," Nabokov writes in this short story "Good Readers and Good Writers" to show that a good writer dives in with their mind, looking for more than reorganized thoughts.
I agree with Nabokov's definition to a point for, alas, it is very long and to agree with a definition such as this I might be lying in small areas. For the most part, his thoughts are easy for me to agree with because I love music and love to write music, so when speaking of a reader as someone who will basically appreciate the fullness of someone's work, I think of someone appreciating a song I've written. On the other hand, I think that a good reader also needs to have the ability to recognize a good writer, and when not to waste their time rereading. I would consider myself a good reader in that I tend to figure out if I will enjoy a story quickly, saving myself time. This does leave a possibility of losing the flare of the begining of a good piece, but I have found that if I enjoy a good book I will reread it and have time to enjoy the beginning, the second time around. I would consider myself a bad reader for the simple fact that I read slow. I wish that I could skip over lines that don't make sense to me the first time, and enjoy the rest of a story or essay, but I cannot. So Nabokov and I do share the conclusion that I am a decent reader and writer, not a good one (but I'm working on it!).