How Should One Read a Book?

Registered by veleta of Willesden, Greater London United Kingdom on 7/4/2020
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Journal Entry 1 by veleta from Willesden, Greater London United Kingdom on Saturday, July 4, 2020
I really liked this essay. It is the transcription of a conference Virginia Woolf gave out herself. It is so well-written that it almost becomes poetic prose. Woolf defends the need of having an intelligent and critical reader who will create their own reminiscencees of the book and the times around when it was being read.

There is an introduction and an epilogue written by two other writers giving their opinions of how readers should behave. Readers are compared to professional critics, and critics lose the battle.

I like the honesty of authors who self-doubt themselves every step of the way. I also liked the concept of the "shape". I have to say that many times the only thing I remember about a book is whether I have liked it or not. Who's the author? Can't remember. What's it about? No idea. Is it difficult to understand? No clue. So why are you recommending it? Because I know that when I read it I loved it. That's it.

It is a quick read. All in all it took me a commuting trip, about an hour, to finish it. I had to read the more famous essay A Room of One's Own at university and I didn't like it at all. It took forever to get to the point, and apparently he got lost in the listing out of books at the university library. How Should One Read a Book? goes straight to the point, and even if a reader disagrees with Woolf's main points, it is a good material to start a discussion, maybe for a book club.

I recommend this cute little text whole-heartedly. It is true that I am a fan of the author anyway, but I have loved the opportunity of reading this text. A million thanks to Laurence King Publishing Ltd for offering it through netgalley.

Unloannable.

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