The author misses the essential point that many readers love the idea of reading as much as they love reading itself (and I am one such). Witness the stacks of books most readers have of books waiting to be read. This article, like the books it deconstructs, will appeal to any one of those people. Enjoy!
rebecca's pocket
.: March 2007 --> On the new 'How to Read a Book' books
On the new 'How to Read a Book' books
» Salon: Think you know how to read, do you? A new throng of authors wants to save literature from our nefarious English departments and teach us how to read their way. Now, class, pay attention.
[ 03.12.07 ]
I wonder if there is some inherent divide between "book people" and everyone else. I often hear, from people I know who love books, that they're completely shocked that someone else we know doesn't regularly read books, or isn't really interested in ever reading one or other classic or contemporary gem.
(I love books, but, I guess, as a former librarian, I've lost my ability to be shocked that anyone doesn't read. And, from the other side, my experience always reminds me how little I read compared to many other people.)
I definitely think Adler was onto something with his argument that people being better readers (of fiction) make a better society. Maybe all of these books about "how to read" are ultimately important in influencing teachers / professors rather than readers directly--trying to get teachers / professors to look away from the idea that literature should be eviscerated, and look towards the pleasures of reading out of which "book people" may be born.