One day I noticed that my 19-year-old granddaughter was having some difficulty in reading one of my favourite Paulo Coelho novels, “The Alchemist”. I knew why. It is a beautiful novel about magic dreams and the treasures we seek elsewhere and then find them on our doorstep. I asked her to reread it slowly and meaningfully.
“The Alchemist” charts the enchanting story of Santiago, a young shepherd in the hills of Andalucía. He believes that there is more to life than his humble home and the flock of sheep. One day, he finds the courage to follow his heart into distant lands and greener pastures. He was spurred on by the knowledge that he is following the right path. He faces many encounters, some of which are incredibly strange. But the lessons he learns are life-changing.
The opening chapter does not state all these facts clearly. The reader has to plod on, sometimes wearily, until he comes to grips with the story. Like my granddaughter I faced the same difficulty when I started reading Dostoevsky’s “The Brothers Karamazov”. I skipped the first chapter, got into the story and came back to it after some time. You can come back to the beginning of a novel at any time so long as the book is with you.
Seasoned readers
With education and advancing age some of us become seasoned readers quite unconsciously. I once observed a senior university professor going through a shelf of new arrivals at a leading bookshop in the city. He pulled out a particular book, glanced through its preface, scanned the table of contents and ran through the index and bibliography.
Then he looked up a few key references in the text and read the blurb giving information about the author. In a matter of 15 minutes he evaluated the book and bought it.
At a crowded book exhibition readers do not have the luxury of spending 15 minutes before buying a book. You will be pushed here and there by the milling crowds. This is one reason why I do not attend crowded book exhibitions although my love for books has not waned.
Skimming through a book is like prospecting for oil. You just cannot buy books by looking at the cover and glancing through the text. In addition, you have to check where the book is printed and who the publishers are. Even some foreign books have glaring typographical errors. One day I bought a dictionary from a reputed dealer. When I went through it leisurely at home, I found 12 pages missing.
Cover to cover
After purchasing a book, your next task is to read it. Most people believe that you have to read a book from cover to cover. William Perry, director of the Bureau of Study Council at Harvard University agrees that sometimes with a great author this is the only way to real understanding. However, this would take a lot of time and energy. Sometimes you will question yourself why you are reading such a book without understanding anything.
A work of fiction cannot be read in a hurry. Some readers skip descriptive passages to get at the story. This is counterproductive because every detail is worth grasping.
When it comes to non-fiction, however, you can start with the conclusions before reading the facts. That is how scientists read technical books and lengthy articles. Sometimes, they first read the summary before checking the basic findings.
There are times when you cannot get going, no matter how you start. On such occasions it is advisable not to take a book by storm. When you find it difficult to read on, just put the book aside for a time and then come back to it. Eventually, you will be able to read it with ease.
Logic
As a young student I found it difficult to understand logic with all the explanations given by my teacher. When I asked him what is to be done, he advised me to read three or four different books on the subject. I soon found that one book illuminated the other.
Although we have the capacity to read good books, some students prefer to skip them. They read entertaining and trivial books such as pulp novels. Some books are not worth reading. This is because mediocrity is never entertaining and nothing is heavier in the hand than too light a volume. Once the reading habit is acquired, you will be able to read serious books and enjoy them.
If you own the book, never fail to underline words or beautiful phrases. Make marginal comments as you go on reading the book. Your marginal notes will help you to recall important facts and ideas later. A carefully annotated book becomes your precious property. Lord Macaulay and our own Martin Wickramasinghe lavishly annotated their books.
Summarising
If you are reading a book full of facts, try to summarise them for easy reference. This is a highly effective way of comprehending and retaining what you read. The business of marking is going to slow down your reading speed. But we have the false notion that speed reading is a measure of our intelligence. Some books such as novels and short story collections can be read quickly, but you cannot read a book on philosophy rapidly. You have to read different books differently according to their worth.
When you walk into a well-stocked bookshop, you are virtually stepping into a shore less sea of books. It is easy to lose direction and wonder what to buy. Ask yourself, “What do I want to know more about?” Know your area of expertise and buy books which are really necessary.
Most people complain that they have no time to read books. It simply means they are not interested in improving their knowledge. John F. Kennedy, former President of the United States, frequently buried himself in a book during the few moments it takes one visitor to walk out and another to walk in. Once he said he got most of his ideas from reading. Probably he knew how to get the best out of books.