How to read a [fiction] book.
Posted by lynnelibglamtwin on February 17, 2009
I’m reading ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ by John Boyne, and no I haven’t seen the film first. I was berating myself for being so stupid I didn’t realise where ‘Out-with’ was until it was practially spelled out within the book. Then I thought; actually to realise in advance what is going to happen in a story is not necessarily a good thing. To be naive and read in genuine enjoyment and anticipation makes for a thrilling read.
So should this not be one of the factors which we teach to our children when they learn to read? Although it can be fun and a big part of the journey to second-guess what may happen next, it is the suspense and the need to know that churns in your gut and swirls in your head, this makes the read so exciting and keeps you going.
I know of two people who prefer to read the last couple of chapters in a book and then, if they like those, read the rest to see how the author gets them there. I could not do that. I like to be swept along, to be unable to put the book down. I love to feel the emotions and get totally involved. I want to get angry, upset, happy, laugh, cry, scream, moan. I want to care about what happens to the protagonists whether I actually like them or not.
I want to put the book down with a satisfied sigh and to remain thinking about it before I move on. If we could show children this way, how many more could we grab into the wonderful world of imagination and stories.
Just finished the book. *sigh*.
This entry was posted on February 17, 2009 at 2:19 pm and is filed under Libraries, Reading, School Libraries, Stories. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
nylusmilk said
that was a great book! if you haven’t read marcus zusak’s the book thief i think you’ll like it too on the basis of liking this book. it’s set during the world war as well, but it’s slightly different, suspense-wise. a good read nonetheless; i’d say these are two great books to read that’s set in world war ii.
Tina said
That’s what a book should be! A journey of discovery through a world invented by someone else but populated by the reader’s imagination. I love it when I am reading a book and something happens that I just didn’t see coming – rarer the more you read I think.
You should be head of the Librarian Union and Librarian Laureate. That should be a proper position. I think it is one of the most important and essential jobs there is.