John Miedema

A facet is a defining aspect of concept, and that is what I have been collecting in this facet analysis of Voluntary Slow Reading (VSR). I have been clearing a path between two other senses of slow reading. On the one side, there is involuntary slow reading due to lack of ability, education or a physical condition. On the other side, there is professional slow reading which employs methodologies of the respective discipline. VSR is more of a personal lifestyle choice, a decision to read slowly because reading is a pleasure unto itself, because careful reading increases one’s understanding of the world, and because slowing down itself is rewarding. So how does one do VSR? Here are some ways:

1. The most obvious — take your time. Anyone else find three weeks too short of a loan period at your library? I do. Sydney Piddington talks about the joys of Super-Slow Reading: “I spent three hours on two short chapters of Personal History by Vincent Sheean–savouring each paragraph, lingering over a sentence, a phrase, or even a single word, building a detailed mental picture of the scene.” I managed to acquire a copy of the original Reader’s Digest article. Ironically, the back of the issue had an advertisement: “To every Miss, Mrs. and Ms. who has no time to read — READ THIS!” It was an introductory offer on their condensed books. Hmmm …

2. Read one book at a time. Get a grip on your reading! Instead of haphazardly rushing through six books to meet that quota before the month is out, just pick one book. You might decide not to finish it; sometimes that’s the right choice. But give the book you’re reading your full attention while you’re with it. Only recently my library added a “freeze holds” function that allows me to put those long holds on hold if I’m not ready to get them yet, without getting bumped out of line.

3. Read smaller quantities more thoughtfully. Pete stated the other that day that slow reading is about when we stop reading. I often will only read a few pages in the morning, at lunch, and at the end of the day. The thoughts tend to turn and blend into the day, like a nice slow brew.

4. Re-read. Can’t slow the reading pace down? Oh well, come back to the book and read it again to catch all the parts you missed. Many people find that each read offers a unique take, especially if they come back to the book at a different point in their life. I read Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance once each decade.

5. Pick your book and setting. Why settle for a yellow-paged paperback with tiny print? Check-out a hard-cover. Make a little time in your life to pack a picnic lunch and go to park or fishing with your book along. Maybe the book itself will suggest a good setting, especially if it is a read about a local event or place.

6. Read a “seasonal” book. I use the word “seasonal” as an alternative to “local” because the meaning of local reading is expanding by the day as I write these posts. Local is geographical, but it can also be seasonal, i.e., what’s happening on your calendar, Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday perhaps, lots to read there. It can also be local in a more personal sense. What is going on in your life? School? Change of job? Don’t read to escape. Read to address what is going on in your life. Fiction can be as helpful as non-fiction, with a good story telling of someone going through a similar situation. This taps into bibliotherapy.

7. Sub-vocalize. Read aloud, in your head, if you know what I mean. Speed-reading techniques teach you to avoid sounding out words in your mind. For some kinds of reading, like poetry, sub-vocalizing can add to the experience.

8. Performance reading. Read a play aloud. Read a play with your teenagers. Wendell mentioned the other day that when he and his colleagues work with kids, they “watch for where and when they feel able to play with text – reading in funny voices, reading dramatically, reading upside down or backwards, reading fast or reading slow on purpose.”

9. Book clubs. Even though book clubs often set dates for reading books, the fact that you are getting together to process a book adds a dimension to the reading that counts as slow reading.

10. Read with a pen in hand. This is my personal favourite. I keep a pen and notebook with my selection for slow reading. I keep notes toward writing a book review at this blog. Hard to rush through when I have to provide a good summary and interesting observations at the end.

Additional Ideas (updates after the original post):

• Read with a question in mind.
• Read the long version of books. E.g., the original version of Les Miserables instead of the condensed version