Nabokov, in his essay Good Readers and Good Writers, addresses the qualities of a good reader, one that can fully appreciate the work of an author. The qualities that Nabokov values so very much are the following; Imagination, Memory, Research, and Artistic Sense. He explains how the artistic sense of the mind must be developed much as the other senses too must be developed. He uses the example of the eye for art, but the same could be said of the ear to music or the palate to the taste of fine food. This will often require us to pick up a book again, to set aside the adrenaline rush of the first time of reading it and to look at the book as material for critical thought. Part of this development is research, or use of the dictionary as he put it. To learn what the true meaning of the tale is, to delve into what the author was trying to get across, this is a valuable trait for the critical reader. Some stories such as the Parables from the Bible or Aesop's fables have clear meanings. Other stories, like Chesterton's The Man who was Thursday have yet to be fully deciphered. Thus the reader is not only critic but researcher, uncovering the true meanings behind the action and drama. The reader must also have imagination and memory, to see where the characters are coming from and where they may be going. These are necessary to fully enjoy and appreciate a masterpiece. These are the characteristics of a good reader as Nabokov sees it.
I myself fully agree with Nabokov on the characteristics of a critical reader. All the qualities he mentions are material for a good critic, not one who merely points out the mistakes or shortfalls of the author, but a critic who can also enjoy and praise the book he reads. I would consider myself a good reader. Despite the fact that I find it difficult to reread a book, I do enjoy finding the hidden meanings and objectives of the authors. But then again, that is why we are in an English class, to better learn how to critically read and critique pieces of literature which are literally as Nabokov says pieces of art.
Here is a link to Random House's Biography of Vladimir Nabokov:http://www.randomhouse.com/features/nabokov/biography.html
You can also get a complete list of his books there as well.
Hey Joseph,
ReplyDeleteFirst I wanna comment on the background picture... AMAZING!! I like it a lot!!
I agree with what you said about people also needing to have an "ear to music or the palate to the taste of fine food" it makes Nabokov's statements broader; like there is more to a good sense than an eye.
I too find it difficult to reread a book, I read it once and leave it to age alone on a shelf.
I am hoping in this class I will be able to critically read and critique a book, and do it for every book I read outside of the academic world.
Joseph,
ReplyDeleteIt was great meeting you, I agree sharing the same name, almost makes it a must to comment on each others posts!
Anyway I think you made some very valid great points. I liked how you compared his example of art to the same idea as a ear for music or a palate for tasting fine food. That was great!
I too find it very difficult to reread the same book twice. Not sure if you read the Bible, but it is a great example of when you do read a chapter or verse twice it can have so many different meanings.
Anyway it was great meeting you man!