The Art of Skimming
There's an article in The Daily Telegraph about speed-reading, which made me want to write about it, because I have a confession.
Hello, my name is Kathleen and I'm a skimmer.
So while reading the article (in about 45 seconds), it made me wonder, what am I missing out on because I'm a skimmer. They have a quote from the guy who chaired last year's Man Booker Prize (I don't remember his name, short term memory -- gone) in there and he whizzed through Da Vinci Code and it made my synapses jump up and down. I whizzed through Da Vinci code. Is that why the Da Vinci Code has spent the last two decades at the top of the NYT list? People can skim it. James Patterson. Love him. Skim him. I'm starting to sense a trend in my own reading habits. Like MTV videos, I'm reading in 1 hour splices of time. Is Dan Brown the Duran Duran of the literary world?
Some of the bar-talk you hear when author's get together and b*tch is that reviewers don't seem to be reading the book. Is that because of -- skimming? Are reviewers skimmers, too? And if they are skimmers, then is a skimming reviewer like being a right-wing homosexual? (Chris Rock is going to TOTALLY galvanize the Oscars). I know this is a lot of questions today, but that's usually how I feel at 9am. There's a lot of questions in my head and absolutely no answers. The answers come around 11:00pm, usually about the time I'm closing my eyes to go to sleep.
So, my question for youse guys is this, are you skimmer, are you a non-skimmer? And if you're a skimmer, can you force yourself to be a non-skimmer? or do you just accept the way you are and realize that Margaret Atwood is never gonna do it for you? I'd like to hear from other people on this one, mainly because I don't want to experience great throngs of guilt because I'm an author, avid reader, and skimmer, and I'm hoping those aren't mutually exclusive.
In other news, just got news that Breakfast at Tiffany's is a RIO (Reviewer's International Organization) Finalist for Short Contemporary for 2004. Now, I'm sure Mr. Capote would be really happy to hear that RIO thinks so highly of him, however, my book is called Breakfast at Bethany's. I'm thinking there's a skimmer among them...
Hello, my name is Kathleen and I'm a skimmer.
So while reading the article (in about 45 seconds), it made me wonder, what am I missing out on because I'm a skimmer. They have a quote from the guy who chaired last year's Man Booker Prize (I don't remember his name, short term memory -- gone) in there and he whizzed through Da Vinci Code and it made my synapses jump up and down. I whizzed through Da Vinci code. Is that why the Da Vinci Code has spent the last two decades at the top of the NYT list? People can skim it. James Patterson. Love him. Skim him. I'm starting to sense a trend in my own reading habits. Like MTV videos, I'm reading in 1 hour splices of time. Is Dan Brown the Duran Duran of the literary world?
Some of the bar-talk you hear when author's get together and b*tch is that reviewers don't seem to be reading the book. Is that because of -- skimming? Are reviewers skimmers, too? And if they are skimmers, then is a skimming reviewer like being a right-wing homosexual? (Chris Rock is going to TOTALLY galvanize the Oscars). I know this is a lot of questions today, but that's usually how I feel at 9am. There's a lot of questions in my head and absolutely no answers. The answers come around 11:00pm, usually about the time I'm closing my eyes to go to sleep.
So, my question for youse guys is this, are you skimmer, are you a non-skimmer? And if you're a skimmer, can you force yourself to be a non-skimmer? or do you just accept the way you are and realize that Margaret Atwood is never gonna do it for you? I'd like to hear from other people on this one, mainly because I don't want to experience great throngs of guilt because I'm an author, avid reader, and skimmer, and I'm hoping those aren't mutually exclusive.
In other news, just got news that Breakfast at Tiffany's is a RIO (Reviewer's International Organization) Finalist for Short Contemporary for 2004. Now, I'm sure Mr. Capote would be really happy to hear that RIO thinks so highly of him, however, my book is called Breakfast at Bethany's. I'm thinking there's a skimmer among them...
posted by Kathleen at 9:54 AM
6 Comments:
Hi Kathleen,
I don't think that skimming and doing in depth reading are mutually exclusive. For example, I skim 90 % of my e-mail to find out what is going on, and then go back and read those posts that I actually need to do something useful with more slowly afterword. I do the same with articles. However when it comes to books, I alternate between skimming and reading in depth, but mostly read in depth. If the story isn't interesting or complex enough to really pull me into it and want to read it for content. Chances are I'm not going to finish the book anyway. The exeption to that rule, is if I am re-reading a book that I haven't read in a while to refresh my memory on the charactors and story lines before I read the next book in a series. Then skimming get's me to the new book faster, but pulls the plots out of the back of my mind so I'm ready to really get into the newest book in a series.
Jen
But Jen, you're not a book skimmer (unless it's not interesting) and ergo, should have no feelings of guilt. You have normal, healthy reading habits, IMHO, not that I'm a book doctor or anything :)
My problem (I think) is that I've been skimming even the interesting books. I was sorta hoping that I wasn't the Lone Skimmer out there, but it's been so silent here, which means I am the Lone Skimmer out there. Sigh.
As soon as I get this book turned in, I'm going on a book binge. Any recommendations for a great non-skimmable read?
I'm a skimmer, too. Well, a speed reader - I don't know if it's exactly the same. And I'll often stop to read more slowly if I find a particularly luscious bit of prose. If I'm rereading a book I like, I'll usually read it more carefully. I'm driven by impatience and I can't wait to get to the end but if I love the writing and trust the author, I'll usually force myself to read slowly.
My husband is a word-per-word reader. It drives me nuts when I show him an article or a book passage to read and it takes him forever. It drives him nuts when I jump about next to him asking him what's taking so long.
Authors I almost never skim (anymore): Patricia A. McKillip, J.K. Rowling. I recently read A Year in the Merde by Stephen Clarke and I skimmed very little of it.
Congrats on being nominated for an award for Breakfast at Bethany's. The limousine scene was just delish!
Kat, maybe I'm more of a speed-reader, too. I've been thinking a lot about this because I used to be able to read so much and it was such an important part of my life and now it seems like I want to read, but there's only little chunks to read and not nearly enough time to do it, and I feel guilt.
Actually, you're mention of JK Rowling hit me because I realize that I didn't skim Harry Potter and I finished all those, so I think that's a good sign.
And I think I'm going to have to go out and put McKillip in my pile to be bought. I haven't heard of her, I'm not a huge fantasy reader, although I did like Terry Brook's magic Kingdom and the Narnia books, so I think it'll be fine.
Your mention of your husband made me laugh, because my dh is a slow, careful reader as well and I sit there and wait, and wait, and wait. Sometimes I either paraphrase or just leave it on his desk, and don't worry about it until he's read it.
And thanks for the congrats on the RIO. I truly am honored to be given a nod. I like writing books that are a bit off from the norm, so it's always doubly-cool because it's not just an award for me, but for the characters that usually aren't romance novel characters.
The limo scene IS pretty cool, isn't it? I liked that Beth turned out to have such a backbone, which I didn't know until I started writing her book. I think Breakfast at Bethany's is my fav out of the series, because Spencer is the only character that I've ever written that has pieces of my husband in him.
Hi Kathleen,
O.k. I know you aren't into fantasy books, but if you want a series you can really dig your teeth into. Try George R. R. Martin's
Song of Ice and Fire Series . Warning they average ~1000 pages, and have more charactors than you can shake a stick at. (there is a useful Glossery at the end of each book with a short description of each character and how they fit in. As well as lots of maps at the beginning of the book so you can find your way around the 7 kingdoms) Definately heavier reading then Terry Brooks' Magic Kingdom. He does have a tendency to kill off his charactors, and not always let the ones you are cheering for win the battle. But you always have hope there is some way things will turn out right. Although at the end of the 3rd book, things still were not in a happy state. Maybe that's why I have to keep going back to the store to see if the next one is out so I can find out who is going to live and die and keep cheering for the good guys. Unlike a lot of fantasy, he has lots of good strong both male and female charactors. I like a women that doesn't alway need saving :).
I am also fond of Kathrine Kurtz even though she could use a few more strong female charactors. (except in her last book where her female charactors really carried the story.) And although she sets up wonderful romances for her charactors. She too has a tendency to kill them off. Usually just after you think they have finally found happiness. Her books are a bit faster read. I have to force myeslf to slow down, because she typically gets one out every year or two. (her web page says the one she is currently working on is stuck on a crashed hard drive. Yuck...
Just a reminder backups are a good thing even if you loose a hard drive you've only lost as much work as since your last backup. Of course as a former technical writer.... you already knew that) And if I let myself read to fast it's a long wait between books.
Good luck on the latest book and happy reading!
Jen
Jen,
Thanks for the recs. I'll definitely check them out and report back in when done (which will probably be July the way my life is currently running).
And BTW, are you a tech writer, too?
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