Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

This is going to be an interesting tread.

To read fiction: To think with another persons head.

To read classics: To gain access to a common culture heritage. To understand what is said when someone says “.... bla bla bla.... like in War and Peace.”

To read speculative fiction and science fiction: Experience the ideas and their consequences. Possibly to get a glimpse of our future.

To read non-fiction: To learn. Well-written non-fiction can also be entertaining and it feels satisfactory to learn something while being entertained. Written material seems to me the be the most compact form of knowledge transfer. (Knowledge - not information.)

To escape: An audiobook or podcast is great while doing the dishes or cleaning.

Like Sagan once pointed out, when you read, the voice of the author, perhaps hundreds of years dead, begins to speak clearly to your mind. Or so I remember.

I read because reading even an 8/10 book provides you with at least 15 hours of uninterrupted entertainment. And if you are a reader by habit, you will prefer reading 15 hours of goodies to watching TV and playing videogames. I don't play games on consoles or my laptop because a) the games are very hard to finish b) my laptop is too outdated to play Elden Ring c) I am saving up for a future Playstation when the graphics become photorealist.

Reading is educational too. It helped me become a secular person and made me aware of the dangers of staying overweight. These are lifechanging realisations. As much as I love M (1931) and say, the first two Alien movies, these type of changes come only from books.

In my home, I am the only constant reader, but this does not make me lonely. Reading engages the mind in ways not replicated by other modes of art. I mean I like Goodreads, but if it were to be shut down, I wouldn't lose sleep over it. I would just download the csv file containing all my reviews, and update them offline. Movies, games, comics, the internet all need a comicon event. Not books.

I read fiction to gain perspective, to get outside of myself and get empathy for those different than I. This is my religion: that is, it's a systematic way to grow myself spiritually.

I read a lot of classics because these are time-tested. They have survived at least for a generation or more and are still revered, so that means that at a minimum they aren't completely entrenched in their own time period; there's something timeless in a classic for me to find even if it is buried amid things I don't understand.

I do love some good modern literary fiction too. It is, after all, a genre written specifically with the target audience of ME in mind: a literate person living in 21st century America who loves reading. Pretty specific. I consider this a double-edged sword: it's great to have some of my reading be this, but I wouldn't want all of it to be this because then I'd be in an echo chamber of people who think too much like me.

I read a little fantasy because it's the genre of my childhood and therefore my heart to a certain degree that is inescapable. Good fantasy can be timeless, too, so I don't consider it a waste of time.

I read select science fiction because it's uniquely suited to deal with philosophical and ethical and social ideas in distilled forms in a story setting where we can see these abstract philosophies and ethics in action.

When I read nonfiction it's for practical advice only; all the pithy generalities are fluff and I think most nonfiction is a waste of time. But not all of it.

I read histories to learn from the past but I read far less of them than I feel I should. It's hard to know what conclusions to take from the past and apply to my own life, but I think it's a very worthwhile endeavor.

I read some spiritual literature too. I usually disagree with most of what I read in this category but it's still immensely valuable to take the nuggets from amid the trash.

I read because words , descriptive or otherwise, the play of words , make me happy and it fills the time beautifully..and makes me think and feel.
I just enjoy the imagery it brings and the thoughts and ideas it provokes. It enriches ones life.

For me reading is all of that.. sometimes an escape or sometimes a return to cozy world, comforting with familiar characters and world and words. It also gives one a sense of family and a sense of belonging.
It also helps me with emparhy and understanding different people and different cultures.. the differences but also the similarity .. understand different perspectives.

And non fiction helps with knowing what one wants to know.. to know which direction to go further.. to understand more about a topic or about the range of topics I am interested in. It opens up the topic further.

I love classics ( the words, descriptions, the timelessness of it etc ) ,

non fiction( now reading about education, learning, thinking , reading and writing , neauroscience about it etc ,etc )
,romance ( lovely words and worlds, an escape, a comfort, a familiaity, lots of family and bro and sisterhood to be found , diverse, empathy inducing, different perspectives, an ideal , an utopia ) ,

childrens literature ( read alouds with kids ,lots and lots of them, there such great books from them and such great diverse and well represented books available now) ,

poetry ( words, word play, ideas, it just hits home when done well and it is beyond words, the feeling, when reading it ) ,

philosophical fiction ( love the throught provoking thoughts and ideas it inspires ) ,

fantasy ( love the worlds and the characters , well crafted ones),

picture books( wonderful illustrations and rich texts, lovely ideas, diverse, well represented, thought provoking , warmth inducing, educational ) .

Also , literary fiction ( words , word plays and the ideas and thoughts it inspires, ) , NOT pop fiction.

The mundane and the routine made beautiful fiction and art .

Also, narrative non fiction.

And historical fiction , only when told from a secodary characters point of view, not the main actual players in history and not the kings and queens etc ( for the truth given life and setting and faces thing).

No chicklit or true crimes or thrillers or horrors ( sad to miss Poe's fiction just love his poetry) please.

Joseph wrote: "When you quoted Sagan, it reminds of what Descartes said about reading as a "conversation with the finest men of past centuries.""

Thank you, Joseph. Hope you enjoy your stay in this group.

As a child I saw reading as the key to acquiring knowledge. I had a strong need to learn more, and I remember being afraid I would never have enough time to read them all.

As a teen and a person in my twenties I saw it as a way to hear another person's thoughts and feel their feelings. (telepathy and empathy) There seemed to be an openness and honesty there that I did not find in everyday life. I felt like I had all the time in the world to read when I got around to it.

I joined Goodreads several years ago because there seemed to be gaps in my memory. When I thought back on my life the activities did not seem to be enough to fill the years I had lived, if that makes sense. Then I remembered the time I spent reading. Suddenly I wanted to remember which books I had read and what they were about.

I have never cared about the social cache of saying I have read the latest cool book. I am not looking to elevate myself in any way. Now I read to remember and to get that little thrill when I sit down with a book. If I don't get the emotional satisfaction from a book, I am no longer interested.

Joseph wrote: "I would love to get into more book genres, mainly because I feel I need to shed a level of snobbery associated with still being relatively new to reading (I've only been a serious reader for the past 3 years, before I only dabbled). I'd love to hear some recommendations, if you have any. Cheers!"

What genres are you looking to get into?

Lynn wrote: "Now I read to remember and to get that little thrill when I sit down with a book. If I don't get the emotional satisfaction from a book, I am no longer interested."

Really interesting reflections. My thinking when I started goodreads-ing was pretty similar; I want to be able to better remember what I read, so I write reviews. In the last year I've started doing something else as well though, which is basically taking notes.

Well, kind of. I like to keep it really easy so that it's not a burden. So I have an index card in each book, and as I read, if there's a section I want to remember, I add a new line to my index card like "p12P4L3" to indicate that the sentence starts on page 12, paragraph 4, line 3. (Or sometimes I leave off the line part if I want to remember a whole paragraph.)

So by the time I'm done reading the book I now have an index of all my favorite passages, and I can take a book off the shelf, pluck out the index card, and go down the list to refresh my memory of the whole book. It's super satisfying. Not as thorough as a full re-read of course, but it helps me remember the things I really don't want to forget and only takes moments.

What a great question, Joseph, and some fascinating answers! I love your note-taking idea. I keep quotes and thoughts in an electronic file for every book since I started Goodreads, and it has helped so much!

Since I’ve loved to read for as long as I can remember, it is more second nature than something I think about. History and literature were not my focus in school, so I have many, many gaps to fill, but if I’m honest, I think I read mainly because it feels good.

What I like most is being immersed in another world: another person’s mind, as was said, another place I’ve never been, another experience I’ve never had. But it’s also the best way for me to learn. Sometimes you have to learn by doing, but, you know, I’m the type who reads the manual first. :-)

I read more fiction than non-, like evocative over experimental, classics over new, and make a point to look for diverse writers and translations from languages other than my own. But the more you read, the more you discover, and the more you discover, the more there is to read … which is why so many of us have completely impossible TBR’s I guess!

Kathleen wrote: "What a great question, Joseph, and some fascinating answers! I love your note-taking idea. I keep quotes and thoughts in an electronic file for every book since I started Goodreads, and it has help..."

I agree Kathleen. Great conversation starter Joseph.

I read to unlock the past, present, and future.

I read for so many reasons that I rarely give much thought to since books have literally always been part of my life as a child being read to and then reading on my own. I read for knowledge of new subjects or to expand on ones I know something of. I read to experience other places or cultures through the eyes of someone whose life is different from mine. I read to travel to places I may never visit in person. I read for entertainment. I read to experience life as it was before I was born in the voices of authors from those eras. I read because it makes me use my imagination to envision characters and places rather than seeing them on video. I read to discover and ponder the ideas of others that make me think and ultimately grow. I read because, thankfully, I can as an educated woman in a day and age that educating women is acceptable in most of the world.

Laurie wrote: "I read for so many reasons that I rarely give much thought to since books have literally always been part of my life as a child being read to and then reading on my own. I read for knowledge of new..."



Yes!!!

So beautifully stated.
Its been a part if my life since childhood too.

Levi wrote: "Lynn wrote: "Now I read to remember and to get that little thrill when I sit down with a book. If I don't get the emotional satisfaction from a book, I am no longer interested."

Really interesting..."

Levi I like your system, but I do not think it would work for me. I have a composition book journal of books read. A few years back I started to keep a spreadsheet as well. If I am having trouble remembering something finding the book in my journal is enough to get the title or author. From there I use Goodreads, Amazon blurbs, or other people's reviews. Most of the time the memory fails when I am trying to remember something from say 30 or 40 years ago. Luckily, the recent memory is still working. ...most of the time LOL. Have you seen the mistakes I make???

Before I only answered the Why? What do I read?

Children's literature and informational texts for school - as I shift grade levels the selections change. Over my life I have taught kindergarten, third, fourth, sixth, and eighth grade. After about five years in one place I yearn for change.

It has always been my pattern to find an author I like and try to read multiple books or short stories by that author. This year the authors seem to be Jack London, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and L.M. Montgomery - perhaps Bret Harte This year so far I have read a couple of Elizabeth Gaskell short stories, but just prefer the other three. I also like Clifford D. Simak. Yep my three favorites are all from the same location, same language and roughly the same time period, with Clifford being a holdover from last year. My theme for this year is more 19th Century Literature. Last year the theme was Golden Age Science Fiction. I read deeply an area of interest until I am ready to move on to the next.

I will never be the person who completes a challenge to read one book from a certain number of countries... lol. I am ok with that.

I play piano and dabble with a few other instruments. One of the best practice techniques - advice - I ever received was "It is better to play one song a thousand ways than to play a thousand different songs once." You will learn more.

Laurie wrote: "I read for so many reasons that I rarely give much thought to since books have literally always been part of my life as a child being read to and then reading on my own. I read for knowledge of new..."

Laurie I love your line about reading to experience the lives of those who lived before you.

I agree with a lot of what others have said. For me, basically I am a nosy person - I like to meet new people and I am interested in people's thoughts and behavior. In fiction you get to find out about all kinds of people. In nonfiction, I tend to read in the fields of psychology, education, sociology, women's issues, or history - rather than about nature, medicine, or technology. In sci-fi, I am more interested in new approaches to society than in details of rocketry or genetics.

I like the time travel aspect of historical fiction, historical mysteries and historical romances, figuring out what life was like then. I also like speculation on the future or on fantastical worlds.

I read most genres, except for horror, thrillers and true crime (can't understand why people want to be scared, and I really dislike having to read the POV of a killer or psychopath.)

Lynn wrote: "Before I only answered the Why? What do I read?

Children's literature and informational texts for school - as I shift grade levels the selections change. Over my life I have taught kindergarten, t..."

Hey, Lynn, I too play the piano, but I am a crummy player, being a beginner.

I read mostly for an education and a better understanding of the world. Next, I read for pleasure and sheer enjoyment. If the classics I’m reading can do that then the merrier I am.

I read to escape, to learn, read about places, and enjoyment.
In 3rd grade, I learned to sing "Those Far Away Places" and I was hooked to travel and read. I loved the old Nancy Drew books as a teenager. I am 84 and learn something each day.

Leona wrote: "I read to escape, to learn, read about places, and enjoyment.
In 3rd grade, I learned to sing "Those Far Away Places" and I was hooked to travel and read. I loved the old Nancy Drew books as a tee..."

I also loved the old Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys books. :) I agree with you 100% about learning something new everyday!!

Sometimes reading is a chore. So sometimes it feels like such.

I read to be entertained. I have a separate mindset for learning facts or skills. Whether learning about new experiences or about ancient civilisations, or about memoirs, I read them to be entertained, nothing less.

Sometimes I read to escape boredom. I pick up a book and put it down as soon as I’m entertained

Janice wrote: "Leona wrote: "I read to escape, to learn, read about places, and enjoyment.
In 3rd grade, I learned to sing "Those Far Away Places" and I was hooked to travel and read. I loved the old Nancy Drew ..."

Yes, I also read the Hardy Boys. I once read Carolyn Keene was more that one person who wrote the Nancy Drew books.


This is on Goodreads:
Carolyn Keene
GenreChildren's Books, Mystery & Thrillers, Young Adult
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Carolyn Keene is a writer pen name that was used by many different people- both men and women- over the years. The company that was the creator of the Nancy Drew series, the Stratemeyer Syndicate, hired a variety of writers. For Nancy Drew, the writers used the pseudonym Carolyn Keene to assure anonymity of the creator.

Edna and Harriet Stratemeyer inherited the company from their father Edward Stratemeyer. Edna contributed 10 plot outlines before passing the reins to her sister Harriet. It was Mildred Benson (aka: Mildred A. Wirt), who breathed such a feisty spirit into Nancy's character. Mildred wrote 23 of the original 30 Nancy Drew Mystery Stories®, including the first three. It was her characterization that helped make Nancy an instant hit. The Stratemeyer Syndicate's devotion to the series over the years under the reins of Harriet Stratemeyer Adams helped to keep the series alive and on store shelves for each succeeding generation of girls and boys. In 1959, Harriet, along with several writers, began a 25-year project to revise the earlier Carolyn Keene novels. The Nancy Drew books were condensed, racial stereotypes were removed, and the language was updated. In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.

Other writers of Nancy Drew volumes include Harriet herself, she wrote most of the series after Mildred quit writing for the Syndicate and in 1959 began a revision of the first 34 texts. The role of the writer of "Carolyn Keene" passed temporarily to Walter Karig who wrote three novels during the Great Depression. Also contributing to Nancy Drew's prolific existence were Leslie McFarlane, James Duncan Lawrence, Nancy Axelrod, Priscilla Doll, Charles Strong, Alma Sasse, Wilhelmina Rankin, George Waller Jr., and Margaret Scherf.