How does a person actually *enjoy* reading?

[InvictusCobra]

Now, I'm not trying to troll or mock or anything of the sort. I am merely attempting to understand how people derive pleasure from reading a book.

I cannot for the life of me finish a book unless it's mandatory for a course, and those books end up being super boring (in my opinion of course). Here are a few examples if you are curious:

Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad

Fury, Salman Rushdie

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Jonathan Safran Foer

 

I can describe these with the same sentece: A boring slog to get through.

 

I have also tried to read for pleasure and leisure and it just ended with me dropping the book. The book was Homeland, R.A. Salvatore, due to having played Baldur's Gate and the character piquing my interest (dropped it about 45 pages in).

 

This question comes from the fact that I recently discovered "The Wheel of Time" series and it's massive page count (11,916), which left me perplexed as to how someone can handle all that text.

 

So,  do you enjoy reading? How and why? 

 

Once again, this is not a troll post, I am seriously reflecting upon this matter and cannot reach a conclusion.

 

TL;DR: Only read books for college courses. Tried to read one for fun, dropped it after 45 pages. How do you enjoy reading and why?

[HopefullyAHero]

Reading is actually one of my favorite hobbies just because of the stuff I can visualize in my mind. (Juvenile answer, but w/e.)

I like "seeing" other worlds in my head and my own interpertation of other author's works.

 

Usually when reading a book becomes a "slog" that seems to be more on the author than yourself. Maybe you haven't found the right series yet?

[Rabbit]

I love reading if the book is interesting. I can spend months on one book and only get 100-200 pages in and than suddenly once it gets interesting I can finish it in a week, it all kind of depends on what books you enjoy and how much you can get into it. I rarely find a book that I find interesting instantly, it usually takes atleast 100 pages before it gets interesting, this one book series i'm reading currently was on my bed like 3 months and I only read like 200 pages before it gots interesting, now ive finished that 600 pages long book and i'm over halfway through the 2nd book in the series.

[LiquidShu]

It depends on the book. Even if it is mandatory to pass a class if I didn't like it spark notes was there <3 

 

The Fallen series I enjoyed as well as Percy Jackson (don't have me). My get some murder mystery books and romantic stuff every once in a while but I don't read nearly as much as I used to. What I have mostly read regarding things that are not manga/visual novels would be light novels. High School DxD, Psycome, SAO (so boring), and Oreimo are some I have read recently. When I'm reading it isn't much different from a movie, except how I picture how the people look and that kinda thing. I just get sucked in the zone and it's just fun. 

[Getsuya]

Enjoying books is all about escapism. When reading you can disconnect yourself from the real world and go off somewhere else for a while without using drugs or being crazy.

[LiquidShu]

Enjoying books is all about escapism. When reading you can disconnect yourself from the real world and go off somewhere else for a while without using drugs or being crazy.

 

Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. 

[sarkasmus]

I don't know why, I just enjoy it.

 

I have about 60 books at home with about 700 pages per book (average) and I read all of them at least 6 time. That would be about 252000 pages so 12000 (btw I have those books as well) isn't really that much. In addition to that I already read every fictional book in one of the libraries close to where I live which are about 300000 pages and a lot (about 20) of non fictional books from one of the libraries of  Bayreuth University about Physics, Chemics and Math.

[Kurokusari]

Yes, I enjoy reading. As for how, I simply imagine how the book as it is written. I assume we're generally talking about novels here since one does not simply enjoy a college reference book. Authors describe everything vividly in words because they can't have illustrations at every single corner. You use your imagination to make it alive. I have a habit of playing an animation as I read along. Even the voices are provided, yep. It might sound weird but I do this and I enjoy reading because of it.

 

As for why, because I have a degree of influence in the book. Authors do their best to give you a proper and good illustration but they can't fill in all the details because it will make books more like block of texts from reference books rather than entertainment. I fill in all the missing details with mine and I integrate myself in the book. First person view, I'm the character, third person view, I'm an invisible observant. Also the authors' imaginations are quite fascinating. They make whole new worlds that might or might not exist for real.

 

TL;DR: Imagination is the key. Simply reading text is no fun.

[Down]

There's no secret to reading books. There are millions of way to enjoy reading, and different readers will enjoy different books for different reasons. We can tell you various reasons why we enjoy reading but that might not even resonate with you.

 

One advice I have is to find a book you specifically want to read (not just because you wanted to read a book). People tend to have a bias against books they're assigned to read, even when those books are good.

(Also Salvatore and most of those D&D based books are sadly very mediocre, avoid them).

 

You could, for example, try a book that got adapted into a movie you liked. Personally, I got into reading as a kid when I watched the first Harry Potter movie and ended up blasting through all four available books in no time.

[GLM4475]

Hmm, I actually like reading books in general. Although I usually avoid to read something too complicating/confusing. And by books, do you mean books in general? There are plenty of books out there, story (fantasy/sci-fi/mystery/action/whatever) books, education books, common knowledge books, jokes/gags books, and some others.

 

Basically what you always get from a book is a kind of information or knowledge but sometimes this info could be interesting. Maybe it's logical for most people read only what they need. But for some people, reading has a special meaning. For example, they who doesn't sit well with physics wouldn't even think about reading mechanical quantum books. But for those who do, not only it gave their a new knowledge, it also gave them the "joy of learning". For story books, most people indulge themselves in reading the story for many reasons, which one have been mentioned by Getsuya-san.

 

Reading book can also give you a new perspective/look on things, broaden your horizon, make you laugh/cry/irritated/exasperated/so on. So, why not enjoy reading while you're at it?

[Mugi]

I can only read a book if i'm interested in it, it's more or less the same way with Visual Novels. If it has good characters, nice development, and an interesting premise, I can just marathon it in a few hours. The length of it doesn't really matter to me as long as it's quality doesn't drop off halfway through it or something. For instance, just about anything by Lovecraft can grab my attention for the duration of the novel, same with Stephen King. Reading a book for me is really no different than watching a television series or reading manga. You aren't the first person i've heard of who hasn't been able to get into reading books, and can't understand why others would find it enjoyable. I guess some people like it and some people don't, just like with anything else.

[Zalor]

I'm pretty much the same way, except that I actually like the books my professors assign. (Btw there is humorous element to Heart of Darkness that you won't realize unless you are in the right mood, or have the right teacher to point it out). I voluntarily sign up for a lot of literature classes because while I don't enjoy the act of reading itself, I can appreciate the ideas classic authors raise. I don't think I will ever be able to read for entertainment, but I do read for intellectual engagement; especially so when I'm reading for a class. It's interesting to find social critiques and philosophical statements in classic literature. I remember once my Milton professor told me something along the lines of this: "I don't think we should read for entertainment anymore. If you want entertainment, Netflix has got that covered. Rather you should read to broaden your intellectual and cultural horizons". I completely agree with that statement, and I read for the same exact reason.   

 

Reading is actually one of my favorite hobbies just because of the stuff I can visualize in my mind. (Juvenile answer, but w/e.)

I like "seeing" other worlds in my head and my own interpertation of other author's works.

 

I claim bullshit on this. I'm sorry if I'm coming across as rude, but what you said really bothers me for rather personal reasons (I'm not mad at you but at what you reminded me of). I never ever understood people when they said they like "visualizing" the stuff they read. Wouldn't you rather watch a movie, read a visual novel, or play a game? Isn't it better when you have visuals and audio to immerse you in the story; rather than have to imagine the visuals yourself? When I was a kid my dad always made me read books, even though I hated it and preferred reading the plots of JRPGS. Whenever I argued that I hated reading books but wanted to read stuff in my video games, he would get upset at me and basically tell me what you said. That its supposedly better to experience a story when you "visualize" what the author said. I simply don't believe that statement, as I never once understood how people could say it. 

[Elairiah]

I find it difficult to "visualize" when the creators are leaving very little leeway for interpretation in terms of scene and characters.

Edited February 11, 2018 by Elairiah

[Darklord Rooke]

 I never ever understood people when they said they like "visualizing" the stuff they read. Wouldn't you rather watch a movie, read a visual novel, or play a game? Isn't it better when you have visuals and audio to immerse you in the story; rather than have to imagine the visuals yourself?

 

That depends really. Visuals are objective, you see things how they are, but prose arises from the prejudices and experiences of the narrator which means it's easier to see things how they see things. Which is sometimes fun. It's also why engaging prose is hard to write. A really easy example to give is Terry Pratchett, he has a way of describing things which doesn't translate to the big screen. For example:

 

There was a knock at the door. It should not be possible for a knock to sound surreptitious, yet this knock achieved it. It had harmonics. They told the hindbrain: the person knocking will, if no one eventually answers, open the door anyway and sidle in, whereupon he will certainly nick any smokes that are lying around, read any correspondence that catches his eye, open a few drawers, take a nip out of such bottles of alcohol as are discovered, but stop short of major crime because he is not criminal in the sense of making a moral decision but in the sense that a weasel is evil - it is built into his very shape. It was a knock with a lot to say for itself. 

 

Now obviously something like this can't really be shown, and loses a lot in the translation to a movie or tv show. Obviously you can provide narration but unlike in a book time is money in a show/movie, there's only so much you're allowed, and this sort of narration takes a fair bit of time and is often deemed pointless. It can survive the transition to a hybrid medium like Visual Novels. That being said, if something is shown in an objective light through the use of visuals, then you lose the ability to see things uniquely as the author sees it. 

 

But that being said I wouldn't force yourself to read books, books are just another medium for stories to be conveyed and some people are unsatisfied with the text format. There's nothing wrong with that, there's plenty of alternatives around I still tend to believe it's about finding the "right books" though. I remember hating books throughout most of my childhood, my mother would shove books at me and so would school but I didn't enjoy them. I didn't start liking books until I stumbled on a select few authors, one was Piers Anthony whose books contain a lot of puns, another was Douglas Adams who was about satire and silliness, after that I made my way to fanfiction where I lost 2 years of my life, and then I was reading everything.

[Zalor]

@Elairiah: Interesting, we really do seem to find our escapism in very different ways. Although I must thank you for allowing me to understand the other side a bit better. If I'm reading what you said correctly, you seem to be saying that you can't find escapism in movies, anime, video games as effectively, because everything is given to you; rather than you picturing everything yourself. But to me that's preferable. When I'm reading a VN or watching an anime, I forget myself and surrender my senses completely to what I see and hear. For all intents and purposes, I feel like I am in the story (though as a passive observer).

 

My trouble with reading seems to be the opposite of yours. When I sit down to read a book, I become very self conscious of my loneliness; and that in turn raises my perceptions of my surroundings. I start hearing the noises that my mind normally puts on mute, such as the noises outside. When I'm reading I have to actively try to invest my attention in the story. When watching an anime or reading a VN, I put my headphones on and the outside world ceases to be. I can no longer hear it, and I no longer pay attention to it. And then my focus is undivided to whatever I am watching or reading. In fact, it reminds me of something the author David Foster Wallace said in an interview "reading requires sitting alone by yourself in a quite room. And I have friends, intelligent friends who don't like to read because they get, it's not just bored; there's an almost dread." (The quote is from this video). And he said it better than I could. It's not that I just get bored, but there is a dread I get when reading a book. And that dread doesn't exist when I watch an anime or read a VN.    

[Funyarinpa]

The stuff you can visualize, not to mention the often amazing prose and storyline you would find in a good book, make reading a joy for me.

[Eclipsed]

I find reading to be an absolute chore if its assigned to me or academic based (i can usually get in 'the groove' when it comes to academic readings aka learning but getting started is death) 

On my own for entertainment though they are super fun cuz idk, story, characters, same reason i enjoy watching shows 'cept I'm limited to my own imagination but still fun

[InvictusCobra]

 

I'm pretty much the same way, except that I actually like the books my professors assign. (Btw there is humorous element to Heart of Darkness that you won't realize unless you are in the right mood, or have the right teacher to point it out).

 

It was for a course called "British Culture" and we used Heart of Darkness as an example of the British Empire in the early XXth century and how they treated the "Other". Boring as hell, though as a person who thoroughly enjoys dark humour, some descriptions of the natives were so condescending and inconsiderate they were funny.

[Bolverk]

Enjoying books is all about escapism. When reading you can disconnect yourself from the real world and go off somewhere else for a while without using drugs or being crazy.

Although how cynical I am about things like this. I don't feel that's a correct way of thinking about it. It's no more escapism to read a book, compared chopping up wood with an axe or playing a instrument. It's all an act of focus and concentration. Your focus of the world actively goes to one thing and the rest fades out. If you do this because you want to escape the world. Then it's escapism. Otherwise, it's not.

 

There's no secret to reading books. There are millions of way to enjoy reading, and different readers will enjoy different books for different reasons. We can tell you various reasons why we enjoy reading but that might not even resonate with you.

I agree with Down here. Loads of different ways of going at this. I hope you'll find some value in what other people think as well as mine. So likewise I'll parade my opinion here as well!

 

I think as others in this thread have mentioned it's important to consider what you want from the book. Not what some given book wants to show you. So you should try to choose what you want yourself to read and might enjoy.

 

I choose my books out of a few credentials. By thinking about these when I choose a book, I know what I want to get out from it before I even open it. When  I read the book I enjoy what I want from it, if it doesn't give what I expected. I either try harder to get something out of it, or drop it.

The mains sides of enjoyment of reading a book for me is simply put:

• The immersion into the world, you become the characters and feeling the world around you.
• The concepts, the structure of space combat or a supreme control by the state etc.
• The setting, the world is lit by how you view things. How is this world different from our world and what does that mean? Try to be as neutral as possible.
• The prose, how does the writing flow. How is the exposition of the story laid out, does side characters suddenly fade away?
• The Literary value, compare this book to other works. Similarity between writers and stories.

I personally think this is a very important process to do with anything really you find boring. Especially Work and school related. Anything is boring as fuck if you can't find value in it. That's why you need to find it yourself. In the process you also widen your horizons. Just the last part I think has a lot of value.

[Stray Cat]

I like reading cause I like learning things.  More knowledge is always good, especially for crushing other's with your superior intellect socializing. 

[arakura]

Empathy.

It's all about caring. Because that's why things matter.

[Beato]

The prose is probably the thing I enjoy the most about books to be honest. I used to read a lot of genre fiction but I basically can't get interested in books without good prose anymore even if the plot is interesting (it moght be because visual novels provide me with my fill of mediocre to good writing)

Reading good prose is like looking at beautiful works of art. Someone like Nabokov or Woolf will just make you kind of stop and marvel at how beautiful a sentence is.

[Cythnar]

Hum. For me, enjoying reading was being able to imagine things I wouldn't normally do on my own. Being able to delve into worlds aside from reality. To put myself in other people's shoes, and walk that mile you could say. Things you can't necessarily do in real life. In short, it's fascinating. 

I'll read just about anything without concern for writing prowess or what gives, as long as it's interesting. 

[12kami]

depends on the book,for me if its interesting i can finish 1000 pages within a week

but if i dont find it interesting,i drop right away :v

[Funyarinpa]

The prose is probably the thing I enjoy the most about books to be honest. I used to read a lot of genre fiction but I basically can't get interested in books without good prose anymore even if the plot is interesting (it moght be because visual novels provide me with my fill of mediocre to good writing)

Reading good prose is like looking at beautiful works of art. Someone like Nabokov or Woolf will just make you kind of stop and marvel at how beautiful a sentence is.