The Perks of Reading Slowly
Like slow-living, but with reading
I am not a voracious reader.
No matter how much I would like to be like all the other booklovers who pride themselves in being, I am just not. I’m not that person who can finish a book, set it down, pick up the next book lying on top of the stack, and start again. Even if the next book is its sequel, I just can’t bring myself to open up the cover — at least, not right away.
I don’t want to read books in record time. I don’t want to read book after book nonstop. I don’t want to read multiple books at the same time.
Because for me, reading a book is an experience with undetermined start and end dates. It’s more than just the time I spend reading the book. The person I was before opening up the cover (really, even before selecting the book) is slightly changed by the time I’ve finished. The post-book self is increased in knowledge, has new revelations, and perhaps, shifted perspectives. For some books, the things I learn from them can take time to fully understand and, years later, I’ll find myself thinking, “Wow, I didn’t realize that before, even though it was blatantly in my face.”
So, for me, a reading tip I would suggest is to practice slow reading. Don’t go through books like you’re at a buffet, devouring one after another. Instead, treat each book like a meal enjoyed through fine dining. Read a couple of chapters and, no matter how badly you want to nibble at the next scene, set it down. Let what you’ve read or, to continue the analogy, consume, settle down within you and take root. It’ll grow and permeate because slow reading gives you time to think.
Mull over the events that have already taken place and predict what will happen next to the protagonist. Actively direct your thinking to what is happening and, sooner or later, the story will find its way into your thoughts without your direction. For instance, when you suddenly bump into a stranger on the crosswalk and, due to the resemblance or an identical mannerism, a character will suddenly pop into your head. These golden nugget moments are precious, because that’s when you know the book and yourself are melding together. Whether it’s through active processing or idle thinking, you’ll find the story and its characters have integrated themselves into your thoughts and, at least for the time being, your life.
To reiterate, reading is an experience. For me, to get the most out of the experience and, even more so for books that I can’t seem to tear my eyes away from, I force myself to put it down and let the story breathe. To take a moment and let the words wander around in my head. The time you spent reading is undoubtedly, painstakingly longer but when I’ve finished, I wouldn’t have done it any differently.
If you are a voracious reader, then that’s completely okay too! But, from a person who’s not, I just want to get it out there that slow reading is completely fine too. It’s possible to love words and stories and not read as many books.
So, if you’re trying to find ways to remember books you’ve read or, possibly want to have a more impactful reading experience, slow reading can be helpful.
