READING - A GUILTY PLEASURE

by Jan Christensen

“Of all the diversions of life, there is none so proper to fill up its empty spaces as the reading of useful and entertaining authors.” - Joseph Addison

"Squandering time and money on profane works of fiction for pleasure reading is therefore an offense against every aspect of the Protestant ethic." - Max Weber

It's kind of fun to remember that reading fiction used to be considered a vice until the late 19th century and even beyond by some people. After all, when you read for pleasure, you are not interacting with others, you are absorbed in your own kind of play and you are not being productive. But storytelling is ancient and has always been a way to teach important messages. Most stories end up with the bad guy in a bad way, and the good guys winning and triumphant. It can teach a person how to watch for the tiger in the bushes or the con man in the city. I believe that most of what I know about human nature I learned early on by reading lots and lots of fiction, including both novels and short stories which used to be included in most major magazines.

Studies show (yes, people study reading) that most people who read for pleasure and "get lost in the book" read fiction. But I've become lost in some good, well-written non-fiction books and articles, as well. I best most ardent readers have.

Did anyone teach you, in school or out, about how to pick a book to read for pleasure? Did they discuss covers, flaps, subjects and summaries, author's name, title, date published, or reading the first page or a page at random or both?

I bet they didn't. If you're reading this, you've probably figured it all out by now, but if there's a child around who isn't reading for pleasure, it maybe because the kid doesn't know how to find a book to read that will keep his or her interest.

Just to review. Is the title helpful--never mind if it's not; you'll just have to dig a little deeper to find out what the book's about. What about the cover? Are there elements there you'd rather not read about? A spaceship? A cop with a gun? A dragon? Don't even pick it up. If you love that kind of thing, then the book may deserve a closer look.

Who's the author? Ever heard of him or her? Ever read the author's work before? If so, did you like it or not? This could be a bigger influence than title or cover.

Next let's peek inside. If there's a jacket, great, because there'll probably be a summary of the plot on the left flap, leaving out the ending. Does the plot intrigue you? Do you think it will hold your interest?

About when does the plot take place? If that's not immediately apparent from the summary, look at the copyright page. Most novels take place around the time they were written unless otherwise noted on the jacket or the first page where a date might be included. Unless it's science fiction, of course--we assume that takes place in the future.

Where does the story take place? Is it a place you have some interest in learning more about? This would be a plus.

Now we've come to the first page. Read it and see if the writing grabs you, or the situation as set up. Maybe, if still unsure, read another page, or a page or two later in the book.

Pay no attention to the author's photo. It means nothing. She can be glamorous as all get-out and a lousy writer. He can be sloppy-looking and ancient, but be a fabulous writer. You cannot tell a book by how the author looks. On the other hand, the biography might give credibility to the book's subject matter, and you may relate in some way to the writer's experiences in life and be interested enough to read the book.

If you've had a chance, hopefully you're read something about the book in your hands before you ever picked it up. Maybe you read a review, or several reviews. Maybe you read every title this author publishes. Maybe you read every police procedural you can get your hands on, no matter who the author is or the premise. Or anything where the cat is the detective. Having a list of books with you when you go to buy some or check some out of the library can be helpful--you're less apt to take something you'll dislike later.

Picking short stories to read is more difficult. Usually they are located in books among other short stories, frequently by different authors, called anthologies, or in magazines, either on-line or in print. When the group of stories is in a collection, however, and you know and like the writer's work, it's wonderful to be able to pick up some short stories by that author all in one volume. Otherwise, you have to depend on the editor to have picked stories you'll like. If the editor is an author you enjoy reading, you probably will like most of the stories he or she chose, as well. If the stories are grouped by specific genre, that can make it easier. Best of anthologies can be fun to read--see if you agree with the picks in those.

Now you have book in hand. And you have control of when you'll read it. People who read a lot for pleasure usually have certain times of day set aside for reading. Or they snatch short periods of time while waiting. Pleasure reading is like playing--it takes place outside ordinary life, completely absorbs the person playing, and is considered unproductive by some (but I argue that point because I believe even reading for pleasure is educational, and how can getting an education be unproductive?).

It's wonderful to have the pacing of your reading under your control. Unlike watching a movie or TV program, you can easily slow down your reading to savor it, go back to make sure you understood something or to make notes as you go along. Some think that reading is similar to being in a hypnotic trance.

Because reading for pleasure is so pleasurable, it's sometimes difficult to create a balance between it and alternative activities.

Benefits from reading for pleasure include: escape from your own world into another, stress relief, relaxation, stimulates your brain and often teaches you something new. It can also help you communicate better with other people by increasing your vocabulary and helps with critical thinking.

So do yourself a favor. Turn off the TV, shut down the computer, find a quiet spot and curl up with a good book with the knowledge that reading for pleasure is good for you.

Currently reading: "50 Great Short Stories" edited by Milton Crane--a great little paperback small enough to carry anywhere with stories from famous authors--highly recommended.