What Makes a Good Reader?

In his article “Good Readers and Good Writers,” Nabokov describes a good reader as one who starts with the details and then considers the overall story. He believes that to start with a “preconceived notion” is “unfair.” A good reader is actually a “rereader,” and that by the very act of moving our eyes in order to read something is lost. He also states that a person should read with a little aloofness and remain partially dispassionate in order to gain an amount of objectivity.

I disagree with Nabokov about what makes a good reader, to an extent. I feel that it depends on what the reader is trying to accomplish by reading. I often approach reading simply as a means of enjoyment and escape. I approach books something like opening a Christmas gift. Cracking the cover for the first time and immersing myself in the story is how I enjoy reading. I usually start with the story and if it is intriguing enough, I will read it again to glean the finer details. I suppose that a different approach might be prudent if I am reading great literature.

When it comes to reading literature, Nabokov’s qualities of a good reader are most likely correct. I agree with his four requirements for a good reader. I am probably not a good reader because I sometimes feel bogged down in details. Granted, details are very important because they provide the pieces of a world that is capable of drawing a person in. However, sometimes if I focus on the details the story becomes lost. I also identify with some of his opinions of a bad reader. I like to read a book that engages me emotionally and that I can in some way identify with. Reading with a “scientific” mindset would, for me, detract from the joys of reading, but I am willing to try it.