I LOVED IT! I posted on Fb.

@tristanandtheclassics6538

5 ай бұрын

Thank you SO much. I really appreciate it 😊 🙏

@apollonia6656

3 ай бұрын

@tristanandtheclassics, I sincerely apologize. Kind regards.

Great advice. Can’t believe I’m just learning this at 76 🤨. So 10 pages a night it is! Maybe I’ll cancel my newspaper and read books instead 😊 I’ve only just come across your channel - thank you so much ☺️

As I've grown older, I've realized that this is the best way to read, savoring the words, conversations, characters. In fact, the whole experience is richer. Bravo for expressing this so well!

@tristanandtheclassics6538

Жыл бұрын

You are so right, Anna. I think school trains us to view books in the wrong way. When a child discovers books, they simply love getting lost in the story. At school, they are given books to 'get through' for a test. I think this has a damaging effect.

@i_readclassics

Жыл бұрын

I completely agree with you. It is one of the lessons which I've learnt in my journey of classics to "RELISH EVERY WORD"

At so many art exhibitions people walk up to a painting, whip out their mobile phone, take a quick snap and completely ignore what’s hanging in front of them. They then move on to the next one, as if each work photographed is a conquest. It’s extraordinary, though it’s mainly younger people who do it. Perhaps many people take the same approach to reading.

Slow reader here. I stopped setting my reading goals as “X number of books per year”. I changed my reading goal to “always have the NEXT book chosen” and I’m much happier 😊

“Treat a work of art like a prince: let it speak to you first.” ― Arthur Schopenhauer

@tristanandtheclassics6538

3 ай бұрын

Wow! Great quote.

@ryanand154

2 ай бұрын

Treat an aphorism by Schopenhauer like Prince. Let it do what it wants in an elevator.

Slow reader here and this definitely inspired me to be more mindful about what I'm reading and be more immersed in the experience so thank you :)

@tristanandtheclassics6538

Жыл бұрын

Hi, Sayona. I'm so pleased that you found this helpful. I wish you great enjoyment in your reading this year.

@jacquelinegriener9961

5 ай бұрын

29:47

Also, many of the books you mention (Such as Dickens, Thackery, Dumas, etc.) were issued in serial fashion, so the original readers were forced to stop between chapters and wait a week to get the next installment (like an episodic TV show nowadays). This gave the people time to talk to other readers and to think about what might happen next and to reflect on what they had already read (or perhaps to go back a reread something they particularly enjoyed or had trouble understanding; or something they got a new angle on by talking to someone). By all means, take your time reading these great books. Heavens knows the writers took time to produce them. The words were placed there for you to read, not to speed through as fast as you can (Imagine what Dickens would think about that!). He liked to perform his books, which means that they would be delivered at talking speed).

@elizabethrobertson1159

4 ай бұрын

😅

@HRConsultant_Jeff

3 ай бұрын

Agreed. Taken in monthly or weekly installments allows you to step away and come back often when reading large books. I find myself screaming at the author to just get on with the story. Michener used to write great stories but he would go off on a tangent story for 10-20 pages and then return to the main plot which, while interesting, was infuriating as well. I resolve some of this by having about 10 books going at the same time and I have very good retention so I am usually back in the story within a page.

Clearly some of the best advice (philosophy) on reading. Being a reformed 7 book a weekend reader who has discovered that audio books can be cranked up to double speed, I am taking a deep breath. Yes, life is too short not to enjoy chocolate!

I recall that John Steinbeck was a slow reader by his own admission. In the back of one of his books, he published some letters with an editor and said this much: "I literally move my lips. Elaine [Steinbeck's wife] can read four books while I mumble through one. But I guess this isn't going to change."

@tristanandtheclassics6538

3 ай бұрын

That's fascinating. Thank you. Really interesting. 😀👍

When I was young I would stay up all night reading. Now I’m 50 and went to audiobooks, but oh I miss a comfy chair, a blanket and a coffee with a good book!

Your channel is a gift. Keep doing what you're doing, Tristan!

@tristanandtheclassics6538

11 ай бұрын

Thank you, that is so kind!

He GETS IT. This video was like a psychedelic trip for me because I'm watching a complete stranger on the screen reading my mind. I've been on a reading slump for 4 years, whoring from genre to genre, making reading lists, goals, projects and deflating shortly after. The problems he described are exactly what has been happening to me; I've been a reader all my life so I don't understand why the reason behind this never dying slump. Thank you, Tristan. Know that your video made me feel immensely better.

What matters is discipline. Just do it! Educate yourself. Never trust others to educate...

Perfect! I love reading, the joy of being inside a good story. In fact, there is a sense of loss when I turn the last page and have to leave that world, so sometimes I wish to be a slower reader.

A few years ago, I re-discovered my love for reading fantasy novels and started to follow BookTubers for recommendations. Because they seemed to fly through so many books in a year, I pressured myself immensely because of my slow reading speed. How could some people read 50, 60, ..., 100 or even more books in a single year while I only manage to read 10? Now that I thought about what you were saying, my mind compared speed reading with reading a summary. You might learn what the book is about but you will never get near the level of satisfaction you reach when you really immersed yourself in the story. You get to know the characters like your family, you suffer with them during their struggles, you get annoyed by their bad decisions, you celebrate with them when they reach their goals, ... building a connection like this takes a lot of time. Thank you so much for this video. I will embrace being a slow reader and enjoy the journey much more!

I'm re-listening while I work today. If there were book tube oscars, this would get best video of the year. I cannot express how much I needed to hear all of this. Thank you, Tristan !

@tristanandtheclassics6538

Жыл бұрын

You are wonderful, Christina. I hope that you discover some gold bullion in your backyard.😀

Recently I have found myself reading each word as if I were reading out loud to a child. I got greatly annoyed at myself and tried to speed up. I put this new experience up to aging (I’m 67). But after listening to your video, I realized that I was really slowing down because I was enjoying the book (Middlemarch). I subconsciously wanted to put myself into the story that I was enjoying so much. Thank you for helping to give myself permission to slow down and enjoy. Great video, as usual!

@tristanandtheclassics6538

Жыл бұрын

This is a beautiful experience you have shared, Meg. Sometimes, my reading slows down because my mind can not focus or is distracted. This is a real nuisance. But, if I'm slow because I'm hearing a character speak, or I'm trying to visualise in detail, or marvelling at the words, then I have learned to be happy. In truth, even though I took courses to read faster, I still spend most of my time reading with the narrators voice audible in my mind. My aim, I eventually learned, was not to be the most extensively read, but the most appreciatively read. And it is a lesson I cherish above most others.

@stephenmorton8017

Жыл бұрын

totally agree. what's the big damn rush?

@Yesica1993

Жыл бұрын

I love this comment!

It’s the journey, not the destination. This true for probably everything in life. When we rush in order to have accomplished something, we not only deprive ourselves of the pleasure of experiencing the journey, but we may even find ourselves unable to reach the sought-after destination. If I don’t take the time to really learn a difficult section of a piano piece, I will never be able to play it well. If I don’t work through a lot of problems, I will never truly understand the science or math subject I am studying. When we are too focused on reaching our goals, we tend to approach the process too superficially, and so we never achieve mastery.

@tristanandtheclassics6538

8 ай бұрын

Beautifully expressed 😊❤️👍

Slow reader here. This is INSPIRING. And not just for reading, for life. Not an understatement. Thank you Tristan for allowing me to accept my reading speed and be happy with it. :)

"Reading is about the journey." Exactly. I am extremely well read. But that's because I started early and I'm now 54. I am a "slow" reader. I.e. I read at a normal/natural pace. I even reread particularly great prose. I rarely DNF a book, even if I dislike it. Sometimes, I even take notes. My niece reads and logs her words per hour. She has always admired my library. She once asked if I could share my average words/hour, and I told her I have no clue and didn't really understand her question. I told her that I read at the pace the book demands. I think I greatly disappointed her. ;)

I'm a slow reader. I'm slow generally. Sometimes I can't even be bothered to finish my

@tristanandtheclassics6538

10 ай бұрын

😂 I see what you did there!

@cynthiabrown5456

3 ай бұрын

lol

@thistle3

Ай бұрын

Clever!

Wow, what great insight and advice! You are spot on about this issue. I never realized why I have such difficulty appreciating art, until I listened to your talk. I have, personally, experienced this impatience and discouragement and let them turn me away from both books and even more so from appreciating a painting. I also love what you say about reading Dickens. This is a truly BRILLIANT talk!!!!

Thank you for sharing not only your helpful tips for us "slow" readers but also your contagious and earnest enthusiasm for great literature! I absolutely love your channel.

This was the BEST advice on reading slow! I taught myself years ago to slow down, savor the flavor of the story. When I see rather lenghty chapters I get excited because I anticipate some real detail...Juicy Storytelling that will build on what I've experienced beforehand. Thank you again for this KZread walk through on reading slow...absolutely splendid inspiration.

This is just what I needed to hear, Tristan! I am, indeed, a slow reader *and* I am also guilty of being impatient while I'm reading. 🤓 Sometimes, it's just because I want to _know_ the ending, but sometimes it's because I want to get on to the next book! 🙄 I really want to learn to savor what I'm reading and the _ten pages in bed_ suggestion sounds like a good place to start. 📚 Thanks so much!

@tristanandtheclassics6538

Жыл бұрын

It's a common issue, Lu. The Impatient Nut is a tough one to crack. When you do, though, it opens a bright new world of experience. Let me know how you get on with the 10 pages a day.

@williamthomas2830

5 ай бұрын

Hi Tristan, I am a very slow reader and moderately dyslexic. Recently, I learned to aim for 25 pages a day, this is working really well for me. I am also a deep reader so find myself stopping to think about a passage and perhaps adding a few notes before I go on. Thanks you for all the recommendations I particularly appreciate the advice of short classics that I can read alongside a longer novel. As I use my IPad for reading. At first I used to give myself a 10 minute reading goal every night but found that it was interfering with my enjoyment of the book and often I would fail the task. Since I have dropped the reading goal to 2 minutes I find that I have often read for 30 minutes or more.

I've been doing this for years lol. My friends make fun of me for setting a regimented schedule, but I'm a slow reader and it allows me to get through books.

@tristanandtheclassics6538

Жыл бұрын

Good for you Michael. Its better to enjoy books than torture oneself to read more.

'What matters is you keep reading, and enjoy the story'. Excellent advice. Thank you Tristan.

Thank you very much for this video! I was trying to read quickly just now and once again felt desperate. It's difficult for me to make peace with my own pace because one of my work responsibilities is guiding my students through books, yet some of them read much faster than I do. At the same time, I write as well. There are numerous occasions where someone asks me, "So you're a writer! Have you read x?" and I have to repeatedly say, "No, I haven't, but I want to," which often leaves me feeling ashamed and disqualified, even though my tutors have never seen my writing worse than the works of more well-read peers. I know almost all the details of every book I've read and every film I've watched. I used to stand in front of artworks and do 3-4 hours of analysis, but I still feel the pressure to read as much as other people do. My mom and sister can read any book within a few hours; I don't know how they do that. But now I think I might just need more compassion for myself :)

I am a slow reader. Thank you for this, it makes me feel so proud, so much better

I have considered myself a “somewhat fast reader” but have gotten in books and savored so I do know what it is like but now after this I want to “experience more” and will slow down. Sometimes I read a book and then a few months later I struggle to remember things. Thanks for the reminder and the tip on enjoying a chocolate.

Sir, you remind me of the teacher in the movie dead poet's society. Great to have you as a teacher in KZread. ❤

Thanks for the words of wisdom! This is how I got through Moby Dick, which was always my white whale (pun intended).

@tristanandtheclassics6538

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Gene. I know what you mean about Moby Dick. It is very rich in the prose which I loved but also caused me to slow down. The chapters on Whale biology almost beat me. But such a brilliant book.

Great Advice! I need to slow down and enjoy the journey instead of wanting to rush the process. When I read I am distracted by the pile of books waiting for me. Time is my taskmaster robbing me of the enjoyment of the book. Your video inspired me to really think about "time" and I hope this is helpful: Instead of focusing on my urgency to finish a book, I thought of the author, the time spent writing, researching, and their labor of love that is gifted to me and in turn I need to slow down, savor, and honor their gift.

Great advice. I’ve discovered the art of slow reading this year on an online reading group where we read one chapter a day and post our thoughts afterwards. The beauty is you can read a few books at a time 👍

Thank you, Great Advice, I am a slow reader but you have given me confidence to read on and enjoy what I read. Thanks again, Gary

@tristanandtheclassics6538

Ай бұрын

Wonderful!

I have thought less of myself as a reader since childhood by comparing myself to my sister who could read an entire Nancy Drew mystery in a day. You have shown me how my pace can be a benefit! Thank you so much Tristan!

tl;dr: If you can't remember story details because it takes you a long time to get through a book, it might be helpful to take some key notes and keep them with the book as you read. Longer version: I'm actually a pretty fast reader (actually too fast sometimes, and I find myself needing to slow down to experience all those lovely nuances) BUT I also have an extremely busy life and sometimes don't have time to read as much as I'd like. I also love long books, so it often happens that I'll read, say, 150 or 200 pages over a couple days then get super busy and not be able to read for a week. When that happens, I often forget who characters are or what their relationships are or other useful details, and it's annoying. So I've developed a habit that might also be helpful for slower readers: I pop a sticky note inside the front cover (usually a pretty large one, and plain, non-sticky paper works fine too) and use it to note down things like character names, place names, family trees, certain dates, and other details that feel like they're important enough that I'll want to remember them for sure. (Side note, this is especially useful with novels that have been translated into English, as the names and places are often unfamiliar to me and therefore hard to remember.) Keeping all this information right IN the book ensures that it's always there for reference when I need it. It's important, I think, to note that I do NOT take extensive notes here AT ALL! I only write information for the most important or recurring characters, I only do family trees when it's both important to the story AND hard to keep track of or remember, I write in words and short phrases rather than sentences and paragraphs, etc. There's certainly a time and place for longer notes, but this isn't it. Just keep it simple, stick to the most important stuff, and I hope you'll find it as helpful as I do.

This guy is absolutely correct. I've actually been doing exactly what he said for years. I'm a SLOW reader. I read a few pages a night. I've read a lot of books over the years. One thing I wish he said was that some classic novels are just not that interesting. You don't have to finish them. If you don't like them. That's okay. I hated Les Miserable and Moby Dick but loved Don Quixote. It's just a matter of taste. Just because something's a classic doesn't mean you'll enjoy it and then why bother forcing yourself through it?

Thank you so much for your advice...as a slow reader I feel much more relaxed and happy! Actually i needed to rediscover the joy of reading without the stress of having to read this or that many books!❤

You have great analogies and they are a breath of fresh air when so many videos are about increasing quantity and not quality.

You are brilliant Tristan!! Just what a slow reader like me needed to hear; that there’s nothing wrong with it and it’s actually a good thing when it comes to the classics! Thank you so much!!

@tristanandtheclassics6538

Жыл бұрын

You're so welcome, Sumathi! I'm just delighted that it struck a chord with you. Enjoy the Classics. By all means study the classics. Never ever rush the classics.

I’m only eight minutes in, but I have to come in and say this is exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you so much. I’ve been focusing way too much on quantity over quality when the only thing I should really be focused on is getting lost in the story.

I hit like before the video even started 😅 I am actually a fast reader. I read too fast then forget the whole book shortly after finishing. My goal is to slow myself down. I've read War and Peace twice but don't feel like I really read it. Next year I plan on taking the whole year to read it...one chapter a day. My husband is a slow reader but he remembers every detail of every book..I wish to be more like that. GREAT video as always. So much still applied to me.....that impatience with big books hit home💖

@tristanandtheclassics6538

Жыл бұрын

Hey Christina! Great to hear from you as always. Its nice to be able to read quickly, in many ways. However, as you say, sometimes details or atmospheres can get out or become blurry. It took me a long time to be content to be slower. Once I decided that I was going to become a citizen of the pages and sojourn in the story, I started to relish my newfound surroundings. I still get impatient and discontented from time to time, but it passes. The 10 pages in bed has been the greatest reading discovery of my life. It is remarkable how much one can accomplish with that tip alone.

@radiantchristina

Жыл бұрын

"I am living in the book" ...this needs to be on a t-shirt 😎

@tristanandtheclassics6538

Жыл бұрын

@@radiantchristina I'll have to make some merchandise 😅

@radiantchristina

Жыл бұрын

Annnnnd now I want chocolate 🤗

@tristanandtheclassics6538

Жыл бұрын

@@radiantchristina 🤣🤣🤣

I am a super slow reader and your video is a fantastic inspiration to me! Thank you so much for all the efforts you've made ♥️♥️

@tristanandtheclassics6538

Жыл бұрын

So pleased that you found it useful, Sunny. Remember, speed is not the important factor, enjoyment is.

Love your 'reading in bed before going to sleep' tip - I have done it for years and love it! And yes, I am a slow reader and I do get impatient when reading books over 400 pages, so I will try to enjoy the process more... wolud be nice!

@tristanandtheclassics6538

Жыл бұрын

It does wonders doesn't it? As for overcoming impatience in reading, once I learned to just enjoy a book without needing to rush, I began getting so much more from reading.

This man should go full education. Really good concepts and good delivery.

You're a wonderful mentor!! I'm humbly greatful. Thank you.

Brilliant advice. Thank you. I’ll have to take in my ten pages per day first thing when waking up. If I try to read in bed, I can barely make it through two pages before I start yawning and nodding off.

I am 60 and have always been dissatisfied with the speed I read. It's my aim to read much more this year. I have always loved books, even being in the presence of books but never read a classic. I have started with a classic and your advice is so helpful. I have missed out on this wonderful world of books and now cannot get enough. Book tube is also new to me. I am recently retired and look forward to many books or not too many perhaps ; ))

Fabulous advice. I’m a slow reader, but I have more time than the average person to read. But I still feel that impatience at not reading faster.

@tristanandtheclassics6538

Жыл бұрын

Totally agree. Though I've learned to enjoy meandering through a book, that imp of impatience is ever lurking in some crevice of my mind, waiting to pounce.

“We start off all pep and ginger and vim.” Isn’t that the truth with all of us!❤

Oh my word, you have described me - to a “T” ! You are a treasure, nicely done.

I am commenting on every video I watch. You are so good at teaching, and explaining, and demonstrating your passion for literature. Honestly, I am learning so much. At 48 I would go back to school again if I had teachers like you. Thank you Tristan.

@tristanandtheclassics6538

2 ай бұрын

Wow, thank you! I really appreciate your kindness and support. Thank you so much, Cara.❤️😀

Thank you for this. I am a very slow reader. I will take your advice and read 10 pages a night and see how I get on.👍

First, this man has been looking over my shoulder as I have attempted large books in the past. Thank you for the great advice. Tristan is a wonderful spokesman for reading the classics..

I can absolutely confirm impatience was ruining my reading experience. I had a year where I read 50 books (mostly thrillers) and thought that I should be able to keep that pace with everything I read. Then, when I looked back at those 50 books later I couldn’t remember any details and in some cases forgot the stories completely. I actually like long novels because I get to know the characters and remember details much longer. I read The Count of Monte Cristo this year and am shocked at how much I still remember, because the book was longer. I made a decision earlier in the year to lower my reading goal on Goodreads and enjoy the books as I was reading them. I just finished Villette and loved it - Gorgeous writing, but the whole book feels like you are meandering around the main character, Lucy Snowe’s, life and thoughts. I would NOT have enjoyed it if I read it with the intention of just finding out what happens. Really appreciate your video and thoughts on this!

@tristanandtheclassics6538

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing this experience, Tuesday. You defined so well the pressure that we seem to put upon ourselves. More, more, more, is too often the motto we live by. When, in fact, it should be, Slower, Better, Happier. This media doesn't help either. We instinctively compare ourselves with others and become disgruntled with our own efforts. But once contentment is found, the rewards are so much the better.

Never mind being a slow reader…It all seems so overwhelming, sooo many good books to read, but where to start…that kind of sums up my dilemma. I have just discovered your channel. You are a marvel to listen to and watch!!! But while I am doing that, I am certainly NOT reading a book. 😄

This was immensely helpful to me. While I don’t consider myself a slow reader, I am guilty of being impatient as I feel I have a great deal of “catching up” to do. I didn’t read as much in my younger years. Now that I’m in my 50s, I’ve realized all I’ve missed out on. This video has highlighted I can’t make it all up in a short time and must enjoy the journey…starting now.

Tristanandtheclassics, I must have read this and copied it on the front page of The Count of Monte Christo a few years ago. It is from Samuel Johnson's Miscellaneous Essays, but I believe it is appropriate for slow readers: " The true art of memory is the art of attention . No man will read with much advantage, who is not able, at pleasure, to evacuate his mind, or who brings not to his author an intellect defecated and pure, neither turbid with care not agitated by pleasure ? If the mind is employed in the past or future, the book will held before the eyes in vain ". This is so true for those who try to hurry their reading, too. Anxiety to finish a book to get to the next one (eg: a TBR list) will not remember much of what he has read !

It‘s funny you call this a video for slow readers, because I am a very fast reader and this video is as made for me personally. For I am a reader that is full of impatience because I’m so eager to read as many books as possible fearing I could miss one. So many books for such a short time of live, that‘s my device. And you are so absolutely right. I cannot immerse too deep in a story if I just haste through. So I will try to slow down, and today I bought a wonderful pocketbook for quotations as you advised it in your other video. I am so thankful that KZread suggested your channel. It‘s a great treasure and I love how you burn for the literature. Please excuse my English, I didn‘t use it for years. Many, many thanks and greetings from Germany. Have a wonderful year with breathtaking lecture and I‘m looking forward to your next videos.

I am so happy I have found your videos. This year I am getting into the classics for the first time. (By the way I am 76). I love your enthusiasm and in describing how to read by savouring the story, experiencing everything rather than reading it to say you have read it. Thank you for your videos I am loving and learning from all of them.

I can read quickly, but I find the classics take more time. It took me almost two months to read Middlemarch. It was so worth it!! ❤📚 Just chose my next book. Ten pages a night. Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens. 😊 Thank you for this video!

Usually, I try as hard as I can read slower when I see that only half of the book left. It is strange to me wanting to leave in a hurry those wonderful worlds of imagination.

11:00 I misheard at first, thought they said "you cannot see a picture in just a few *nights*" and was very taken aback by their monastic patience.

When I read I hear all the words in my head, in real time. In other words, reading is primarily an *auditory* experience for me. That’s why I read so slow.

@tristanandtheclassics6538

Жыл бұрын

I hear when I read, too, Kevin. I can read faster and ot hear as much, but I prefer to hear the narrator and characters.

I use a similar method to 'live' with my long book characters and rejoining them every day while running on treadmill or walking outdoors. However, I have to love the voice of my audio book reader that can add so much to the experience. I recently 'have been' (in my mind) on an island while savouring the story told with an Irish accent. The book was The Colony by Audrey Magee. Wow what a delight it was😊. I just finished listening to the Duke's Children by Anthony Trollope. It took me lots of miles to run... but I did not feel I was in a hurry 😊. Enjoyed every word if it. Thanks for your great video.❤

Thank you so much!! I am reading and studying the Bible, and this video is the best for Bible reading!! I wish I learned this sooner! Thank you for taking the time to educate us!!

This was a wonderful video, Tristan. I’m a slow, but greedy, reader. My slow reading pace has never bothered me - in fact I’m not even really aware of it. However, since signing up to Goodreads, I’ve found myself constantly checking page numbers. - what page I’m on, and how many I’ve got left. It’s a really annoying and counterproductive habit, one I’m doing my best to break. I’m currently reading Pickwick, Edwin Drood, and at bedtime, Swann’s Way, which I’m reading at around 4 pages a night, because it’s so rich. Why would anyone want to gallop through Dickens or Proust?! Thank you for the tips, you have a beautiful way of putting things. I particularly love the sightseeing analogy! (And now I want a chocolate…)

@tristanandtheclassics6538

Жыл бұрын

Thank you, Chrissy. It's wonderful that you are a contented reader. It adorns the reading experience so well. As for Goodreads and the like, I know what you mean. For some reason, these platforms (and I include youtube, for me) can make reading become a competition, or at least a comparative exercise. Keep wandering among the pages of your books, Chrissy. I'd rather live in the shadow of one wonder for months than have just 30 seconds in front of 100 wonders.

@Sarah.reads.sometimes

Жыл бұрын

I’ve found that the Reading Challenge for Goodreads can be really intimidating & I end up read in g to fulfill that number. I haven’t really made a reading goal the last few years because I never met it & got in a big reading slump lol

Throughout my life, I've generally been what might be described as results- rather than process-orientated. I also used to love reading but find I'm having difficulty getting back into the habit, and your advice has made me realise that perhaps the two are probably linked, as I find myself keen to complete books quickly while feeling I'm not paying my dues to the authors' efforts. I shall now be content to take my time in savouring the nuances of my accumulated novels without falling the dreaded 'page-counting' trap. Many thanks!

I'm a slow-reader, yet I don't let that hinder my reading aspirations. I read War and Peace, I read Middlemarch. I'm currently reading Infinite Jest (and loving it). I don't have the attention span to sit and read for hours, so, as with Middlemarch, since it was serialized, I read 2 pages a day and took 170 pages of notes. With War and Peace I read about 25 pages a day. I figured, to read Infinite Jest in 1 year, I will read 6 pages a day. I don't trouble myself with needing to read a pile of books every year. I just enjoy what I'm reading. If I get antsy, I put the book down. I also read 3 to 5 books at a time. It takes me longer than most people, but I'm not racing. Reading several books at one time is like watching different TV shows in the same day.

I've actually taken this same principle and applied it to my game of choice, World of Warcraft. I've been playing it for thirteen years now and I realized I never once stopped to read the quests. So I made a new character, froze their experience so I don't level up past things and I'm reading/doing every single thing. It's been an amazing experience thus far. I'm starting to do the same to the books I read. Thank you for this video! I feel justified now lol

What a great video, and extremely timely for me. Over the last few months I had realized that I have allowed social media and apps like Goodreads which both quantify and dictate the "it" books to read to impact me negatively, and made me perceive that I was an "inadequate" reader. Ironically enough, I had always been a prolific, diverse reader but that feeling of not reading "fast" enough had made reading less pleasurable lately, than it had been for decades of my life. This video reinforces what I have reminded myself of over the last few months : reading is the journey not the destination.

@tristanandtheclassics6538

Жыл бұрын

Beautifully expressed, Eva! Reading should always be personal, enjoyable, and enriching. None of these things are related to speed or quantity. That there are particular books which have endured and appealed to multitudes is a good indicator of what may be worthy of reading. On the other hand, it is often well to follow one's instincts and take the road less travelled. Thank you for sharing your comment, Eva, it is very valuable. 😀

Thank you for expressing what I've always felt about reading classic literature. 👍👍👍 I've always felt that it is more important to understand and feel what the writer is expressing rather than just get through the book. If a writer took the time to produce a brilliant work, we should take the time to read it and get the full effect of that brilliance.

Thank you so much!!! I have ADHD, and since I became an adult with responsibilities, I no liberty can finish a book. I get exceptionally bored, something I didn't get while younger and had all the time to do whatever I wanted...

Be a citizen of a book's pages - I love that concept.

I absolutely love this advice! It's kickstarted a wonderful reading habit when I watched it earlier this year. I'm a notoriously slow reader and massive annotator, and get a bit dismayed, since there are so many books I want to read before I die. Everything you said on this was so true! It was a beautiful moment to have a visual - a stack of books we could read if only we'd dedicate the time to read 10 pages per day. Something wonderful just clicked, and gave me hope! I started with 20 pages and finished Wolf Hall that way, and just loved it. I also realized with the book I'm reading now "All the Light We Cannot See," I can adjust that to 40-50 pages, due to all the blank space and less dense material. I don't know if I'll regret this later, but I also decided to not color code what I highlight, as changing the pens slows me down as well. :). So, now the question is when you develop a reading habit again, how do you stop & do the mundane chores and not simply get lost in that other world?

I tried this with a 800 page book. It was NOS4A2 by Joe Hill This is a book I wanted to read. The dissatisfaction and impatience really applies to me. So this method really works for me. 1. I will not look at the page count If I dont know how many pages it is i wont get impatient. 2. I will read in 15-20 minute intervals.yes mostly before bed and when i get up in the morning. I will focus on the content not what page im on. Therefore you can be on page 250 and not even realize it.

This video is so amazing and inspiring!😅👏. You're so right. This is exactly my problem. I am so impatient!! You deserve so much more recognition. Love your content. You're incredible!👏 🎉😊

I no longer feel stupid for being a slow reader. I have the advantage of seeing the book in my mind.

You described me to a tee!! That’s exactly what I did with Lord of the Rings!!

@tristanandtheclassics6538

2 ай бұрын

😅 I think we are all guilty. 😀❤️

Tristan, you've just solved the riddle of my reading problems. Thank you!

@tristanandtheclassics6538

3 ай бұрын

So pleased you found it helpful 😀

Thanks for posting. I’m a painfully slow reader. However, one advantage I find is that during a slow read, the book becomes part of my life. I’m currently doing a slow re read of Great Expectations I now notice various aspects of the characters I hadn’t seen before. So for me, slow reading has huge benefits

There's wine tasting and then there's... savoring every drop of a wonderful glass of wine.

@tristanandtheclassics6538

7 ай бұрын

Amen!

I’m dating myself but in my youth I took the Evelyn Wood Reading Dynamics course and trained myself to read 2,000 words a minute and read profusely. Then I read Stegner’s “Angle of Repose” and now I read less than 200 words a minute. His writing was so poetic that I savored EVERY word and I’m perfectly content at that speed. PS. I discovered you yesterday and I’m hooked. Thank you.

I read slowly - as in, a friend reading over my shoulder will always get to the bottom of the page way before I do. However my husband is always amazed how quickly I gallop through a book, especially if it's one I'm enjoying.

@yvonnehayton6753

2 ай бұрын

And I've read three of those books and loved them.

I'm definitely a slow reader. I read for 15 to 30 minutes a day sometimes an hour in the morning. I tend to lose focus if i read for longer. I can't read at night I'm too tired and can't focus. It takes as long as it takes. It took me about 3 months to read the woman in white.

Maybe I could dig out my highschool copy of The Count of Monte Cristo. I've been wanting to reread that. Thank you for the insights. As I've gotten older my impatience with reading slowly has grown.

Dyslexic and slow reader here, there are some great tips I will definitely be using to help me. I have been wanting to read Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov, and was dismissive due to the size of the book. Thank you for a great video, and for your advice on being a better reader!!

This came up for me on the algorithm, and honestly its the best reading video I've seen on YT...great advice.

Impatience and Dissatisfaction, Emily Austen’s greatest work.

@ryanand154

4 ай бұрын

Jerome and the Water Cooler by Gabriel Kay Garcia Marquis is worth checking out.

Great video! Two months ago, I started reading Great Expectations (I am not a native English reader) and then I had a lot on my plate and couldn´t go on at my usual reading speed but now I´ve returned to the book. I felt a bit guilty but I can´t and won´t finish it faster than usual. I like the novel a lot, only two fragment where difficult because of a lack of background knowledge.

@tristanandtheclassics6538

Жыл бұрын

Brilliant, Sabine! Well done for not hurrying to finish. Dickens is especially worth taking time over. Learn to love his characters. Pay attention to their little habits of speech or behaviour, like Wemmick and his almost deaf father, living in their house, which they've tried to make look like a castle. Spend time in the dining room at Miss Havisham's, where the wedding cake and spiders are. It's a splendid world which should be enjoyed.

@sabinelipinska8614

Жыл бұрын

@@tristanandtheclassics6538 Thank you Tristan. I actually do like the Aged Parent a lot, and Wemmick of course. So delightful. Looking forward to your next video!

This is exactly what I needed to hear as a slow reader. Onward and upward to proceeding through my book collection!

You’re right! I never realized it but you’re so right: I skip, I check how much is still left, I re-read - that’s because I’m impatient

Very inspirational and motivating for a slow and frustrated reader such as myself. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is midway between my office and home. After work, I would spend an hour in a single room quietly studying each of the paintings; a different room each day. Your video inspires me to apply the same practice to my readings.

@tristanandtheclassics6538

Жыл бұрын

This is good news indeed, Anders. So pleased that thus resonated with you. Much of the time, we are frustrated because we feel that we should be somewhere other than where we currently are. Nearly always, those expectations are false. Funnily enough, the book Great Expectations has this as a constant idea. Love that you spend such thoughtful time in the Museum. You have a mind that yearns to appreciate and wonder. What a golden gift!!!

Thank you for talking about the nuances of the reading process because in my experience people on booktube ever too often give the impression that reading is about finishing as many books as possible in a year. Or you get tips on how to read more books and speed up your reading. I just stopped the video to write a comment as you mention that as a „slower“ reader you manage to read 50 pages in half an hour. I am currently reading „Great Expectations“ and I manage to read about 30 pages in half an hour and I have a feeling of a good reading flow. I guess there is more to the reading pace than just being either a fast or a slow reader. I think it depends on the style of writing as well as on the reading process and even on which part of the novel you‘re currently at. Sometimes there are passages of a story that grab my interest e.g. when a mystery is about to be revealed and I can’t wait how the story continues. Then my focus is much more invested in the story and I can read for a while without being distracted. And my reading is also taking up speed. But in the same novel there might be passages that feel a bit long and tiresome and you kind of lose your reading flow or your mind starts to wander off and you have to reread passages. This might slow you down and you might think about how much novel there is still in front of you which is also okay. I mean I cannot force myself to enjoy every part of a story. I had this a lot while reading The Lord of the Rings when Frodo and the crew wandered around and you felt their exhaustion which also affected me as a reader. There were no shortcuts for Frodo and neither for me. But in the end I still enjoyed it very much even the passages where not a lot was going on. Sometimes these passages can help you to get to know the characters and to see them from a different angle. You are kind of forced to endure the hardships before you can appreciate the highs on another level. As long as you are aware of these ups and downs you can at least in hindsight enjoy the whole journey of reading and you can keep your motivation a bit longer and manage to get through the hard parts.

All this talk about those guys sitting in the gallery, taking time to look at a painting a d about how people should take time reading books and fully immersing themselves. I'm getting flashbacks and they,re nothing to do with reading or visiting art galleries. I do a lot of painting and have been getting into portrait painting lately. And there came a point at which something weird happened and I realised I was becoming a better portrait artist. What happened was that I realised that when I got to the end of a portrait I was feeling that I knew the subject better, even when painting from a photo. And it was all to do with taking my time and properly observing everything rather than seeing the painting as a task to be ticked off. Just like reading a book to enjoy it and not just to tick it off!

@tristanandtheclassics6538

2 ай бұрын

I absolutely love this. Thank you so much.🙌🙏

I’m not a slow reader but this will help not rush through books. Although once I know how the book ends I read it again. I can get discouraged by all the Russian names or when reading Dumas by the French words and places I don't know. Dumas has a tendency to go off on tangents like why Paris is the center of the universe. that can be so frustrating.

@tristanandtheclassics6538

5 ай бұрын

I agree that the amount of Russian names makes it difficult to keep track of who is who. Especially as each character can have three different names. I have frequently found myself scratching my head wondering which character is supposed to be speaking. 😀 What you say about Dumas is so funny. Paris as the centre of the universe! I know what you mean 😅

Tristan, you have made me feel so much better. I have started reading again and enjoying it. Peter

@tristanandtheclassics6538

Жыл бұрын

Thank you, Peter. You have no idea how rewarding it is for me to receive a comment like this. I appreciate it greatly.

This is just what I needed. This is something everyone should live bye. Thank you for sharing this.