Reading

Just as a matter of interest, how many here read their first editions,
instead of freezing them on a shelf in plastic? Dunning's Janeway buys two
copies of his best books - one to read, one to save. Anyone go that far?

My own habit is to carefully read. The dustjacket is removed and stored,
replaced by a throw away Mylar cover. A bookmark is used, and the book read
carefully, without breaking the spine - but it is read.

And, by chance, has anyone else read the psychologist's view of pleasure
reading, "Lost in a Book"?? A trance like state wherein the reader does
indeed get lost...

Willow

On Mon, 17 Apr 2006 17:21:30 GMT, "Pangarune Corner"
wrote:

Just as a matter of interest, how many here read their first editions,
instead of freezing them on a shelf in plastic? Dunning's Janeway buys two
copies of his best books - one to read, one to save. Anyone go that far?

I have multiple copies of some books, but not many - shelf space is at
a premium. But I read my fine/fine firsts, just do so with clean
hands and with the room clear of pizza. If I have a ratty old
paperback, now, I'll read that first, but I don't have any problem
with eye-tracks on a first.

And Dunning's Janeway is a silly, silly fictional character.

Pangarune Corner wrote:

Just as a matter of interest, how many here read their first editions,
instead of freezing them on a shelf in plastic? Dunning's Janeway buys two
copies of his best books - one to read, one to save. Anyone go that far?

My own habit is to carefully read. The dustjacket is removed and stored,
replaced by a throw away Mylar cover. A bookmark is used, and the book read
carefully, without breaking the spine - but it is read.

And, by chance, has anyone else read the psychologist's view of pleasure
reading, "Lost in a Book"?? A trance like state wherein the reader does
indeed get lost...

Willow



Hi Willow,

You go beyond what I do. I read the first if it is the only copy I have. On
the other hand, if I have a paperback or later printing, that is the one that
gets read, and certainly, if my wife wants to read it, she gets the later
printing if there is one. If I only have a first printing, it does not leave
the house. I do not substitute a mylar cover for the dust jacket. But I do
wash my hands before reading. (I have it when you can see dirt or sweat marks
on a book from a previous reader.) I use one of many bookmarks and the book is
never opened beyond about 135 degrees.


Francis A. Miniter

Admittedly, if I run across a paperback or book club copy before I have read
the book, and that does happen a lot it seems, that will be the one for
reading. And if my partner wants to read the same book, I might even go out
and look for a copy!

Sonia has different taste, as a rule. She developed a passion for Gary
Jennings, then followed that up by Daniel Peters. Jennings is long dead,
but Peters I tracked down and got her copies of his five books signed when
Sonia was away for a trip - that was her "Welcome Home" present! I think
she now has most of Pearl S. Buck and several of the new Chinese writers in
translation.

Willow



"Francis A. Miniter" wrote in message
news:44444be5@kcnews01...
Pangarune Corner wrote:

Just as a matter of interest, how many here read their first editions,
instead of freezing them on a shelf in plastic? Dunning's Janeway buys
two copies of his best books - one to read, one to save. Anyone go that
far?

My own habit is to carefully read. The dustjacket is removed and stored,
replaced by a throw away Mylar cover. A bookmark is used, and the book
read carefully, without breaking the spine - but it is read.

And, by chance, has anyone else read the psychologist's view of pleasure
reading, "Lost in a Book"?? A trance like state wherein the reader does
indeed get lost...

Willow



Hi Willow,

You go beyond what I do. I read the first if it is the only copy I have.
On the other hand, if I have a paperback or later printing, that is the
one that gets read, and certainly, if my wife wants to read it, she gets
the later printing if there is one. If I only have a first printing, it
does not leave the house. I do not substitute a mylar cover for the dust
jacket. But I do wash my hands before reading. (I have it when you can
see dirt or sweat marks on a book from a previous reader.) I use one of
many bookmarks and the book is never opened beyond about 135 degrees.


Francis A. Miniter

on Mon, 17 Apr 2006 17:21:30 GMT, Pangarune Corner stated:

[...]
And, by chance, has anyone else read the psychologist's view of pleasure
reading, "Lost in a Book"?? A trance like state wherein the reader does
indeed get lost...

I haven't read that book, but figured that most reading is like
that. As far as fiction goes (especially the unmitigated trashy
fiction that I read) the whole point is to get lost in it. Trash
fiction is just about the only thing that shuts up all of those
annoying nagging voices, guilt trips, and general background
stressors that my life is full of (admittedly because I haven't
set things up right, yet). Nonfiction doesn't always do it, but
that may be because the nonfiction I read is highly technical
scientific journal articles.

Does anyone here spend most of their reading time not "lost" in
the work?


(Tangent: I just read a scientific article brought to a class by
one of my students, and it was quite engrossing. Not because of
the subject, though. It turns out (near as I can tell; I'm still
looking into it) that this scientific article is almost certainly
a complete work of fiction. The number of errors I've found is
astonishing, and the faith I have in the rest of it is miniscule,
but I have to say that it has some very funny bits. Like the
part about the body converting calcium in to magnesium. Which
the author refers to (very indirectly) as nuclear fusion. First,
you'd have to have a little nuclear reactor in your body (not
something I'm keen on, myself) to accomplish this; second, it
would have to be nuclear fission, not fusion. So, "non"fiction
can be quite entertaining. Next I think I'll look up the rest of
this guy's work. I need to be 'lost' for a while to get away
from the whine of the incomplete dissertation.)


-Allison


--
..

"Allison Turner-" wrote in message
...
on Mon, 17 Apr 2006 17:21:30 GMT, Pangarune Corner stated:

[...]
And, by chance, has anyone else read the psychologist's view of pleasure
reading, "Lost in a Book"?? A trance like state wherein the reader does
indeed get lost...

I haven't read that book, but figured that most reading is like
that.

It certainly is for me. As a child I remember seeing the Walt Disney
"Alice in Wonderland" cartoon - I've un/sub-consciously avoided ever
seeing it again, on the TV etc. Where Alice walks through a
door into a whole new world. Something like that. To me opening any
book, fiction, non-fiction, photographs, text, whatever is like
opening a door and stepping into another world. Magic.

Not sure this would work with a computer screen. That's another sort
of new world, that's not hidden behind covers waiting to be opened.


michael adams

....





-Allison


--
..

Allison Turner- wrote:
on Mon, 17 Apr 2006 17:21:30 GMT, Pangarune Corner stated:
[...]
And, by chance, has anyone else read the psychologist's view of pleasure
reading, "Lost in a Book"?? A trance like state wherein the reader does
indeed get lost...

I haven't read that book, but figured that most reading is like
that. As far as fiction goes (especially the unmitigated trashy
fiction that I read) the whole point is to get lost in it. Trash
fiction is just about the only thing that shuts up all of those
annoying nagging voices, guilt trips, and general background
stressors that my life is full of (admittedly because I haven't
set things up right, yet). Nonfiction doesn't always do it, but
that may be because the nonfiction I read is highly technical
scientific journal articles.

Does anyone here spend most of their reading time not "lost" in
the work?


(Tangent: I just read a scientific article brought to a class by
one of my students, and it was quite engrossing. Not because of
the subject, though. It turns out (near as I can tell; I'm still
looking into it) that this scientific article is almost certainly
a complete work of fiction. The number of errors I've found is
astonishing, and the faith I have in the rest of it is miniscule,
but I have to say that it has some very funny bits. Like the
part about the body converting calcium in to magnesium. Which
the author refers to (very indirectly) as nuclear fusion. First,
you'd have to have a little nuclear reactor in your body (not
something I'm keen on, myself) to accomplish this; second, it
would have to be nuclear fission, not fusion. So, "non"fiction
can be quite entertaining. Next I think I'll look up the rest of
this guy's work. I need to be 'lost' for a while to get away
from the whine of the incomplete dissertation.)


-Allison


If the book or article is well written, I will become lost in the text.
If it is filled with untraceable subordinate clauses, I become dismayed
and start thinking about every thing else. Even a scientific text
outside of my expertise, will often be entrancing.

The problem with most academic writing is it appears intended to cover
up defective research design or gross blunders in execution. This
results in the panicked paranoid school of obfuscation.

I read my firsts and find very little damage is done, unless the dust
jacket is white and so is the cover.

When the text is meaty, I will get up walk around, think about it and
check something on the Internet. I forget it is a first. Text triumphs
over firstness (back formation), then I buy a new first.