How long do you read? Please answer so I can improve my skills.

[ihavebrownhaira]

Hi my name is Matt. I began to read heavily when I was 16. I am now 18. The one thing I regret most about my childhood is not reading enough. A lot of the classic literature I do not understand. Like Faulkner and Shakespeare and some Tolstoy. Guys like that confuse me. I enjoy Mark Twain at times and Hemingway at times. I love Bukowski. I enjoy Steinbeck and Vonnegut. But I was wondering how long do you hold on while you read? I try to read for an hour or two. I try not to read for more than two hours straight because it hurts my eyes. In my opinion reading for an hour or two is impressive. I read on average 3 hours a day. I was just wondering how long some of you experts read? I've read some of your post and a few of you I believe are idiots and you try to sound fancy by using long complex sentences. Its silly. reminds me of a woman in my psychology class, but if you can understand the great novelist of the past I'm sure your doing something right, but anyway. I am rambling.

[Delta40]

When you say impressive, what exactly do you mean? Be specific about what you hope to achieve from your thread, especially given that some of us are idiots.

[ihavebrownhaira]

Considering the average American reads about .25 books a year and considering that I work a job and go to college full time I believe reading a few hours a day is impressive. I would just like to see how long other people on this forum read a day. not to put myself down or bring myself up. I am simply interested.

I would like to achieve immortality from this thread. No. I simply want to see how long you guys read at a time. How long does it take for you to sink in and swim around in the book. Sometimes I swim and I drown and I never come out. That's when I usually give up on a book.

[Delta40]

LOL. I am going to disappoint you brownhair. I read for approx hours at a time but it is on screen and a requirement of my job. I read on material on this site as a distraction and dabble in books as I lay in bed, which puts me to sleep within minutes. I tend to read on weekends sporadically. I am immoral but not immortal.

Good luck!

[Shea]

Before my life filled up with work, marriage, and now a son, I use to read all the time. When I had a free day, I would sit in my favorite chair with a stack of about 5 or 6 books on one side of me. I'd read a chapter, and put it down, read a chapter of the next book, then put it down. Read a chapter of the next... and so on. I would (and still could if I had the opportunity) do this all day long, stopping only for meals. Now, I'm lucky if I get in an hour. Even visiting this site is rare for me anymore.

I have yet to read Tolstoy, but I have trouble with Faulkner and some Shakespeare too and find that it helps to use a guide. I love my Bevington edition of Shakespeare! I have a Bacchelor degree in English Lit and taught high school English till I burned out (which was unfortunately very fast). If you're enjoying Twain, Vonnegut, Hemmingway, and Stienbeck, then you're doing better than 95% of the students that I taught.

Twain is fun. I need to read more Twain...

[weltanschauung]

i didnt know reading was an olympic sport

[subterranean]

How do you relate the two

longer hours of reading=improved reading skill??

[bazarov]

Considering the average American reads about .25 books a year and considering that I work a job and go to college full time I believe reading a few hours a day is impressive. I would just like to see how long other people on this forum read a day. not to put myself down or bring myself up. I am simply interested.

Average American reads 25 books per year? Where did you find that?
You lost your childhood; that was time when I had time to read 5 hours a day. Now I am happy with 1.

[subterranean]

You lost your childhood; that was time when I had time to read 5 hours a day. Now I am happy with 1.

I'm sure that 1 does not include 'reading' Litnet .

[bazarov]

I'm sure that 1 does not include 'reading' Litnet .

No. That's exchanging of opinion.

[ihavebrownhaira]

Hey guys. This forum is great. I'm serious. Its fun talking with bookworms like myself. Thank you for the information you are providing me.

Shea I am actually interested in becoming a high school English teacher. I've gotten on very well with my teachers in the past. Maybe you can offer me some advice. How tough is it earning your bachelors in lit?


I relate how much a person reads to their skill in reading because in my opinion practice makes perfect. And it is like a sport or a game in my opinion. Whats the line the Beatles sang, " The love you give is equal to the love you make." I forgot. Oh well. Its 7 am I have to go to school. I am hunched over and there is a toothbrush in my mouth. Toothpaste is literally slopping all over my face because I was trying to kill two birds with one stone.

Keep posting guys!

[ihavebrownhaira]

Oh I would like to add. Shea, I believe every human being should be required to read The Mysterious Stranger. I believe in order to live on this planet one should be required to read that novel. It is absolutely amazing! Blows my mind!

[Natasha]

helo mi a new frn

[Natasha]

hello am natasha i study litterature and want to learn more wih u guys

[Mag Master 21]

It depends on the book... Some I can't read more than an hour before falling asleep, while others will keep me up all night no matter how late it gets. I've gone from 10 minutes to 10 hours reading. I guess it really depends.

The reason you may enjoy Steinbeck and Hemingway (they are my favorites as well), is because they don't use pretentious sentences (as you described) that other authors seem to over indulge in. If that's the case, avoid Joyce like the plague.

If you really want to be blown away, check out the Russians... as many others on this board will soon suggest. I read Notes from the Underground and immediately purchased 16 other Russian lit. books the next day.