On Essays, Slowing Down, and Reading Purposefully...Part Deux

Last week I talked about a trend in the book blogging world I've noticed where book reviews have been largely replaced by book synopses. I don't believe this is by nefarious design but rather the result of the ridiculous pace that being set by book bloggers in order to keep up with the latest and greatest book releases. The push to read more, to read faster, to keep pumping out the reviews has resulted in a plethora of book review sites whose deepest review of a book might be the words "lyrical prose." Aside from that, what we find is simply a regurgitation of a plot synopsis and star rating. 

We no longer find thoughtful, educated reviews because we are no longer reading books purposefully. And who has the time? With anywhere between ten to twenty reviews scheduled in a given month, the average book blogger simply does not have the time to read any book in a meaningful manner. To simply read the book itself cover to cover is an accomplishment in and of itself. Few, if any, have the time then to re-read the book, dissecting the text structurally to find the deeper meaning and reinforcement of themes. Not only are we depriving ourselves of a greater understanding and enjoyment of literature but if we're not understanding it, how can we properly review it?

I spent a few hours this afternoon reading a random two dozen review of Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch. I wasn't looking for professional reviews, but instead focused on the book blogging world, searching for a review that explored image, symbol, archetype. I looked for any discussion about the principle of selection when discussion Tartt's plotting. I looked for any possible hint of a specific (or hell, even general) literary criticism applied to a review: feminist? contemporary? structuralist? Nothing. Most gushed over the story, although they felt it a tad over-long. A few talked about some themes. But if you read some of the professional reviews of the novel, ones that deconstruct the story, you'll find a different opinion than the book blogging world expressed. Interesting, no? I myself only gave the Pulitzer-winning tome a single read and found myself immediately - out of habit - a "review" on the keyboard. I had written approximately two paragraphs before I realized this was no more than plot regurgitation, poorly done at that, before CTRL A, DEL saved each and every one of you from reading that particular hell. Tartt may have written a self-indulgent, Dickensian knock-off that snookered the Pulitzer panel, but surely she deserves better than a plot synopsis and a three-star rating here (spoiler). If I'm going to pan The Goldfinch, I could at least do it properly. What I am suggesting here isn't a unique idea:

"While reading skills are taught and trained, there is occasionally a misconception that understanding of texts, whether oral, written, visual or multimodal, comes naturally and does not need further attention. […] Literature uses language to communicate, and language consists of conventional semiotic signs, based on an agreement between the bearers of a particular language and culture. For anyone outside the given community, conventional signs do not carry any meaning, or at best the meaning is ambivalent. As a consequence, before we can understand a work of literature, we need to be trained in a number of conventions. On the most basic level, we must know how to read, how to make sense of letters, words and sentences - what is normally referred to as literacy. Fiction is, however, more complex than, for instance, everyday language, since it also involves figurative speech and other features and artistic devices which need special knowledge to be understood. […] the language of fiction - in a broad sense, including many layers of artistic conventions - demands a knowledge of and training in certain codes."

— "Literacy, competence and meaning-making: a human sciences approach" (June 2010, Cambridge Journal of Education), Maria Nikolajeva.

Before someone pulls out the old Book Snob card, let's talk about this for a moment. Clearly, not every book is intended to be analyzed under a literary microscope. To deconstruct a JoJo Moyes novel, for example, would be an exercise in futility. Many genre novels are simply meant to be read through quickly and enjoyed. This is why they are called genre novels. It's important to know the difference. To treat literature as a genre novel is to miss out on something greater. And this is where the disconnect lies.

We read so many of these genre novels - so quickly, rush rush rush, get those reviews out, hurry! - that when a novel of important literature is placed before us we frequently don't know how to read it purposefully. This is important. I'll say it again. We don't know how to read it purposefully. Many of us perhaps have forgotten from our long-ago university English classes. Many of us never learned to begin with. So what do we do when this very well-written piece of literature comes before us? We write the same synopsis-type blog entry as we would for any other piece of genre fiction and blow right on to the next book. And this is a disservice this is both to ourselves and our readers. 

I'm not suggesting the book blogging world begin writing 5,000 word reviews of classic Russian literature (although if anyone would, I'd subscribe to your blog immediately and hit the LIKE button so hard the key would break off my laptop). But I do return to the concept of learning to slow down and read purposefully every once in a while. Essays are one way of doing this. Short stories are another. Educating yourself on the literary theory should be far and above more important to the book blogger than how to promote your blog via social media. There are dozens of university websites that offer online resources free for the taking. Apply what you learn to short stories or the latest literary fiction that arrives on your doorstep. Take the time to create a real book review. Your readers will thank you. More readers will flock to your website. I will run to your website. 

Most of all, slow down. Read purposefully. Even if you never craft a book review based on that reading. Do it for your own love of books.