What We See When We Read by Peter Mendelsund
What We See When We Read
Author: Peter Mendelsund
Genre: Nonfiction
Publish Date: August 2014
Read: December 2024
Favorite Quote: When we read, we take in whole eyefuls of words. We gulp them like water.
Synopsis: What actually happens when we read? How often to authors describe - to the letter - what a character or location looks like? Or, do we fill in gaps with our own experiences? Peter Mendelsund set out to help readers understand.
Did Tolstoy describe how Anna Karenina looked or how she moved and behaved? Did Melville describe Ishmael or do we project our own image on this character? Our minds and experiences interpret and imagine what we read differently, so we can easily get into passionate arguments about our favorite books and characters.
Why does this book beguile? I love learning about reading, so I was delighted to find a book that talks about the experience. What I loved about Mendelsund’s take is how he doesn’t seek to prove anything. He asks readers questions to make us think and reflect. What We See When We Read is a delightful book for to read for readers!
Rating: 4/5