How Not to Read a Book

I love reading books, and I love analysing them too. When I was young, I used to skip the most boring chapters, even if the story was interesting to me. However, when I started studying the humanities, I had to read even the most boring parts of the story, right to the end, and figure out how the story was put together. This made me realise something, many readers who skip chapters and pages don't realise, that is, if you don't read the whole of the chapters before moving on to the next, you miss the storyline in the book. This is because each chapter links to the next in order to create the story in the first place.

When I read a book, whether its an interesting ficton, non-fiction, sci-fi, poetry, or any type of creative work. I like to analyse it. This means, I break it down bit by bit in order to see how it fits together, work out the characters roles and personalities, and the plots in the books I read. I analyse the characters dialogue, because often, you can work out who they are and figure out who the main characters are within the story. I can often feel the characters emotions, and that helps me relate to them, and work out whether I agree or disagree with them. When reading a book in this way, it makes you want to turn the page and read what happens next. However, because certain events often link to the next, when you skim pages, you lose engagement in the story, because you lose the plot.

There are many chapters that can bore readers within even the most interesting of books. Each chapter of the book, creates the story itself, and each chapter moves from one set of events to the next. I think that it is important not to skip these boring parts, because often you pick up closely on the characters thoughts and feelings, and that can help you to decide whether the character is the main villian or whether this is a character you should stand by. Often, authors who write books, write chapters that soley focus on one character in some parts of the story. When they do this, they create a diversion from the other characters, which enables readers to pick up on whether they are sad, angry, puzzled or even disgusted with another. Readers can often pick up on these emotions, and it is often a way of helping readers to stay absorbed and engaged, so that they can decide whose side they are on.

Have you ever read a mystery, detective or adventure novel? If so, you find that there is nearly always a 'who done it?' plot. This keeps a reader engaged, even with the most boring chapters. When a story is written in this way, the suspense is always hidden, and doesn't come out until the end of the book. The idea is to keep the reader thrilled and questioning. I often find myself asking questions about the suspect and shaking my head at the most puzzling parts of novels like these. If I skip chapters in a book like these, I miss the plot and I can not fully engage with the story, which means when I pick up the book again, the story becomes boring and I disengage with it. This often happens, for example, if I suddenly stop reading the book for days, go back to it, and skim the chapters I do not like. It breaks the chain that keeps me 'tied' within the book, and breaks the relationship with the characters, which then puts me off reading it.

Of course, you can't do this with books such as 'how to' books, because they are instructional, and they are designed for readers to flick through and read the instructional parts that are relevant. However, when you skim a novel or a short story, you miss out on relevant information, designed to keep the reader informed and engaged. Reading stories without skimming and missing chapters, makes the story more enjoyable, because it keeps the storyline and plot together in the readers' mind, and keeps you thinking. Reading in this way, will enable you to enjoy the story, right to the end of the book. There is no better feeling, than knowing you have read a story right to the end, especially if you were enjoying it in the first place. It can leave a great feeling of satisfaction and joy, when you finish a book without skipping chapters, and you may even find that you want to read that book again.

I have many books on my bookshelf, some of which I have read a dozen times over, right to the end. My urge to do this, comes from the fact, I know what to expect from the story and I can relate to the characters and follow the plots in all of them. I never get bored with a good book, and I never miss a chapter. Resisting the urge to skip a chapter in a book, can raise your curiosity about what will happen next, however, if you skip a chapter, it can lower that curiosity and the story becomes boring. So, next time you pick up a book, try to read the whole story and see if you can piece it together.