Virginia Woolf thoroughly explains “How One Should Read A Book,” in an almost poetic fashion. Her love for reading and literature itself bleeds through the sentences. Her passion is admirable, and I find myself relating to her with my own fascination of reading and writing. She analyzes every part of the process when it comes to immersing oneself completely within a book. Only people who truly enjoy reading would understand this quote, where she describes how a book finally comes together after finishing it, but days later.
“Wait for the dust of reading to settle; for the conflict and the questioning to die down; walk, talk, pull the dead petals from a rose, or fall asleep. Then suddenly without our willing it, for it is thus that Nature undertakes these transitions, the book will return, but differently” (Woolf 9).
This quote touched me, because she was able to embody everything that I feel after reading an amazing novel.
When you have a book that you haven’t been able to put down in days and you finally finish reading that last page, and you feel a wave of emotions – “the dust.” You feel accomplished that you’ve finished, empty because it’s over and in awe because of how great it was. Once that “settles,” you’re able to interpret every bit of the story until it all makes sense and it comes together.
After finishing a book that I had absolutely loved reading and had somewhat taken over my life for a few days, I always seem to ask myself “What do I do now?” Virginia Woolf answered that – start reading another book, and then another.
Each book has something different to offer and it’s all about how you read it, Woolf was able to explain that in the most enticing way possible.
Korinn, good post! Can you think of an example of your more fully understanding a book when the dust is settling?
ReplyDeleteI thought your analysis of this essay was awesome and I thought that you picked a really great quote. What do you think it is about a great book that makes a person feel empty when it's over?
ReplyDeleteI was specifically thinking about the Harry Potter series when I was writing this. I started reading Harry Potter when I was in the 2nd grade and as Harry grew, I grew. I've read all of the installments at least twice. When the last book finally came out, I was a teenager and I when I finished reading it I felt as if I had a better understanding and appreciation for the series as a whole. I also felt this intense emptiness, and I really didn't know what I was going to do now that Harry had grown up and there was nothing else to look forward to within the series. I think many people feel this way about Harry Potter which is odd yet very comforting nonetheless, I'm not alone :)
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