Thursday Thoughts...

"I don't read a book; I hold a conversation with the author." 

 Elbert Hubbard

I like it when I come across a quote that makes me wonder if I agree with it or not.  Some folk are quite clear in their statements, and I imagine that for them they are true.  I wondered about this one for myself.

Do I really feel as if I am having a conversation?  

I think if I am reading a book with purpose, and it is a literary fiction book it is possible I may be with the asking some questions along the way. I will try to understand what they are doing, and why they have done things and measure their success against a few things. I might wonder about the effects they achieve by some decisions they take around narrative style or punctuation; but I don't actually feel as if they respond.

It is not until I can listen to them being interviewed and hear them actually respond to questions like my own that I feel as if I have gotten to understand them and their intentions better.

I have come to understand that I get a lot more from a book when I listen to the author speak about it as well as read the book itself.

I also get lots out of a book when I chat with others about it. Big Book Club, Maleny 2024.