What You Read is What You Get

I can relate to the statement, “What you get out of what you read is determined by how you read.” I always get more out of what I read when I spend quality time with the text. That doesn't always mean that I have to be reading for hours in order to understand something, but that I must dig in to the text in a meaningful way. I have to underline, question, and examine what I'm reading in order to really understand what it is that the author is trying to convey. While I was studying “Active Reading of Literature,” I was reminded of the importance to really have a relationship with what I read. I should pursue the text so that I understand it as well as I possibly can.

I really liked the music analogy from the beginning of the reading. One of my music professors tells us to fall in love with music theory in a literal way. We should spend time with it, stare into it, analyze every aspect of it, and truly find a way to appreciate it. I guess that is how reading good literature should be. Of course, like any relationship, things might not work out and we may not end up liking what we read just as we might not end up loving a current boyfriend or girlfriend, but there are always important lessons learned from digging deep into something. I like the idea that I should have a conversation with what I am reading. The initial conversation is like a “blind date,” the reading said, a getting to know you or first impression stage. If I just sat and stared at my date without asking any questions, what would the point of the date be? Why would I even agree to go on a date in the first place? I think that is how it is with reading. I want to know what an author has to say. There are so many intriguing things that can be found within a work of literature.

It excites me to get to know new cultures and study more and more about them just by reading literature. Since I greatly enjoy traveling and have made it a big part of my life, it always interests me to learn about languages and cultures, and how they affect people. The cultural aspect of reading is quite appealing to me and I look forward to that part of this course.