“Good Readers and Good Writers” is Vladimir Nabokov’s depiction of the truly gifted reader and writer, and what characteristics they possess that earn them that title. Nabokov suggests that in order to be considered a truly gifted reader you must have the ability to step outside of yourself, and your preconceived ideas about the world, and enter into the world that the author has created for you. Authors are artists akin to potters and painters, except, for the fact that the art that they create cannot be seen. Instead, the art of the author is experienced through the reader’s imagination. Therefore, Nabokov believes it is important that the reader has a truly unbiased imagination not drawing from past experiences of their own. Nabokov also states that a good reader pays attention to details and understands that all books are individual creations and generalizing would be unfair to the author. I believe that a good reader is someone who truly appreciates the work of the author. Although, I have never given much thought to the feelings of an author, I do believe that Nabokov is correct to an extent. I agree that a good reader dives into the world that the author has created. I also agree that a good reader pays attention to details and the underlying story between the lines of the text. However, I believe that as human beings our past experiences shape the person we are. When listening to music or taking in a work of art each person sees or hears something different depending on their own personal experiences. To somehow separate our imagination from who we are as a person is impossible. I believe that by publishing a book, the author does so knowing that it is going to be interpreted in many different ways. An authentic good reader is not unattached and aloof like Nabokov suggests. A genuine good reader becomes attached to the point of living the story with the characters. I can trace my love of reading back to my earliest memories of going to the library with my mom. I love to read, and it is my experience that to be good at something you must love it. When I am reading I take my time, get to know the characters and live the events along with them. I believe that total immersion into a body of text is the job of the reader and my ability to do so makes me a good reader. For more information on the life and works of Vladmir Nabokov click
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