Book Review: The Art of Reading by Damon Young

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 176 pages

Published: August 10th 2017 by Scribe UK (first published March 28th 2016)

Publisher: Scribe UK

Genre: Nonfiction

Synopsis:

‘What you are doing right now is, cosmically speaking, against the odds.’

As young children, we are taught to read, but soon go on to forget just how miraculous a process it is, this turning of scratches and dots into understanding, unease and inspiration. Perhaps we need to stop and remember, stop and learn again how to read better.

Damon Young shows us how to do exactly this, walking alongside some of the greatest readers who light a path for us — Borges, Plato, Woolf. Young reads passionately, selectively, surprisingly — from superhero noir to speculative realism, from Heidegger to Heinlein — and shows his reader how cultivating their inner critic can expand their own lives as well as the lives of those on the pages of the books they love.

You never really think of reading as a form of art. Yes, it is a learned ability but reading to most is considered to be an afterthought, something that is required of us to do to get through the world. But after reading Damon Young’s The Art of Reading, I have a deeper appreciation of my highly valued skill.

Let me start off by saying that this book is more philosophical than a writer reminiscing on his or her reading experiences. However, he does continuously look back on his reading lifestyle and see how that reflects on what type of reader he has evolved into. While his philosophical experience was eye-opening and an interesting journey, his tendency to pontificate on the issue may cause a reader to trail off and exeperience difficulty absorbing information that he finds that goes way over his head.

Nevertheless, readers of this little cute book should approach Young’s findings with an open mind. He broadens our minds and expands our eyes to new ideas. We, book lovers always knew that reading was a vital aspect in our daily lives but Young just places it in a whole new perspective for us. The philosophy may not be our cup of tea and it may throw us off, but it might explain what type of reader we may be. We are a pool of different readers and each of us reads in our own way. However, after reading this, I appreciate what I can accomplish and it is an accomplished skill that is definitely overlooked.

The Art of Reading is an interesting read for those who want a deeper examination into their reading habits. If you don’t, I still recommend that you read this book. This book explores and reaffirms the magic of reading and it would be a treat for book lovers all alike.

Reading is a form of art. Let’s start perceiving it that way.

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