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Victoria Hanson
ENGL 101J
Professor Cooper
September 10, 2013
Summary of “Introduction: Ways of Reading”
The introduction to Ways of Reading is set up to prepare readers for the rest of the
text. Included in this book are a series of essays that will be challenging and require more
from the reader than he or she may be ready to give. This introduction discusses
everything from what it means to be an active reader to different ways to read different
texts to how to handle difficult reading. This introduction is not only meant to inform but
to get the reader thinking before he or she dives in to something he or she may not be
ready for.
The first section in the introduction is called “Making a Mark” (1). Right away it
dives in to what active reading looks like. It discusses the fact that a reader has more
responsibility than just simply sitting back, relaxing and enjoying an essay. Often times,
especially with the essays included in Ways of Reading, the reader cannot just sit back
and expect the author to do all the work for them. Natural instinct teaches that when one
is not reading for pleasure, it is necessary to read for facts, main points and crucial
information; however, reading is more than that as well. In order to even begin to
understand what the author is saying the reader has to work for it. They have to look
beyond the words printed on the page and then continue on with the essay—talk about it,
write about it, truly think about it. This section also briefly touches on writing. Writing is
not just a chore to prove that the essay was read; it is a learning process as well as a test
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to see how well it was read. It also gives the reader a chance to go back and expand on
what the author said—to be an active reader.
The next section talks about different ways one can read. There are certain texts
that are meant to be read certain ways, whether it is reading for the main idea or to learn
about a particular subject. However, reading for information is not the only way to read.
Often times readers feel the need to read for information and to remember every single
little bit of information they find. This can cause a lot of stress and frustration however,
that was never the point of reading so there are tools to help memory aid such as taking
notes. Remembering every little detail about an essay is not as important taking the essay
and forming it into something that matters, therefore allowing it to stick. No matter how
strong of a reader one may be, he/she will never be able to remember every detail.
Some times reading requires authority or humility. Reading with authority is
something that Ways of Reading calls “reading against the grain” and reading with
humility is called “reading with the grain” (10). When a reader “reads against the grain”
the/she is required to challenge the author. This is an extremely critical way of reading
that most students find rather difficult. One reason this is so difficult is because of lack of
practice. Generally readers are not taught to challenge the author. Another reason this is
so difficult is because the reader forgets to ask important questions therefore losing sight
of what they are doing. “Reading with the grain” is far easier. Instead of challenging the
author, the reader is working in conjunction with them. This could be done in many
different ways such as by summarizing or adding onto the argument.
Reading difficult text can be, well, difficult. Fortunately there are ways that a
reader can maneuver around the difficulty and, hopefully, make things a little bit easier.
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One way to get around this is to do an initial reading and then begin to write about what
was read. Then, when that is over, reread and rewrite. The second reading and editing of
what was written should be a little bit easier than the first. The reader can continue this
process for as long as he/she pleases however it is important to keep in mind that some
texts will never be fully understood and that is okay. There are also questions to think
about while doing a second reading at the back of each essay in Ways of Reading that can
help immensely. Another way to avoid some difficulty is to listen in on discussions
about the text and take notes one what others have to say. This can give the reader a new
perspective and allow him/her to think of ideas that had never crossed his/her mind. Once
again, it is extremely important to remember that it is okay to not fully understand a text;
it is part of being a strong reader.
The clear statement this introduction makes is that reading is more than something
done for pleasure or something done to inform. Often times it is necessary for the reader
to take things into her or her own hands and to actively read. Reading is also more than
stress caused by the inability to remember detail, however it is forming the text into
something that matters therefore causing it to stick. Reading requires an even balance or
authority and humility; a reader needs to be able to challenge an author but also needs to
be able to work with an author. Last but not least, reading can be difficult and for that
there are strategies to hopefully make things a little easier. However, it is important to
remember that it is okay to not fully understand a text. This introduction sets readers up
for the essays included in Ways of Reading by providing him/her with crucial information
to, hopefully, prepare them for active reading, different types of reading and difficult
texts.