I have a theory about envy — it isn’t so much the people with the things we don’t have that we envy, but those with more of what we ourselves possess. For example, I’ve never once felt a spot of envy for neurologists, movie stars, professional athletes, or fighter pilots — all individuals of either enviable ability or means, or both. But professors, novelists, recipients of private school educations, jeopardy champions, good spellers, and assorted other savants have all been the especial targets of my green-eyed monster. People who read more than I do are the worst of all. By far.
So it was with a some degree of climbing bile that I read this interview with columnist and reviewer Sarah Weinman, who read a staggering 462 books last year. I mean, rub it in already why don’t you? Over at Black Gate I posted about hyperspeed readers like Ms. Weinman in what is the first of a two-part article on building your reading muscles.
Not being one of these hyperspeed readers, I am of course insanely jealous. I mean, I dedicate an enormous amount of time to reading, but my best run doesn’t even come half-way to matching Weinman’s year. However, resigned as I am that I can never match it — I just don’t think those sort of savant-level abilities can be trained in mid-life, if at all — the temptation is to, of course, analyze what she’s doing and conclude that she isn’t really enjoying those books fully, isn’t immersing herself in the joy of language and richness of an author’s style when she moves so quickly through each book. But I can’t really believe that, not based on what she’s said in her interview, and not based on anything other than my own naked envy. So, just what is it Weinman and the other hyperspeed readers are doing?
I go on to talk a bit about how what Weinman does is related to what any fast reader must do — read text divorced from sound. Next week I’ll be talking about my own, non-superhuman experiences with increasing my reading speed, but until then feel free to wallow in envy with me.
Click here for ‘How to Read 462 Books a Year’
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I’ll raise a diet coke to wallowing! I get library envy, I see other people’s rooms full of book shelves and the green eyed monster moves in and camps out in my head. Humph.
That bitch!!!
“Speed” reading or not, it’s her DAY job. I could read a lot more books in year if my boss and I agreed that was part of my job.
Even without speed reading, if I read a lot of books (like I did during college downtime) my retention isn’t that great. I enjoy them at the time, but don’t recall details.
Then again, that was before I was on the Internet discussing my reads with like-minded people.
I wonder if that has to do with my better retention now?
Anyway – I’d rather read slow, enjoy it and remember it.
I know what you mean, Adele.
I’m sure that’s just envy talking, Nathan.
And you are write Paul, that it’s her job is part of the equation. I also like to read slow and enjoy things, but speed reading also comes in very handy — and I completely agree that discussion has a huge amount to do with retention, which is one of the best things about blogging and posting on the internet.
That is insane. I’m lucky to finish one a month. Maybe I should go back and count how many I finished in 2008.
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