Readers’ algorithms

READERS’ ANATOMY

“The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries.”

—Rene Descartes

We all read differently and in our own style. Some of us are really fast-paced readers whereas some of us prefer to read at a snail’s pace and there is more to all this!

As fast as lightning

She gets hold of the book, firmly places on the lap and starts reading. She reads as if the book would run away if she didn’t read it now. It needs to be finished, now or never. The eyes, shifting rapidly read along the lines as lips mumble with curiosity. There’s no time to talk to any intruder, or eat, or drink or maybe stare at some piece of furniture in the distance. The book that took years to be written has been devoured in an hour or two.

The snails

One page at a time! She mildly folds the corner of book when she realizes that she really needs to start using bookmarks before the book turns into an ear. She stops in the midway, presses the side of her cheek with finger and thinks of the type of bookmark she should get; she closes the book while she brainstorms ideas. She then returns to it at night and thinks of reading another page just before she sleeps. She reads it silently, slowly – and sleepily. The book is then placed on the table, behind the lamp where it waits to be picked after hours, or days or sometimes weeks.

The Sherlock Holmes

She reads enthusiastically although her mind is grappling with all the problems simultaneously, keeping in mind what happened in the story previously, what is recurring right now and how should it go. The inquisitive glances would not let anything creep under her nose. If something feels wrong she wonders: “isn’t this character the same as the one in chapter 3? But why do they have different names, is it a twin or someone is impersonating?” She reads with all her heart and of course, mind, not letting go of a single detail. “Oh, so now she has “bouncy hair”, earlier they were described as shorter than her shoulders; quite a time has passed then!” There is more of scratching heads and agreeing nods than refocusing on finishing the book. The end can wait but it has to make sense. Once finished, she revisits the book and rereads some of the parts to look for the missing links.

Forgetful fellows

“Where did I put it?” She stands in her room – more aptly, her storeroom. Her mother storms in after getting fed up of the cluttering and bumping sounds for so long.

“What are you looking for?”

“My book!”

“Book? Really, when did you start reading?”

I am not kidding! I put it somewhere here.”

“What was its name?”

“Umm, it was blue in colour, and it was quite thick.”

“Okay, good luck with finding it!” Mom slams the door behind her as she leaves.

Now, maybe she is thinking to start reading a new one, only to forget it, too, afterwards.

The “wherever I go”

Whatever book she is reading currently will always be with her. She will take it to the university and read it between lectures or during lunch. She could be seen reading while commuting. Her favourite show is live on TV while she sneaks a look or two into the book. Be it a party with friends or a family gathering, the book is her saviour. If there is one thing that is supposed to grace her handbag at all times, it’s that book she is supposed to be reading.”

The “oh no, it’s not the one”

She starts reading it but she feels something is lacking. “Is the start only so boring or the whole book is a waste of time? Maybe the climax would be interesting, but no, the characters aren’t relatable; even the plot and settings don’t make sense.” She drags herself to read a little further but it’s still stale and stagnant with little progression and undue details of not so important events. Moreover, she finds that the book is really slow; there is nothing to keep her glued to it, and finally she surrenders. She puts it down and declares that reading this book was never meant for her. She bids it goodbye!

The fully immersed

She huffs and puffs as it progresses. All the ups and downs, she feels every bit of it. What the protagonist or the other characters are going through, no one knows better than her, not even them! If the character is misunderstanding something, she is dying to tell him/her the truth; if she knows where the treasure is or where the kidnapped girl has been taken to, she will shout the name of the place. The poor soul will not settle until all is resolved and there is complete harmony between her racing heart and her very natural curiosity. She thrashes the book when it comes to something ‘oh so wrong’, and cries when the ‘good’ dies and smirks when the ‘evil’ is eradicated.

Others’ choice

She can never decide which shirt to buy or which dress to wear for an evening out. How, then, can she read a book of her own choice? Hence, she asks for popular recommendations from her immediate family, close friends and through statuses on social media. Although she knows what genre she enjoys, it’s quite difficult to pick up a book. She believes it’s safe to read something that others have already enjoyed.