Reading For Pleasure
Reading For Pleasure
Written by George Georghiou
In this essay George Georghiou looks at the different types of readers and in particular the pleasure reader who is frequently taken for granted. He is asking a relevant and a very important question, where would writers be without readers?Unlike writers who trough their writing can rise to fame and make a fortune, readers never seem to get the recognition they deserve. The only benefits for readers seem to be confined to the offerings of the print and its content; educational or simple pleasure from light hearted novels.
We all know that there are readers that would prefer to be doing something else rather than reading but needs must, and they read because they have to pass exams and to do that they have to learn. In this case the pressure to read is on and we soon realise that exams are more than just testing our knowledge. Some of us have to be made to read by cracking the whip. Colleague, university students and even pupils in basic education can easily fall into this category, particularly when they have very little say in the matter and often the reading material is chosen for them
On the other end of the scale readers who have a free choice, on what to read, enjoy their reading more and read with more enthusiastic and passionate commitment. Like music lovers who love to listen to their favourite composers, dedicated readers often develop a kind of writer /reader relationship towards their favourite author and seems to get hooked on their style of writing as well as the text content, which often reflects some thing in the readers own life. . Like music lover, pleasure readers love to have their emotions stared up as they so easily relate to the story being told; re-living something of their own experience or perhaps a fantasy the author helps to create within the readers own imagination.
Without going into the further detail of the background and analysing the making of the different types of readers suffice to say that the three main categories that have become apparent here are:
The student, which I have named the reluctant reader, reads to gain knowledge, he can choose his subject but can not always choose the reading material as the choice of subject dictates the choice of books
The second category I named ‘the text book junkie’ whom we haven not mentioned at all, fits in between the two extreme categories of the reluctant reader and the pleasure reader. This type of reader seems to enjoy reading heavy educational material as well as the lighter stuff for fun.
The third category which I refer to as ’the pleasure reader’ is the topic of this essay. This category has a free choice but more often that not goes for the light hearted and usually the romantic novels full of fantasy and imagination but true reflection of every day life.
Rita, my example (not her real name) is a typical pleasure reader; she tells me that she likes to read a ‘good book’, rather than glue herself to the television, like the so many square eyed people who she claims are hooked on ‘soap’ and their daily lives are governed by what is on the box. Rita’s response clearly reflects resentment towards television but admits to being more sympathetic towards radio but still prefers to read.
Rita reads as much as two to three books a week and some times more never less. Catherine Cookson is amongst one of her favourite authors but she enjoys the light-hearted novels the most, particularly the romantic stories that can capture her imagination and help her get all emotional.
Rita is a retired foster mother who devoted all her working life to looking after and helping to bring up children with unfortunate backgrounds, whom she believed deserved a fair chance in life. She cared for the children that came to her, with the same love and devotion, as she would if they were her own. She could be strict and believed in discipline and never allowed the children to spend too much time in front of the television. She encouraged them to read and write more and get involved in all sorts of activities, she considered being healthy. Needless to say she proudly claims that all her children did well despite the poor background and some became solicitors, doctors and lawyers. Drawing from her experience in fostering children Rita indicates that everyone no matter how big or small has a story to tell. It appears that Rita’s ability to put her self into someone else’s shoes is what makes her such a caring and understanding person, but also it seems it is the main attribute involved in making her such a dedicated and passionate reader. This essential quality in a reader, the ability to see it from another person’s point of view, is highlighted by the way Rita gets involved with the character in the books she reads. She can remember and refer to them by their first names as though she had met them and known them personally.
When I asked Rita what she really wanted to achieve from her reading, without hesitating she replied ‘nothing really I just enjoy reading’. She obviously didn’t expect any rewards for any efforts and considered reading as a form of entertainment. The only time she seemed showed any diversity from the pure and selfless commitment to reading, was when she mentioned her secret wish to one day may be she might be given the chance to be a proof-reader. What better ways to get paid for doing something you enjoy she said, smiling.
Rita’s attitude to reading is encouraging to us all an in particular to writers who have not yet given into the pressure to switch to the more popular demands of writing for television. Hopefully, as long as there are readers like Rita there will be writers who meet the needs of the pleasure readers, after all where would such writers be without readers like Rita?
Even though some would argue that this works both ways and they might say where would readers like Rita be without the writers I refuse get drawn into the ‘chicken or the egg’ argument and sticking to my guns I applaud Rita and her kind of reader.