Some books are best read in one sitting; others need a month and a pencil. Poetry rewards reading aloud, even to an empty room. The author never explains the ending, and that is generous.
Getting started
I underlined less this year and remembered more. Some books are best read in one sitting; others need a month and a pencil. Rereading a book shows you how much you changed.
The footnotes were better than many novels I read this year. Abandoning a book is allowed and sometimes wise.
Trade-offs
The author never explains the ending, and that is generous. Reading before bed works best on paper and badly on a phone. The first chapter was slow, and the slowness was the point.
- Reread a favourite each year
- Read one old book for every new one
- Write three lines after each chapter
- Keep a reading log
Every great book quietly argues with an older one. Rereading a book shows you how much you changed.
What worked
The first chapter was slow, and the slowness was the point. The footnotes were better than many novels I read this year. Keeping a reading log turned a habit into a conversation. A short story can hold a whole life in twenty pages.
The author never explains the ending, and that is generous. The footnotes were better than many novels I read this year.
Rereading a book shows you how much you changed. The footnotes were better than many novels I read this year.
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