How I Read a Novel

Open the book to the last page. Skim quickly to find the beginning of the last sentence, or sometimes paragraph, or set of paragraphs. Read until the end. Flip to the first page. Begin reading.

Yes, I am one of those people who read the end of the book first. I do this to challenge the material. One criteria of a good writer/novel, is the ability to tell the story - the unfolding. So that even if the reader knows the end of the story, it doesn't click into place until read in the proper order. Then when you come to the end (which you are already familiar with) it means something different. Before, when you had read it out of context it meant something, and later, when you read it the order in which the creator expected it to be experienced, it means something different.

Comments

[Belinda]

"One criteria of a good writer/novel, is the ability to tell the story - the unfolding."

One, maybe, but hardly the only criteria. If you're reading for plot, you're reading mysteries or pop fiction. Doesn't work with Henry James.

[Travis Koplow]

That's so funny. I used to always do this, and it really disturbs people. Have you noticed that? Anyway, now i read lots of mysteries and never read the end first, but I get you.

[heather]

Yeah, doesn't work so well with a book like, 1984. But I don't read many mysteries, but yes, this technique wouldn't work so good for them either.

When I write a novel/fiction, I will always write it with this method in mind. I mean, the end of the book is the denouement, not the climax!