Should all books be read in the same way?

It might seem like a weird question. After all, reading is reading, right? Does it even matter how you go about it?

In my opinion, yes!

Let’s look at films and TV shows to demonstrate this.

There are some that you can watch without concentrating too hard. For example: reality TV, simple rom coms, horror flicks with a masked villain chasing after people. These are the types of programs you can watch half an episode of and come back to a week later, without losing much. They’re effortless on the brain – forms of entertainment that are easily digestible.

Then there are those that have complex plots, deep characters and backstories, sophisticated themes. Films like Inception; TV shows like Black Mirror. Genre sometimes plays a part. These forms of entertainment require more concentration, but they’re just as satisfying and often teach you more about the world and people. If you watched these products in dribs and drabs – bits of an episode, or long periods between episodes – you might have a hard time keeping track of what’s going on. You walk away with less satisfaction at the end of it all and probably a bit of confusion too.

It’s the same with books.

There are some you can read in dribs and drabs. They’re simple, their storylines are straightforward, and you can easily keep track: ‘easy reads’.

Then there are others that fit into the second category.

In the Name of the Father falls into this group. As one reviewer said, it’s an “epic dystopian tale” but it’s also “a long, complex story” (Jennifer – https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3189613401?book_show_action=true&from_review_page=1). It’s not an ‘easy read’, in that sense. To enjoy reading it and to get the most out of the experience, you do need to concentrate, and you shouldn’t read it in small sporadic amounts. You can’t read 5 pages each night before you fall asleep, for example, and expect to keep track. If you read it that way, you’re probably going to feel like it’s hopping around too much, you’ll forget what’s going on with each character, and you’ll give yourself no chance of picking up on the hints that have been planted regarding surprises that come later on.

There are five character perspectives in the book. How, why and when their lives collide should be part of the intrigue. To get the most out of this journey, and to appreciate these collisions when they occur, you’ll need to give the story the time and focus it needs. Those who do this and are happy to get their brain firing will be rewarded in the end.

In my view, the best way to read the book is in 30+ page chunks. To do that you’ll need an hour or two at a time. This will give you the best chance of immersing yourself in the world, getting to know the characters, and walking away satisfied and hopefully enriched at the end of it all.