Friday, January 2, 2015

Are We Reading The Same Book?


It always amazes me that the same book could be received so differently by its readers.  A certain percentage will love it, others will hate it.  All books consist of words, ideas, and stories – why should they stir so many different reactions?

One of the reasons behind why books are viewed in such a varied way by their readers is the differences in each person reading the book.  We vary a tremendous amount when it comes to faith, values, money, education, politics, psychology, physiology, etc.  We see a book differently because we are different.

It also depends on our age, experience, and the number of and variety of books that we’ve read.  The more we are exposed to, the better we’re in a position to evaluate a book’s worth.

Often, our appreciation of a book could come down to timing and settings.  Were we in the right mood for the book we read?  Were we on vacation and already in a positive state of mind?

Some of the best books are given to us at too early of an age to appreciate.  What did I really know of Hamlet in 9th grade of A Tale of Two Cities in junior high school?  As I got older I started to appreciate such books, some of which I went back and read.

Even children’s books, as enjoyable as they were to me as a kid, appeal so much more to me when I read them to my own children.

Books should be rated not as good or bad, but by their components – vocabulary, creativity, and other factors that enrich the reading experience.  But no one can put a rating on how a book will make individuals feel.  It’s such a personal experience.

We can read the same words and draw different conclusions.  The words can make us think, feel, and act in different ways from reader to reader.  It’s great that we share the same books but we’ll never be fully on the same page.

DON’T MISS: ALL NEW RESOURCE OF THE YEAR

2015 Book PR & Marketing Toolkit: All New



Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer, Media Connect, the nation’s largest book promoter. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2015

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.