Kathy Hamilton (I only share books that I believe in. If you buy through my links, I may earn a commission. Thank you for your support)
If anyone knows how to read a book, it’s Virginia Woolf. As a celebrated author and literary critic, she immersed herself in the world of reading, writing and publishing
As well as writing novels, Virginia Woolf was also a well-known literary critic who published essays about a wide variety of topics. In contrast to her fiction, which can often feel slightly daunting to read, her essays are often insightful and even witty. Perhaps the most famous example of this is “A Room of One’s Own“. However, recently Penguin Clothbound Classics has produced a lovely little collection of her essays called “Street Haunting”
The other day I was in the mood to craft a little moment out of my day. How lovely, I thought, to sit in my antique oak chair by the window with a book after I finish my lunch.
I knew I only had 30 minutes for this moment and I didn’t want to get too absorbed. That’s when I spotted “Street Haunting” by Virginia Woolf on my bookshelf. Perfect! I could probably read one of those essays in half an hour, I thought.
The first essay in the collection is called “How Should One Read a Book?”. The question mark in the title caught my attention as it seemed to suggest a nice musing essay rather than a hard and fast set of rules.
And I was right, this lovely little essay, in such a quintessentially “Virginia Woolf” way, was a perfect escape in my lunch break and was packed with thoughts about how to read a book. After I finished it I felt excited to share what I learned here with you!
Here’s Virginia Woolf’s advice on how to read a book:
Know What Book You Want aka Don’t Expect an Austen from a Hardy
Virginia Woolf’s first, and largest point in her essay “How Should One Read a Book” is about setting expectations. She begins by reminding us that books, like animals, belong to different species. To expect a tortoise when you are looking at a tiger would be foolish. It’s the same with books!
This one challenged my own way of thinking. Of course, we accept different genres and definitions for books but Virginia Woolf was really getting at seemed to be tone and voice. If you pick up a book that isn’t Jane Austen when you’re craving that writing style, you will be left dissatisfied.
Similarly, if you’re looking for narrative and plot-driven works then diving into a verbose and description-laden book will only frustrate you. But, the issue isn’t the book. It’s that you are looking for a different style of book at that moment. She explains that it’s important to ask yourself what kind of book you feel like reading. Then you will be able to satisfy that feeling by picking the right book at the right time.
Read a Book as if You Were Writing it
When it comes to how to read a book, Virginia Wool is adamant that you must approach it like a writer. Don’t be afraid to ask yourself questions, how would I approach this book? Why has the author chosen to write this way or that?
Reading a book as if you were writing it encourages you to approach the book as equals. Building from her previous point, she believes this is an ideal way to gain a sense of what is good or bad when it comes to that style of writing. You can begin to train your critic’s eye.
I found this point to be eye-opening. How many times do we read a book with this sort of approach? I rarely do. Instead, I’m swept along by the book and, honestly, sometimes this means that I’ve almost forgotten it a few weeks after finishing. But taking time to read with intention seems like excellent advice to me.
Tired of Reading? Switch Genres
Interestingly Virginia Woolf recommends Biography as a perfect antidote for Fiction. This made me chuckle somewhat because, in our world of celebrity autobiography, it can often feel like we’re reading fiction or at least heavily embellished truth in this genre! But her reasons for selecting Biography are simple. Sometimes, after too much imagination our brains require a short rest, she suggests.
It can be restorative to read that such and such a person was born on this day in that year. It builds up back up to tackle fiction again with gusto. I’ve talked about this in a previous post as it’s definitely advice I find useful.
In order to appreciate a genre sometimes you have to give it a little rest. After all, even though I love chocolate eclairs, I couldn’t eat one every day!
As an extra, her opinion on reading poetry is a fun one. She warns against tacking poetry unless you are feeling your most imaginative and creatively inspired! A poem is perfect when it captures you at the moment you’re most ready to feel its message – which is a lovely sentiment.
Trust Your Own Opinion
Virginia Woolf strongly advocates building your internal critic. Since reading is personal, it’s important not to be swayed too strongly by what others claim is good or bad.
I found this a surprisingly refreshing point. And one that is all too relevant to our era when authors can be convinced to scrap a whole book because of Goodreads reviews.
What works for one, she advocates, may not work for all. If you follow her other points. Learn to question and compare the books that you read and build your sense of what works for you. Then you can’t go wrong.
She also points out that it’s vital to let the dust settle a bit after finishing a book. Sometimes we need time to think about what we’ve read. It’s only then should you start to look at what other people are saying. Outside advice is useful but shouldn’t be more persuasive than your own opinion.
Read Because You Love Reading
Ultimately, Virginia Woolf wants you to read because you love reading. There is no proper answer for how to read a book because there is no proper way to write one either. It’s just important to keep returning to your bookshelves and reading.
I appreciated this overarching sentiment in this essay so much. Virginia Woolf’s love for the written word is so apparent, and it was a timely reminder that taking the time to read only enhances the joy in our lives. Especially when we dare to be guided by our own intuition.
If you’d like to read “How Should One Read a Book” by Virginia Woolf you can pick up a copy here(bookshop) or here (Amazon)
