According to Nabokov, to become a “Good Reader” one must have imagination, memory, a dictionary, and some artistic sense (Nabokov 614). Entwined with the preceding standards, a good reader must also be free from any prejudice towards the authors work so as to take in all that the author is expressing without the risk of reading away from the book. A good reader must not inject themselves into the story, only embrace it and dissect it. Another habit of a good reader in Nabokov’s opinion is to read, reread, and reread again. As with artwork, such as a painting, viewing the painting at different times, with different light and different thoughts will give you a greater appreciation. By doing this in reading, a person who rereads will be able to consume and digest what the author has created.
I agree with Nabokov’s opinions on being a good reader. As with anything else, I believe that if you have a clear and open mind while reading, you will grasp and understand the work of the author more rewardingly. "A masterpiece of fiction is an original world and as such is not likely to fit the world of the reader." http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/v/vladimir_nabokov.html
I would be leery of calling myself a good reader. Although I read a lot, I am always learning new ways to look at what I’ve read, so I would be more likely to label myself a learning reader.
Peterson, Linda H., and John C. Brereton. The Norton Reader: an Anthology of Nonfiction. New York: W.W. Norton, 2008. Print.
