The Gist of Reading

by Andrew Elfenbein

What happens to books as they live in our long-term memory? Why do we find some books entertaining and others not? And how does literary influence work on writers in different ways? Grounded in the findings of empirical psychology, this book amends classic reader-response theory and attends to neglected aspects of reading that cannot be explained by traditional literary criticism. Reading arises from a combination of two kinds of mental automatic and controlled processes. Automatic processes, such as the ability to see visual symbols as words, are the result of constant practice; controlled processes, such as predicting what might occur next in a story, arise from readers' conscious use of skills and background knowledge. When we read, automatic and controlled processes work together to create the "gist" of reading, the constant interplay between these two kinds of processes. Andrew Elfenbein not only explains how we read today, but also uses current knowledge about reading to consider readers of past centuries, arguing that understanding gist is central to interpreting the social, psychological, and political impact of literary works. The result is the first major revisionary account of reading practices in literary criticism since the 1970s.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction

272 pages, Paperback

Published January 16, 2018

Reviews

[Julie Bozza · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and careful consideration of the process of reading, from a literary scholar crossing disciplines into cognitive psychology. Some points felt already familiar, but overall the book feels like a seismic shift. I particularly appreciated how literary or 'hard' reading is not at all privileged over 'easy' reading or reading for entertainment.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm thinking of writing a fan email to Elfenbein. This book was so smart and provided such an interesting and refreshing look at how applying methodologies and findings from psychology to our study of literary novels and provide insights in the actual practices and proclivities of readers. Literary studies needs more innovations of this type. And Elfenbein is posed perfectly to provide them.

[Jeffrey Luscombe · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an intriguing new approach to literary criticism! I have always been left cold by the reader response theories of earlier decades as either strangely mystical and lacking in any cognitive psychology. As a reader I was engrossed with Elfenbein's research and analysis and, as a writer, found The Gist of Reading persuasive and well-founded, saying to myself 'ah, yes' and smiling a number of times.