Maxwell's Reviews > What We See When We Read

What an utterly absorbing and fascinating read. Mendelsund, a renowned cover designer, looks into exactly what the title suggest, what we see (or think we see) when we read. He dissects everything from first lines and impressions to the performative nature of reading; the reader as a part of the text to how memory implants itself on the mind's eye while reading. It's packed with illustrations and provides an excellent starting point to further examine what we are doing exactly when we read words on a page. I think all readers should read this book, for the mere fact that they would find something resonant in the work.

I particularly was fond of the passage that said: "When we want to co-create, we read. We want to participate; and we want ownership. We would rather have sketches than verisimilitude--because the sketches, at least, are ours" (198). Or perhaps, "Books allow us certain freedoms--we are free to be mentally active when we read; we are full participants in the making (the imagining) of a narrative" (192). Or maybe finally, "If books were roads, some would be made for driving quickly--details are scant, and what details there are appear drab--but the velocity and torque of the narrative is exhilarating. Some books, if seen as roads, would be made for walking--the trajectory of the road mattering far less than the vistas these roads might afford. The best book for me: I drive through it quickly but am forced to stop on occasion, to pull over and marvel. These books are meant to be reread. (The first time through, I can tear along, as fast as possible, and then later, I'll enjoy a leisurely stroll--so that I can see what I've missed)" (96).

Go read it, and see for yourself (ha!).