Reading Aloud Changed My Internal Visualization

[u/Number1CTAfan]

Not really sure how to tag this so doing other genre. I’m a life long reader and up until a few years ago, I had vivid images in my head when I read.

I think the shift started when I began focusing on my reading speed. I read DAILY but I’m an incredibly slow reader. I can maybe get through 20-30 books a year depending on their length. With the rise of Goodreads/Booktook/TBR lists, I started to get really self conscious about how much I’m able to read in a given time frame. While reading, I would think I wasn’t going fast enough or that I was never going to get to other books on my TBR list instead of being immersed in my book. Because I was so focused on my pace, I felt like I unknowingly was losing the mental images I saw in my head while reading.

All of that changed though when I started reading aloud to my daughter every night. About a month ago my wife and I had our first born. I take the night shift, tending to her needs until the early morning. One of the things I started doing with her is reading to her aloud while I rock her to sleep. She obviously has no idea what is going on, but I’ve heard that even just seeing your lips move and hearing your voice is great for a newborns development.

Last night I was reading Butcher’s Crossing by John Williams to her. Again, she’s got no idea what I’m saying so I’m not too concerned about subject matter lol. But I was really getting into it. Doing different voices. Changing my inflection depending on the pros. And for the first time in a LONG time I realized I was not in my head about my reading “efficiency”. I could see the movements of the main characters like I was blocking out a scene in a movie. The landscapes were beautiful. It was such an amazing moment to become so conscious of the change in my focus.

Anyway, my recommendation to the community is to slow the hell down. It’s great to have a TBR list. It’s great to be a quick reader. But the magic of reading comes from exactly that, reading. You will die before you can finish your whole TBR list. Just finish the page you’re on.

(Butcher’s Crossing is also phenomenal BTW)

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[u/Reasonable-Mess3070]

Man.. sometimes I liked it better when I didnt know people actually saw visuals in their head. Now I get jealous when people describe it so cool like this lol

[u/FlyingCarpetMonster → u/Reasonable-Mess3070]

I’m in the same boat as you. That’s fine; we just process information differently.

[u/FlyingCarpetMonster]

Butcher’s Crossing is a brilliant book.