in short: read for yourself not for other people

I love books, I love literature, but I feel almost embarrassed by the fact that it takes me a long time to read. I love to take my time with stories and characters, or ideas and concepts. I get 'book hangovers' a lot and I find that I need to take time in-between reading books to process them. I'm very happy to hear someone championing slow and intentional reading.

Lol! I'm a Professor and my reading speed peaked when I was ten years old. Four advanced degrees later, I still plod along. I don't see how anyone can really know anything from speeding through it. Deep thought requires TIME, LIFE, and WISDOM. Be a student always, even if you have a PhD or two!

To read without reflecting, is like eating without digesting. - Burke A page digested is better than a volume read in a hurry. - Macaulay

The turtle wins the race.

The quality of your content is damn high.

him: slow down me: watches video in 2x speed

This is a damn important video, it does seem like most people see it as a competition, focusing on the story and the experience needs to be the main point🤓

I read "the brothers Karamazov" in about 6 months, that's way longer than expected but I enjoyed every word of it.

The joy of reading is not just 'finishing' books, but enjoying the ingestion of books. It's about immersing yourself in the book, reveling in the story and description and the feel of the book. It's as much about the process of reading. To use a rather trite metaphor, it's about the journey and not just the destination. Yes, finishing a book is good, but enjoying the journal through the book is as important. Most of the speed reading I see has to do with reading books that are "How to", "motivational", superficial "self-help", generally superficial content. Don't worry about how long it takes you, stop focusing on how you are reading, and read. People process information at different rates and different types of information require different levels and duration to process. As you say, it has become more about the consumption of as much information as possible, rather than the absorption of that information and the understanding of it.

I love how you are laying all this out with empathy. There's always a misconception that the amount of books you read equate to your capability/intelligence. As someone who loves book, I feel ashamed being a slow reader myself and that I'm shouldn't 'claim' being a book reader. It's silly that many people around have told me this.

I’m a minute in and couldn’t agree with you more. Whenever I read a book, regardless of its subject, I highlight, annotate, use bookmarks for my favorite pages and take my time to reflect. I don’t just read, I study. This is bliss for me.

We are the "Slug Club", a club of slow readers, who revel in meticulous, detailed reading. I am a very slow reader. I rarely manage more than 30-50 pages a day (it depends on the book), with several nap-pauses. I always read with a notebook at hand, so as to write down every unknown word, interesting sentence, or an unfamiliar grammatical form. I enjoy expanding my knowlegde of the English language on a daily basis. It's my hobbie and my passion, and I'm going to keep doing it as much as I can. Happy reading and learning to all of you.

I put a book on my nightstand each night, so when I wake up I turn my lamp on and read for an hour before going about my day. I find it to be really calming way to wake up, and also a lot better than looking at my phone screen when my eyes are still just opening. I read about a book a week, I don't read fast, but just fit it into my day. I really appreciated this video. Sometimes things such as reading should be absorbed to enjoy, rather than to finish as fast as possible.

Speed reading is a scam, to read more just read more no need to go FAST

Sadly i never hear these insights here on yt booktubers.. wonderful. Magic. seriously.. this is why we read. Thank you for bringing it back home to us (from someone who also reads very slowly.. thought they would *never* read classics- & uses google dictionary constantly & is loving both the revelation & the time spent) xx : )

Man, you saved my live literally, because I was very upset about how much time I lost reading little pages , despite of people that to read a bunch. And you post it . I’m not the only one, and now I know that it’s normal. Thanks . I’m trying to read 4 books per month , one of these difficult other not.

When i was younger I read slowly and really enjoy the book, i could spend more than a week for a book. But the process of reading it was really enjoyable, i didn't feel the rush to finish. Nowadays, after getting used to instant gratification by social media and the whole easy internet thingy, i find it harder to enjoy the reading process, because im so eager to find the main point of the book, and to finish it as soon as possible. I can't stand reading the same book for more than 3 days now, i always read it faster...what you said is really true though, i need to relearn how to enjoy reading book slowly..

I've also noticed that besides an in depth insight into the book and its characters, slow reading is also very helpful in retaining what you're reading. I read Anna Karenina in 3 months and it has been 5 years since I read it and, I still remember a lot of the characters and events.

This is the most underrated video on Booktube. I’m thankful you brought logic and your love of savoring literature into a succinct video.

I'm a slow reader too. Some of my friends can read like like 2-3 books a week, but it takes me like a week or two to finish a book reading a couple hours a day. I think the big take away for me is that if you're just getting a synopsis from other people, or just reading the Cliffnotes/Sparknotes, you don't get a chance to derive your own meaning or make up your own mind about how to interpret the text and that's a huge shame! Also there's just the simple pleasure of reading that you kind of sacrifice for the efficiency and the information. For non-fiction that might make sense, depending on the book, but for literature, it's more about being in the moment with the reading. It's an enjoyable experience to read something thoroughly and intentionally. You don't get the same enjoyment blazing through or picking up the highlights.

When he said he spent an hour on three pages that gave me hope. I’m already naturally slow at reading and other things but him saying it’s okay cus I can really like he said, taste all the flavors and have that ah ha moment of true understanding. Those are the best parts, not just being in the rat race. I draw a lot and the other day I took my time to really flesh out everything to the best of my ability and I felt like a kid again. It was so enjoyable and I felt like I was really drawing for the first time in years.

Cheers. Back in high school and college I blitzed through the academic experience in terms of performing well. Reading quickly was not my strong point, however. I would spend all day and night forcing myself to comprehend as much as possible, even if it meant rereading passages many times over. This seemed to be an obsession with the end goal or reward. After finding yoga and meditation I started to be able to, not necessarily read faster, but allow authors to more fully paint pictures and scenes in my mind in that moment. My opinion is that, ultimately, reading is an egotistical exercise, but carries the ability to ingrain understanding that is important for the raising of consciousness of yourself and others in this life. Peace, bro. You’re doing good work.

I just found your channel. I am really enjoying it. I am 67. I used to be able to read three books at a time. History, science and mystery. But then there came a time ,where I was mixing them all up. So, I stopped reading. But, then I picked up one of my books and started reading one book, slowly. You are so right ! I am able to enjoy the book that I am reading. I also don’t feel that pressure, where I need to read several chapters at a time. I read and understand, and really enjoy what I am reading. It has made a big difference for me. And another thing.-- I love your book drapes ! I couldn’t stop looking at them . Keep up the channel. It’s terrific !

Read for reading, To experience whatever you are reading not just for profits or benefits Coz reading for the sake of reading itself is a Profit.

In the 2000s, I had a rule. If there was a book which was going to be difficult to read, and it was going to be about something like the past 100 years of nuclear physics research, that meant forcing myself to read it whether I liked the text or not. It was not the symbols which mattered or the equations or the formulas. It was the gist. The spirit, which made the book into what it is. It was the occasion to have it in your hand and the privilege of knowing what it is like to read it. Thanks for your video man! Kind regards from Ásgeir in Iceland.

Just came upon your page. I'm glad i am not the only one who would spend a lot of time trying to understand what the author tries to convey rather than skipping through it all the time.

Daily reading helps in future reading speed with clear understanding and awareness

So happy that you point out that you are not necessarely the smartest if you read tons of books. I know quite a few book youtubers who talks about the books they read in such a superficial way and with very limited/poor vocabulary, it makes me cringe every time

Thank you man , I’ve fell into that trap of thinking “ I must read as much as I can , as fast as I can “ while missing out on the true experience of reading a book. I’m a slow reader like yourself and I can’t wait to start enjoying reading slowly again .

This is like meeting someone for the first time and having a conversation with them and suddenly everything begins to make sense. It's refreshing. Thoughts are similar but different.

1:19 What's also lost, is the process through which we arrive at these points ourselves - from our own points of departure and points of reference. Thus, what is taken away is the process of developing and strengthening our own skills for grappling with challenging texts and learning to reflect upon them and articulate our own thoughts while doing so. As a result, the learning process with these spark notes becomes external and formal, rather than internal and meditative. Also, the main "key points" made in a book are only part of why we're reading it - it's also about seeing how the author builds the arguments and weaves it all into a coherent whole. And in the end, our own "key points" may be very different than what these spark notes and websites suggest...

“Delicious pages” ,,, I love this!

THIS IS VERY WISE I am so glad to find someone else that feels this way.

First time I read The Lord of The Rings, I was basically binge reading it and hated every second of it, it felt like a chore that I honestly couldn't wait to be done with. I basically skimmed The Scourching of the Shire and didn't even bother with the appendices 'cause I just couldn't do it anymore. Second time around, I took my time, one/two chapters tops every day and absolutely loved the experience, I was looking forward to it every day. So yes to slow reading, especially big books. To keep reading when I'm burned out and not in the mood anymore only makes me not finish a book.

"some of the most delicious pages Im ever gonna taste" this had me dying man !

I like that you're talking to me and not at me. Appreciate that.

I know this video was posted 3 YEARS ago but I find myself coming back to rewatch this video to remind me every time I fall into a pit of self pity and the need to want to read more and faster and feel ''smarter'' or wanting to be a ''well read'' person. Your voice is just calming. like a free personal psychiatrist if you will😅 Thank you for your videos Robin!🥰

This is something I experienced , when I first started reading , it was my first time reading a novel in English and it took me 5 months to finish it , it was roughly about 250 pages , and I remember loving it and enjoying it so much . But this year i decided to do an experiment to see if I could read faster , I kinda achived that because I read alot of books which helped me lower my tbr , but with all honesty some times when I finished a book , I really didn't enjoy it and I always didn't have anything to say about the book . Since I am a slow reader I found out that I get more enjoyment to let the story sink in my mind rather than rushing it . Thank you for sharing this video and reminding me how much I love to do slow readings

I'm a slow reader but through out my teenage years I read every night, now I have bookcases full of the worlds I have escaped to though my life Time

I'm a slow reader too. When I was younger I was hooked on reading but always felt guilty because I was actually slow but just spent tons of time on it. Later, I thought if I wanted to be successful I needed to improve my reading speed. Maybe this would help, but it's refreshing to see a video like this that emphasizes the benefits of just going at your pace and not worrying "am I reading fast enough?" etc.

I'm having a hard time reading English books and understanding them, it's the difficult words but maybe i need to slow down and really read with concentration

it's funny, I came here looking for sagely advice on how to read "better" and found out I'm alreadydoing exactly what you recommend so thank you for showing a fellow reader that she's on the right track! Lately I've been taking 15 minutes every morning before work when I'm at the cafe to read while I take my coffee. Instant gratification even if I only read one page.

Just found your channel by searching ‘slow reading’ and I’m glad I did. This is exactly what I needed. You remind me of an English teacher I met at uni whose love of literature was really contagious.

I, too, am a slow reader and I've always thought that's a weakness I need to fix for studying or when I just read in order to save time. But I realized it takes me a long time to finish a chapter of a book because I want to savor every moment of the words I'm reading. I would reread some lines until it registers clearly on my mind, I mean what's the point of reading a book if you didn't understand what you just read. As for entertainment, there's also no point if I didn't enjoy the reading. That's the pleasure of slowing down, I think and I'm grateful I watched this video. I never want to hate reading and this reminded me that reading ain't bad at all when I give time to actually immerse myself into it. Thanks for another great video!

KZfaq recommended me your channel a couple of weeks ago and I'm already a fan! I appreciate so much your videos, so thanks! Keep up the good work

The biggest tip I have for readers is to always find an author you're very interested in. Reading is never about anyone else's approval or appraisal. Some people love William Faulkner, but I'll probably never read much of his work because I'm not interested in reading about backwater hillbillies, no matter how beautifully he writes about them. The subject matter is dull for me. Similarly with James Joyce, he receives tons of praise (rightly so), but I don't care one bit for indulging an encyclopedic discourse on the history of Ireland. Similarly the writers I like, John Steinbeck, Thomas Pynchon, Henry Miller, Hunter S. Thompson and Charles Bukowski, are all writers I've seen people proclaim outright hostility to. But because I'm fascinated by their minds, because I'm enthralled by their grasp of language and their willingness to explore the sordid affairs of what lurks in men's hearts and souls, I want to read their thoughts firsthand, knowing that what I see on the page are the EXACT SAME words they processed when they were considering the subjects of their writing. When I read a work like East of Eden, or Gravity's Rainbow, or Ham on Rye, I feel like these men are opening up their minds, their hearts and their souls to me, and I want to get to know them. They speak so honestly, so candidly and humorously that I find them fascinating, and it's this fascination which will pull you through the difficulty of reading longer works, just because you're getting to explore some part of what these men see and feel and think. I've tried the whole "read a book because it's a classic" mentality before and absolutely slogged my way through Hemingway's A Farewell To Arms, which was nearly a farewell to my sanity. I intensely disliked the one dimensional characters, the women who are always hysterical, the senseless drinking and socializing with people who are just using each other for distraction, and the boring passage of time that by the end of it I only thought there were two good short stories out of the entire novel; the first being the section where Frederic Henry gets shelled and injured, and the second where he shoots the two officers for dereliction of duty right up until he has to dive into the river because the Italian Army starts shooting officers too. Everything else was painfully inarticulate, with prose that felt flat, characters that were about as interesting as dead flies on fly paper, and the emotional resonance of a man who is going to drink himself to death whether his baby and girlfriend live or die. I just don't find Hemingway's mind to be that interesting, and the fact that people are more inclined to celebrate his drinking and "macho" exploits instead of his writing says everything I need to know about him. He may be an interesting character on his own, but he can't write the ingredients to a can of soup without putting me to sleep.

I finished A La Recherche after 5 years. Within that time I was in college and just got to the last page before graduation. I have lived in those pages. Proust is right. It’s not so much what we read but the moments of reading that stick.

I spent like 3-4 hours on 40 pages of Kafka’s short stories, not because they were too difficult but because I tried to immerse myself in perspective of the author through his work.

I’ve been reading “Where the Crawdads Sing.” Sometimes I read 5 pages, sometimes I read 100. I’ll have it finished next week, but I think the most important thing about it was that it was never about rushing to the end, it was about appreciating it in my own time. It’s been so enlightening this last couple weeks, and I can’t wait to pick up the Wheel of Time and do the same. That’s been on my list for a year, now

Can you make a video of a list of books that you recommend!

I notice his hand moves a lot, it almost feels like an individual creature separate from him. By the way, his voice is really nice, an ideal voice for audiobook.

A student of Herbert Marcuse once complained that it was taking him an hour to read one page of Hegel. And he still wasn't absorbing it. Marcuse's response: "You're reading too quickly."

A great book is like a fine painting, where each sentence is equivalent to a brush stroke. Each builds upon one another to create the full masterpiece. The beauty of both is in the details.

The feeling you get when you find useful information that’s just sheer wisdom, pure gold. This made my day.

Thank you. 1. Good things take time, not just reading :) 2. Mandatory slow reading daily practice can provide a safe space for us to be deeper thinkers and enjoyers.

Maaannn I think the exact same thing. Nowadays everyone is talking about speed reading, but even if you can it will never be the same. Since I was a teenager (like 13 years old) I used to read like if I was reading for an auditorium or as if I was reciting on a high voice tone and carefully gesticulating each word Now I'm 25 years old and that hasn't change a bit and I'm happy like this =). Lots of respect and admiration for you. Thanks for sharing Sorry for my English

Found you as a KZfaq recommendation. Absolutely love your videos. Binge watching through them while taking notes. Keep it up! Never thought to describe reading a few pages as “delicious”. Such an awesome statement.

This is the most honest video that I've ever seen in my life about reading, thank you for that ! 👏👏👏

I started doing this the first time I read the hobbit, halfway of the book I realised Tolkien really put beauty in words and I used to read the same page like 3 times sometimes bc some of the sentences were so wholesome and FELT so nice 💕

I read relatively slowly, but I do average around 100 books a year. I think one good way to get yourself to pick up big, difficult books is to read several books at the same time. It can be a big commitment to pick up a Musil or a Proust if that's all you're going to be reading for the next two months. Instead, give yourself permission to finish a few shorter books on the side, maybe an audiobook, or pick a book to read aloud with your family or friends if you have the bookish kind. But stick to the big project regularly, too. That way, you're still making progress with other books, getting that gratifying sense of accomplishment and pleasure at cracking open another one, but you don't postpone the modernist masterpiece indefinitely. I also have different expectations for different books. I don't mind speed-listening to audiobooks of genre fiction to pass the time, or non-fiction that I mainly want the information from. But I'm also content with reading a single one-page (or even one-paragraph) piece from The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis. Right now, I've been slogging through Pessoa's The Book of Disquiet since last spring and I'm not yet halfway through. It really doesn't sit well with me, may be the heaviest book I've ever read (and I've read all the other big modernists), but I'm determined to finish it anyhow. Dunno if it will be rewarding in the end. Maybe not, apart from the joy of being done with it! :D Besides, I find that when you have several books going at a time, you'll end up spending more time reading. You can only sit with one book or format for so long, but you might still find the energy and motivation to pick up a different book, possibly in a different format, later that day. (I always have at least one personal printed book, one audiobook and one with my wife, but often more).

Thank you for your video and for your mentality. I consider myself a victim of this craze. I set 30-40 books per year on Goodreads reading challenge and found myself only interested in the quantity. Literature is so much more than numbers... I'm happy that I managed to go back to the old ways and read slowly with a vivid image in my head. Classical literature meant to be read with caution and sincerity.

This is such an important video, and this realization is a lot of what caused me to stop setting my usual 100 book Goodreads goal. I noticed that I was both deterred from reading slowly and savoring the books, and that I found myself avoiding denser or longer books in order to “read more”. There’s a weird culture around reading sometimes, where it’s treated as quantity over quality when it should be the other way around

Thank you so much for this video! I recently got into reading, and i found myself trying to power through my first books as fast as possible. I did this because of all these people on youtube telling me to read fast and more effective. While i found myself able to understand and remember much of what i read, i also found myself dissatisifed by the impression the books left on me. I felt as though i would've appreciated the books way more, had i just read them at my own natural pace. I am now doing this with a new book, and i already feel like i will look back on this book way more fondly than the others. Im letting myself create images in my head, and voices of different characters, which just gives the book way more value to me! The first books felt so shallow to me, simply because i didn't allow myself to develope these images in my head.

I am so happy to hear you saying these things, it encourages me to continue reading the way I naturally do. i.e. I'll be reading and I have to stop because I get an idea or insight, inspiration etc. and I might want to make a note of it in my journal. So much is lost with this speed reading stuff.

I think this is such a great point. I would love to see these "fast read" materials as supplementary, as add ons to help you process and reflect even further on your own full read of the novel. I actually miss how books used to be read to us as young children. Chapter by chapter, out loud so literally the slowest way possible, all the kids begging for just one more chapter. Looking forward again to the next storytime. The books I really engaged with as a young kid have stayed with me far longer than a book I just speed through because I feel like I have to (hey high school, how you doing).

Great content! I've never seen this topic covered. In grade schooI, I temporarily lost my love of reading when it became a classroom competition. In adulthood, I didn't consider myself a "real" reader, because I've never been a (comparatively) fast reader. It took me over 30 years to understand that reading is awesome, but comparing myslef to the external is a losing game.

Wow, I love the message of this video. I have definitely fallen prey to the idea that efficiency is paramount in reading. I need to slow down.

I’ve found that reading pace increases exponentially in the course of reading a book. It’s a matter of acclimatizing to the style of the author and the subject of the book. It might take me several days to get through the first 50 pages but only a few hours to get through the last 250.

I love this video! Your content is profound. I really had to reflect on my reading habits. I really want to enjoy my books. Why must it seem like a race? I'm making some serious decisions because if this video. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you, one of the reasons why i'm kind of self-sabotaging before when it comes to reading because i'm not reading as fast as the others.

One of the best videos I saw this year by far. Thanks a lot for sharing those thoughts with us.

I fined that a lot of people just like the bragging rights to how many books that they have read and as for great expectations it’s not just about pip it’s a lot more than him Miss Faversham,pips sister and her husband just to name a few of the characters. People should enjoy and savour a good book 📚 instead of just rushing through and taking it on a nut shell

I agree with your point, great video by the way. We need more of a deep and critical thinker like you here on youtube. I've been following you for a month or more approximately. The first video i watched from this channel was the video about "Bill Gates note taking method". I thought you did a great job on expressing your ideas in a really deep way and still understandable. Could you please sometimes make more variety of videos, probably showing us your bookshelf or you could do a room tour ? But, thank you for putting out an amazing contents

Completely agree. It feels like everyone is rushing through life at such a speed on everything. I read slowly to try and fully take in the story. Thank you for this.

Just found your channel and really enjoying it. Someone needed to say this and I needed to hear it. It’s not all about being fast. Think, grow connections, etc. With this video being a few years old I’m hyped for catching up on the content since.

I've always been a slow reader, to the point I've skipped over non-dialogue sections of fiction. It's great to have someone recommend slower, daily reading, it has been therapy for me for years to clear my mind during anxiety or the end of the day.

I absolutely agree with the idea of the pleasure of slowing down. I recommend the episode of The Ezra Klein Show called "Nicholas Carr on deep reading and digital thinking". Great content as always Waldun! Greetings from Argentina.

This might be the single most enjoyable video about reading I’ve ever watched! Thank you

Reading as an art form finally broken down and explained. ❤️ You are doing our world a service. Just received your videos in my feed. Love them! Thank you.

obrigada, eu estava precisando ouvir isso!

I like it when you said "therapy." That's what it should be. By the way, Emerson's "An Essay" is good.

The quality of your content is outstanding to say the least. Keep it up!

I adore this video. Thank you for reminding me to slow down. You helped me grasp the fact that the experience of a good book is demeaned by speeding through the pages-something I’ve recently been doing. I saved it to my playlist of “profound people” so I can go back to it again and again. Cheers my guy!

Read Tolstoy and Dostoyevski.

You remind me this kind of problem we have today on a novel I red last year: “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury (1953). Very fantastical Dystopian Novel about a society were books are banned and burned into flame by the firefighters and information is compressed in a fast consumable way. There is a chapter who talks exactly the same argument. I could’t found this wonderful piece of writing in a summary of the same, because knowing just the summary without reading the book, it’s like having a treasure without looking inside. Read Guys, please! You could found rare pearls!

this is a really great video. I love it when people appreciate things like this

I’d like to thank KZfaq for recommending this video, I really needed it. Great job, man

I'm so happy I found your channel. You inspire me

2:45 you mean OUR friend 🚩

Just wanted to say I really appreciate everything you put into words here, long time haven't seen anything truely valuable here... glad to find you Robin! ^_^

this is the very video I've always been looking for throughout my reading journey !!

what infuriates me is that i can read books like the hunger games or twilight in less than a day but when it comes to classics and all it takes me a month.

I’m in love with you.

This is probably one of the most comforting videos I've watched

Thanks so much for your valuable description of your reading habit. I totally agree.

whoever dislikes this video was watching in upside down

"yadda yadda yadda" hmm sounds like exurb1a...

Hi Robin, I'm new to your channel. I know this is three years old, but wanted to share that I really loved this video. I have always scored pretty low on comprehensive tests in grade school and this was something that I've only begun to recently combat in my late 20s. Teachers never really emphasized the importance of reading slower, and when they did, that encouragement was conflicting with what test windows demanded from us - answering heavier prompts, reading faster, and formulating a response all within an hour or two. I've recently started an Autobiography on Akira Kurosawa and have been approaching this specific book at a much slower pace. Ignoring the stigmas of being a "slow" reader and instead, *truly* enjoying this book and letting it breathe has made me a lot more appreciative of the joys that I do have for reading. Much like you mentioned in another video about curiosity being a lost quality, I do believe that the conditioning and comparisons that are emphasized throughout grade school tamper with our beautiful desire to think, study, and research joyously. I do believe that if many of us championed and savored slower learning, we would come to appreciate that there's always *more* to learn about anything and everything. That maybe one book doesn't make you an expert... or two, or five, or ten. But rather, what's truly impressive and infinitely more valuable, is being able to encode that information in a way that is special, personal, and specifically communicable to yourself. Thank you again.

You speak so well and your video has an amazing quality, I'm glad to have met your channel through this video!