With so much reading
ahead of you, the temptation might be to speed up.
But in fact it’s essential
to slow down and read every word.
Because one important thing that can be
learned by reading slowly is the seemingly obvious but oddly underappreciated
fact that language is the medium we use in much the same way a composer uses notes,
the way a painter uses paint.
I realize it may seem obvious, but it’s
surprising how easily we lose sight of the fact that words are the raw material
out of which literature is crafted.
– Francine Prose.
