Evening star., 1932-08-09

An average adult. however, will be
better able to hands several books at
once, because he has come to the point
in life where he is not so easily In
trigued by novelty.
Year by year he finds himself. IN
most cases, better fitted to read. a bet
ter reader. more able to handle any
thing which comes his way.
He reads more with his mind than
with his emotions This means that
he Is not swayed so much By what he
reads. but simply tries his best to ap-
preciate the good points in what he
Is reading, whatever 1t may be.
It is this quality in his reading, above
all else, which enables him to begin
one book, read so pages, take up an
other, read hundred pages, begin on
a third, read $50 pages, go back to
the first, read to page 1S0, say, and SO
on. and so on.
To the methodical mind not used tc
this method Of reading the process may
appeal as rare frittering away OF
precious energy. in keep ng track of the
various subjects, and especially Of plots
II the books are novels.
At this point, a major discrimina-
ton must be made. Not every one
certainly, is fitted for this type of read
ing. It's enemies will call it "desultory,
as If that constituted a crime.
Those in favor of it will point out
that methodical bookkeeping may be
necessary. but that methodical book
reading is not necessary, nor always
desirable.
1t will be seen that not every hui
man being can read several books "at
one time" Wherefore 1t becomes peces-
sary for the inquirer into this method
If he has never tried 1t, to first look
into his own habits, especially habits
of mind, and to determine II he Is
bound down by rules, and afraid OF
doing as he pleases, even In so per-
sonal a matter as his own reading
habits.
If he decides that he Is able to dc
as he pleases, then he is in position
to read as he pleases, certainly, and il
will sometimes happen that he pleases
to read several works 'at once" as II
were.
There is nothing more alarming about
this custom than that; and, on the other
hand. there is a great deal about 1t
which is at once practical and pleas
ing.
The desire to have more than one
iron" (book) in the reading fire" at
one and the same time Is an indication
that the reader is vastly aware Of the
comparatively small number Of years
which have been allotted to him in this
world, in comparison with the huge
number of good books which there are
in existence for him to read.
By beginning upon several before he
finishes any one, he makes plain to
himself that he is anxious to finish as
many as he can.
If it be objected that half a dozer
books, read in order, one after tbs
other. will require no more time thar
the same half dozen taken higgledy.
piggledy, the answer Is that they wi.
take no shorter time. either. and in tht
meantime he might have seen but one
book, whereas now he has actually
looked into the magic number of 6
and knows something Of six, insteac
OF one or two
This presupposes that the reader be-
lieve that every book possesses a GER
tain quality OF its own, a sort of aroma
as 1t were, over and above the words
which the attuned person is able u
seize upon in a few pages.
This Is true, and such a grasp IS q
distinct gain, no matter what any Ont
else may say about 1t, the initiated
reader will feel.
He uses discretion, however, and doe,
not attempt to read a dozen historic:
OF Japan at the same time, nor : ter
separate novels Of Conrad.
A story by Conrad, however. one o
;he newer histories of Japan, a recent
work on wild animals, a new book or
economies, monograph on lilacs, anC
treatise on the life OF the Roman
There Is nothing incompa tible about
such list. 1t is simply applying news.
paper and magazine tactics to books.