Evening star., 1932-08-09
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

A correspondent has written in TO
ask II we advocate the reading of more
than one book at a time"
There can be no harm In this practice
If one will use discretion.
There is more than one good read
ing method. and every honest reader
varies his practice from time to time.
The commonly accepted way is to
read one book at time, sticking to 1t
faithfully until 1t is finished.
It must be admitted that this Is a
practical method, one which has stood
the test of time, and which Is known to
all peoples.
Furthermore 1t has the backing of
educators. If educators mean anything
In your life.
Probably most people, in or out OF
the schools. would say that stick-to-it-
iveness is desirably quality, one which
every one should cultivate.
They would instance, perhaps, as a
supreme example, the man who could
take down the six large volumes OF
Gibbons Rome" and wade through
one after the other solemnly to the end
Offhand it may be admitted that this
method, for most human beings, Is the
most desirable, since it tends to insure
them ever reading at all.
1t particularly is the best method OF
reading fiction, when the sheer inter-
est Of the story carries one through
page after page.
Even professional reviewers often de-
clare that certain books kept them up
all night. With many a reader this Is
the supreme testimony,
Yet there is another way Of reading
and reading properly, too, 1t may be
asserted.
The exciting news of the days comes
to all of us in installmentS, as events
happen.
Nor is there just one enthralling
story; usually there are several. which
the reader goes through one after the
other, but bit by bit as they develop
from day to day.
Then. too, the sterilization OF novels
has been commonplace OF the read
ing world for generations.
While there are some people who
cannot read serials, most readers, espe-
cially feminine, love nothing better
than a good serial, which ends each
installment at a very exciting iuncture.
Thus the world of readers has been
taught to read several things at one
and the same time, in effect.
When one transfers the same method
to books the jump is not very startling,
Is it?
1t simply means that the reader keeps
several books going at once. leaving of
one to read another, and so en- up and
down his list.
Preferably the books should be of q
different nature. Half a dozen works
Of fiction, especially If they were OF any
length, would be rather a large order
for even the advocate nf what might he
called piecemeal reading.
Humsn beings mix their foods; there
is no particular reason why they should
not mix their books. All other sorts OF
reading matter they do mix, decidedly
jumbling magazines and newspapers
and advertisements and signs and
pamphlets and all other possible types
Of reading.
The reading eyes are never satisfied
1t is impossible for most human beings
to sit idly doing nothing. II there is
any bit of printed matter at hand, they
would rather read 1t than not.
One never hears Of such a reader COM
planning about getting his various bits
Of reading matter "all mixed up"
1t Is no task at all for an adult OF
average intelligence to be able to read
several books at the same time II he
is the pcssessor Of the reading tenn
perament to begin with.
The temperament is necessary.
Children had best read a book at q
time, as the teachers advise, because
reading is habit which must be cult
waited in youth in the majority oi
youngsters.
A book at time insures that the
child will concentrate on what he Il
reading, and every one knows that con-
centraticn Is a dificuit matter wher
one Is young.