Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Yes, I read the book

I remember sitting and looking at all the words.  Ok, not on all the pages.  I didn't read the back of the title page, that information about the publisher and the editions and so on.  


Ok, not with equal attention.  There were some words I emphasized, as when I came to the sentence stating the identity of the murderer.  Naturally, as a user of English since my early days, I would probably notice if the identifying sentence said "a murderer" instead of "the murderer".  In English, we take our articles seriously and there are important crime-solving difference between being THE murderer the police seek and being A murderer they haven't even known about.  


It would have taken much longer and not have been as interesting or helpful if I had given each word or even each paragraph equal attention.  My attention seems, like most people, to be built to hop and jump.  Probably derives from evolutionary history and better survival if I can my surrounding for approaching tigers.  I feel as though my attention was on the book thoroughly and I want to get credit in your course and in my mind as having read it.


So, you want to test me on the book, eh?  You have written a set of test items related to the book and its meaning and you feel that anyone who has read the book can answer those questions to your satisfaction.  Further, you feel that not doing well on your test is good evidence of my not having read the damned book or having only read it poorly or partially or without good "comprehension".


You wrote the book, right?  So, let me ask you a few questions.  What is the first word in the first sentence?  What is the last word in the last sentence?  Sorry, you did not answer such simple questions about a book that you yourself wrote.  Ok, you wrote it ten years ago.  And yes, in writing it and working on it for publication, you did read and re-read it over many times.  


As a reader of your book, I was surprised that you made the murderer left-handed.  You know, I have several loved ones who are left-handed and am not happy to see left-handedness associated with anti-social behavior, the political party the villain supports or her liking for basil perfume.  I assume "you didn't mean anything by" the association you built but you know, I got me thinking.  I bet your parents never really loved you, did they?  


To go on with this topic, consider this page and the statements made:

https://www.quora.com/What-does-a-person-mean-by-saying-that-they-have-read-a-book

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