The Parts of a Book
Posted at 9:42 am on Tuesday, April 7, 2009, in Reading, and tagged books.
Not to get too involved in some prototypical blog entry destined for greatness, er, boundless greatness, there are three parts to any (good) book:* the first quarter, the middle half, and the last quarter.
Now, some in-depth analysis of these three parts…
The first quarter of the book is the getting accustomed phase. This is characterized by slow, stuttered reading, trying to become familiar with the author’s writing style, language, characters and subject. This is also the get-out-of-jail-free portion of the book. If the first quarter doesn’t entice you to keep reading, it is safe to assume you were not invested enough in the book and you can stop reading altogether without feeling guilty.**
The middle half is the meat, and time flies. In fact, less time will be spent on this longer section than either of the other two (the first or last quarters). Characters and subject are well-known, writing style and language are accepted and second-nature. You get lost in the moment. Twenty-minute train-rides go by in an instant. Chapters open and chapters close. Full steam ahead.
The last quarter requires hedging. Is this really the end? Did I miss something? Was this the character that did that or say that in the beginning (or middle)? This part takes some time to read, a lot like the first quarter. Chapters are read more slowly, and flipping back (a page or two, or even a few hundred) to re-read is sometimes crucial to finishing the book, to understanding what is happening, what the author is trying to tell you. This is the end, but the end is never fitting.
I have never been truly satisfied by the ending of a book. I’ve simply moved on to my next book. And the cycle starts again.
* I preface book with ‘good’ because bad books just shouldn’t be read.
** This is recommended for any John Fowles’ book that was foolishly started.
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