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Reading 1 min read Eliza Marsh

Rereading as a practice

The first reading is for the plot. The second is for the sentences. The third is for the silences between them. Some books only become themselves on the third pass.

The first pass

The first reading is greedy. You want to know what happens. You skim the descriptions and chase the dialogue, and at the end you close the book feeling like you’ve eaten too quickly.

The second pass

The second reading is calmer. The plot is no longer a question, so the sentences can finally be heard. This is where most of the real reading happens.

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