Reading in Public No. 2: The three questions I ask myself about every book I read

Hey, readers!

I’m often asked how to have more to say about a book beyond I liked it or I didn’t. This is a deceptively tricky question! There are many approaches to reviewing, talking about, or thinking about literature, and which approach to take largely depends on the purpose of my reflection. Am I trying to convince someone to read the book? Am I preparing to discuss in depth for the podcast? Am I just trying to discern what my opinion about this book may reveal about my taste in future books?

I’ll go deeper into those questions of purpose in future editions of this series, but I will say there are three questions I always ask myself about the books I read. These go-to questions allow me to reflect on each individual reading experience and, I think, help me come up with fair but opinionated things to say about those books. They’re helpful when thinking through what works and doesn’t work for you in books, and they’re great questions for book club discussions about literally any book.

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The three questions I ask myself about every book I read:

Question #1. What is this book trying to do?*

There are so many directions to go with this question! Is the book offering social commentary on some important cultural moment? Is it playing with conventions of a particular genre? Is it attempting to surprise with an unexpected twist or reveal? Is it trying to make readers feel empathy for a certain experience? My major tip here is that there is never a single right answer and it’s okay if you’re uncertain. But considering what purpose the book might have helps me move from what I wanted from the book to what the book wants to be.

Here’s an example: I’m still mulling over just what I think Rebecca Makkai’s new book I Have Some Questions for You was trying to do, because it is doing a lot. But in part, I think the book is exploring the way different generations of women approach questions of consent as well as providing perspective on what those generations can offer each other when it comes to unpacking sexual trauma. There’s a lot more this book is doing in terms of theme, plot, narrative structure, etc. and we could pull any example, but this is the theme that’s standing out to me at the moment.

Question #2. How did it work towards this aim?

Here I consider things like characterization, structure, use of language…all those super nerdy details that English teachers can’t stop talking about. What plot elements or narrative exposition touched on that cultural moment? Which traditional genre conventions did it use and which did it reject? How did the text reveal information in a particular order to make for a satisfying conclusion? How did the point-of-view encourage empathy for particular characters and experiences? I often find an explosion of questions when I consider the how of a book and often my best reading experiences have me thinking about writing elements I’ve never considered before!

Let’s keep going with IHSQFY: In terms of my above observation, I think the book strives to create these themes through its use of narrator Bodie Kane’s memories, the introduction of characters from different generations, and….some plot and structural elements I won’t reveal for fear of spoilers! Having Bodie look back at the way she thought about consent, sex, and gender dynamics as a high schooler was very effective in highlighting the way those ideas have shifted. Comparing Bodie’s high school views with her present day views and with her Gen Z students’ views was particularly brilliant in bringing these issues to light.

Question #3. Was it successful? (And where did it falter?)

Once I have an idea of what the book is trying to do and how it approached its goals, I consider whether, in my view, it succeeded. Sometimes this is an easy yes or no answer, and sometimes it requires a little more reflection and nuance. If what the book is trying to do, for example, is surprise the reader with an unforeseen twist, then the answer to this question is simple: was it surprising or not? If my answer to Question #1 is more thematic in nature, the evaluation of success may be more complicated, and I may discover that the book succeeded only in part.

So was IHSQFY successful?: Mostly, yes. For the particular theme I pulled out today, I’d say the novel succeeded in offering a layered depiction of contradictory and evolving views about sexual harassment and consent. I do think, however, that the book is limited in this regard because every perspective and opinion is filtered through the lens of Bodie’s first-person narration.

Alright, readers, those are the questions I ask myself about every book I read. I have more to think through and say about each of these queries so I may break them down further in subsequent newsletters. For now, I’d love to hear which of these questions resonate with you and what questions you ask about the books you read. Drop those in the comments so we can all become more thoughtful readers together!

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-Sara

*You’ll notice that I do the weird English teacher thing here of giving the book itself agency rather than asking what the author is trying to do. I have lots of (mixed) thoughts on the idea of excluding the author’s intentions from a review, but that’s a topic for another day.

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