--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The process of reading a book takes a…" description: "\"“The process of reading a book takes a while to get used to (in this future society). It's so slow and laborious. But once you get into it, once you fo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d69/mike-a-lancaster-24893_book_the-process-of-reading-a-book-takes-a-wh_1288912.jpg" --- # The process of reading a book takes a while to get used to… ![“The process of reading a book takes a while to get used to (in this future society). It's so slow and laborious. But once you get into it, once you forget the way you're reading and concentrate on what you're reading, it becomes a really unique experience. You have to work to draw meaning from it…” quote by Mike A. Lancaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d69/mike-a-lancaster-24893_book_the-process-of-reading-a-book-takes-a-wh_1288912.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d69/mike-a-lancaster-24893_book_the-process-of-reading-a-book-takes-a-wh_1288912.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d69/mike-a-lancaster-24893_book_the-process-of-reading-a-book-takes-a-wh_1288912.jpg) > ““The process of reading a book takes a while to get used to (in this future society). It's so slow and laborious. But once you get into it, once you forget the way you're reading and concentrate on what you're reading, it becomes a really unique experience. You have to work to draw meaning from it rather than having a meaning given to you. It doesn't tell you how to think.”” [Mike A. Lancaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-a-lancaster/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reading requires deliberate effort to construct meaning, offering a unique, personal experience rather than passive consumption. **In simple terms:** Reading is slow work but it creates personal meaning, not given to you. Key Takeaway Engage actively with texts to build your own understanding. Themes reading slow learning personal meaning active engagement critical thinking Mood contemplative encouraging Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - academic study - literary analysis - self‑education - mindfulness practice Key Concepts constructivism cognitive effort interpretive skill Questions to Reflect On - What strategies make deep reading more rewarding? - How can you sustain focus during slow, thoughtful reading? A Different Perspective The process can feel laborious, discouraging some from deep reading. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Reading A Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading-a-book/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [You should never read just for "enjoyment." Read to make yourself smarter! Less judgmental. More apt to understand your friends' insane behavior, or better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-waters/you-should-never-read-just-for-enjoyment-read-to-make-yourself-3/) [John Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-waters/) > [Reading a book is like re-writing it for yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-carter/reading-a-book-is-like-re-writing-it-for-yourself/) [Angela Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-carter/) > [“reading a book, or remembering something I heard on the radio last week, or admiring the flowers on the table, I am doing”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-durham/reading-a-book-or-remembering-something-i-heard-on-the-radio-last/) [Geoffrey Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-durham/) > [Books are to be called for and supplied on the assumption that the process of reading is not a half-sleep, but in the highest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/books-are-to-be-called-for-and-supplied-on-the-assumption-that-the/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [For me, the writing process is the same as the reading process. I want to know what happens next.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-asher/for-me-the-writing-process-is-the-same-as-the-reading-process-i-want/) [Neal Asher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-asher/) > [The process of reading is not a half sleep, but in the highest sense, an exercise, a gymnast's struggle: that the reader is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/the-process-of-reading-is-not-a-half-sleep-but-in-the-highest-sense/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [the process of reading is reciprocal; the book is no more than a formula, to be furnished out with images out of the reader's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bowen/the-process-of-reading-is-reciprocal-the-book-is-no-more-than-a/) [Elizabeth Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bowen/) > [“The process of reading is somehow heightened through the process of doing it near water. Extreme reading!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-lander/the-process-of-reading-is-somehow-heightened-through-the-process-of/) [Christian Lander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-lander/) > [It's strange to describe reading a book as a really great experience, but that's kind of how it felt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/it-s-strange-to-describe-reading-a-book-as-a-really-great-experience/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [Reading a book should not be a passive exercise, but rather a raucous conversation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/studs-terkel/reading-a-book-should-not-be-a-passive-exercise-but-rather-a-raucous/) [Studs Terkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/studs-terkel/) > [“Reading a book is like living a deep and fulfilling life. Watching a movie is like being a paralyzed person: watching others live their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charbel-tadros/reading-a-book-is-like-living-a-deep-and-fulfilling-life-watching-a/) [Charbel Tadros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charbel-tadros/) > [“Hope knew that her thinking regarding books went contrary to the general sentiment of the people of Eden. Books were seen as a waste…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bergen/hope-knew-that-her-thinking-regarding-books-went-contrary-to-the/) [David Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bergen/) > [Reading a book you are not enjoying is a torture not to be undertaken without a reward. I leave plays at the interval, too!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariella-frostrup/reading-a-book-you-are-not-enjoying-is-a-torture-not-to-be-undertaken/) [Mariella Frostrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariella-frostrup/) > [I can feel infinitely alive curled up on the sofa reading a book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-cumberbatch/i-can-feel-infinitely-alive-curled-up-on-the-sofa-reading-a-book/) [Benedict Cumberbatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-cumberbatch/) > [“To me; reading a book is like watching a movie. Once I start, I can't stop until it's over.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-me-reading-a-book-is-like-watching-a-movie-once-i-start-i-can-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Mike A. Lancaster > [“We simply don’t have enough data to form a conclusion”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-a-lancaster/we-simply-don-t-have-enough-data-to-form-a-conclusion/) [Mike A. Lancaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-a-lancaster/) > [“We all have to do things our own way. There’s actually no point in following in another’s footprints too exactly, you’ll end up leaving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-a-lancaster/we-all-have-to-do-things-our-own-way-there-s-actually-no-point-in/) [Mike A. Lancaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-a-lancaster/) > [“Warning: This data storage unit, or "book," has been designed to reprogram the human brain, allowing it to replicate the lost art that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-a-lancaster/warning-this-data-storage-unit-or-book-has-been-designed-to-reprogram/) [Mike A. Lancaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-a-lancaster/) > [“I think that's what we all want, in the end. To know that we left footprints when we passed by, however briefly. We want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-a-lancaster/i-think-that-s-what-we-all-want-in-the-end-to-know-that-we-left/) [Mike A. Lancaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-a-lancaster/) > [“You don’t get involved, you don’t get let down”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-a-lancaster/you-don-t-get-involved-you-don-t-get-let-down/) [Mike A. Lancaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-a-lancaster/) > [“Not if you like lies so much you want to live one”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-a-lancaster/not-if-you-like-lies-so-much-you-want-to-live-one/) [Mike A. Lancaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-a-lancaster/) > [“Without the friendship we'd never have discovered the reason we were friends.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-a-lancaster/without-the-friendship-we-d-never-have-discovered-the-reason-we-were/) [Mike A. Lancaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-a-lancaster/) > [“She was only saying what I already knew in my heart, but hearing the words spoken made it seem all the more true, all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-a-lancaster/she-was-only-saying-what-i-already-knew-in-my-heart-but-hearing-the/) [Mike A. Lancaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-a-lancaster/) > [“Dreams so often become nightmares. Family can so easily become foes. And people are always more stupid than you give them credit for.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-a-lancaster/dreams-so-often-become-nightmares-family-can-so-easily-become-foes/) [Mike A. Lancaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-a-lancaster/) > [“There's actually no point in following in another's footsteps TOO exactly, you'll end up leaving no tracks of your own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-a-lancaster/there-s-actually-no-point-in-following-in-another-s-footsteps-too/) [Mike A. Lancaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-a-lancaster/) > [“Adults are just making things up as they go along. And when they’re scared, adults have no more answers than us kids”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-a-lancaster/adults-are-just-making-things-up-as-they-go-along-and-when-they-re/) [Mike A. Lancaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-a-lancaster/) > [“If all that you REMEMBER is all that you are: who are you today? And who were you yesterday?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-a-lancaster/if-all-that-you-remember-is-all-that-you-are-who-are-you-today-and/) [Mike A. Lancaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-a-lancaster/) > [“It was a story by Edgar Allan Poe" "I didn't know the Teletubbies had first names ...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-a-lancaster/it-was-a-story-by-edgar-allan-poe-i-didn-t-know-the-teletubbies-had/) [Mike A. Lancaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-a-lancaster/) > [“Light is supposed to be reasuring. You learn that when you're very young. It defeats the bad things creeping around in your room. Every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-a-lancaster/light-is-supposed-to-be-reasuring-you-learn-that-when-you-re-very/) [Mike A. Lancaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-a-lancaster/) > [“How was it even possible to know if your brain was malfunctioning, because the very thing you need to think it all through is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-a-lancaster/how-was-it-even-possible-to-know-if-your-brain-was-malfunctioning/) [Mike A. Lancaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-a-lancaster/) [Explore all 22 Mike A. Lancaster quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-a-lancaster/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The process of reading a book takes a while to get used to (in this future society). 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