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Book club Quote by Vladimir Nabokov

“One evening at a remote provincial college through which I happened to be jogging on a protracted lecture tour, I suggested a little quiz—-ten definitions of a reader, and from these ten the students had to choose four definitions that would combine to make a good reader. I have mislaid the list…” quote by Vladimir Nabokov
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““One evening at a remote provincial college through which I happened to be jogging on a protracted lecture tour, I suggested a little quiz—-ten definitions of a reader, and from these ten the students had to choose four definitions that would combine to make a good reader. I have mislaid the list, but as far as I remember the definitions went something like this. Select four answers to the question what should a reader be to be a good reader: 1. The reader should belong to a book club. 2. The reader should identify himself or herself with the hero or heroine. 3. The reader should concentrate on the social-economic angle. 4. The reader should prefer a story with action and dialogue to one with none. 5. The reader should have seen the book in a movie. 6. The reader should be a budding author. 7. The reader should have imagination. 8. The reader should have memory. 9. The reader should have a dictionary. 10. The reader should have some artistic sense. The students leaned heavily on emotional identification, action, and the social-economic or historical angle. Of course, as you have guessed, the good reader is one who has imagination, memory, a dictionary, and some artistic sense–-which sense I propose to develop in myself and in others whenever I have the chance.””

Vladimir Nabokov

About This Quote

Source Lecture: Reader Development Seminar, date unknown

A good reader combines imagination, memory, language tools, and artistic sense, beyond mere identification or genre preference.

In simple terms: Reading requires imagination, memory, vocabulary, and artistic sense.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate a balanced reading skill set.

Themes

reading education imagination memory language artistic sense

Mood

reflective instructive

Type

educational philosophical

When to use this quote

  • book clubs
  • literature classes
  • self‑study
  • writing workshops

Key Concepts

cognitive development literary theory critical thinking

Questions to Reflect On

  • What habits strengthen a reader’s imagination?
  • How can readers balance emotional and analytical approaches?
A Different Perspective

Overemphasis on emotion can limit analytical depth.

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