For Freepers -- Do you start reading books in the middle?

Crossing the Line: A Bluejacket's Odyssey in World War II | 1994 | Alvin B. Kernan

[rlmorel]

Agreed. Excellent book.

[rlmorel]

I only start reading a book in the middle in three circumstances:

I have read the book before.

I can’t get through the first chapter.

I am in a bookstore looking at it.

[MV=PY]

"For Freepers -- Do you start reading books in the middle?"

No, but I often stop in the middle.

[teeman8r]

i wait for the movie... but i always seem to miss the middle of the previews.

if the movie moves me to read the book, then i might start it in the middle.

t

[larryjohnson]

I just ordered a hardback from Amazon.

[BlueDragon]

Of course, always start in the middle.

Read one page (with my right eye) left to right.

Then shut that eye, and with the left eye, read the preceding page backwards right to left.

It helps to be dyslexic in one eye. Luckily enough for me it's the left.

Holding up the middling pages as those gather after being read is a pain though.

[dennisw]

More on the author. He is 92 years old according to the internet
http://www.uwyo.edu/honorarydegree/past_honorary_degree_recepients/2010_honorary_degree_recipients/kernan%20.html

http://yalepress.yale.edu/YupBooks/book.asp?isbn=9780300123159

The fellow who wrote the preface must have been a Princeton professor buddy of his. This guy has a Wikipedia entry
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Stone

[dennisw]

More on the author>>>>

http://www.princeton.edu/paw/archive_old/PAW98-99/13-0407/0407irtx.html

[huldah1776]

Good point about used bookstores. I’m near Princeton and will have to check them out.

[huldah1776]

The style of writing has been important to me. Robert Ludlum was a fave. I had to check out a part of yours and Havelock jumped out at me because I love Havelock, NC. (Marines flying jets is the ultimate for me.) You have a good sense of humor.

[Covenantor]

They are about the only source of great books out of print. Of course, the store may have web listings, but browsing allows for the surprise of a near forgotten title or edition.

Current book is “13 Hours” by Mitchell Zuckoff and Annex Security Team of the Benghazi Annex.

Just started, but Chapter One has the time line of threat and attack events prior to the full scale attack on the Consulate. That list on its own damns Hillary to hell for denying additional security for the Ambassador and staff.

[huldah1776]

“13 Hours” is coming to a theater near you. Books are always better.

[dmz]

I once read two chapters in a book on political philosophy that was so packed in a political legalese that it took me two weeks to read both those chapters.

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Funny.

I have one of those philosophy undergraduate degrees from 35 years ago.

I remember my history and poli sci friends complaining about the thousand pages that they had to read that week.

And I had to read a 4 page article.

No speed reading through an article that asks “Is justified true belief knowledge?” LOL.

[Slyfox]

I got my degree in history and I loved reading all of it. I would save my history reading for last so I could savor it all. It was the philosophy that bogged me down. Now, give me a book on the philosophy of history and I am in heaven.

[Billthedrill]

I skip to the dirty parts. It saves time.

[shibumi]

I have never watched an episode of Seinfeld.

Or Friends.

Or about 90% of the shows produced since (roughly) 1985.

[SunkenCiv]

Same here, I prefer to peruse real books; Amazon has a way of browsing virtual book contents online, and perhaps someday I’ll be glad it’s available, but for now, while I remain ambulatory (couple more decades I hope), there’s nothing like a bookstore. :’)

[Gaffer]

You missed a classic funny episode. You should watch it. :)

[NorthMountain]

Begin at the beginning. Proceed until you reach the end. Then stop.

[major_gaff]

Only Faulkner’s ‘The Sound and The Fury’...the four parts have to be read out of order or it makes no sense.