Speaking of reading the paper, did any NYCistas see the first chapter of The Great Gatsby in today's NYTimes? Apparently they're going to be publishing it serially to encourage people to read. Reading it piecemeal like that would drive me batty, but it's a neat idea.

Reading made me carsick when I was a kid, but I did it anyway. I'd just read until I felt sick, close my eyes until I felt better, then read a little more. I suspect I could read upside down in a hurricane.

Speaking of reading the paper, did any NYCistas see the first chapter of The Great Gatsby in today's NYTimes? Apparently they're going to be publishing it serially to encourage people to read. Reading it piecemeal like that would drive me batty, but it's a neat idea.

That's pretty sweet. And it might drive people battily to the library to get the book themselves. Very cool.

Seriously? How did I not know this?

which part? that I was there? or that cook no longer exists?

did any NYCistas see the first chapter of The Great Gatsby in today's NYTimes?

They're talking about it right now on The Brian Lehrer Show. ("They" being Charles Scribner III and Brian Lehrer.)

which part? that I was there? or that cook no longer exists?

That you were there.

My parents did the flashcard thing too, but what can you expect with two teachers? Mostly, though, I remember them doing that with my brother.

My parents were both teachers. Mom was a K-8 expert and Dad was a high school English teacher. They didn't do the flashcard thing, though--in fact, I don't think I learned to read until I was taught in school, first grade. I must have been about 6. Once I got started, though...hoo boy. Only child, lived in the middle of the woods with no neighbors my age. Read in the car, at dinner, in bed under the covers with a flashlight, outside ("play outside" translated to "read outside" for me), in planes, on trains, in class behind the book the teacher wanted me to read... Yep. Addicted completely, me. I've always looked forward to long trips for that reason--catch up on reading! Woot!

I love that the NYT is publishing Gatsby serially! I teach it that way to my lowest level juniors (read one chapter every class or so), and they love it. It would drive me batty because I'm conditioned to read a lot in one sitting, but for these kids who can barely get through a magazine article without losing interest and forgetting what it's about, the serial approach to literature works well.

Driving vacations were definitely time to read in the car in my family. We also read books aloud to each other.

I remember the driving trip to the Lake District and Scotland where I was really into Tolkien. And memorising (and reciting, natch) the poetry. I'm thinking my parents were reconsidering their decision to allow me to read about halfway through that vacation.

I always read above my grade level. I make no pretensions now to having understood above my grade level, but there you go. I sure thought I was clever at the time. It just means I have quite the list of books to reread to see what the hell they were talking about.

The last time I was with my father's side of the family, my grandmother and I were recommending Agatha Christie to my cousin's 10 year old daughter -- she's a big reader, and that was the age when both of us (me and Grammy) had read her. Her mom was a little suspicious, because they are "grown-up" books, but we assured her it would be OK. Nothing like indoctrinating the next generation of mystery readers...

Last time I tried reading Gatsby, I was in eighth grade, in a school I hated, and reading that book just got to be a massive power struggle. I kind of like the serial approach. I kind of wish it was being done with a book that had originally been published serially, because I'd be kind of curious to see how it played out, being read that way, but Gatsby seems like a nice choice. I think I'll try to pick up a copy of the Times today.