First Line Friday #19: On Reading Well by Karen Swallow Prior

Thanks to Carrie at
Reading is My Superpower
for the Link-up

 

Title:  On Reading Well
Author: Dr. Karen Swallow Prior
Genre: Christianity and Literature

  〰First Line〰

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Rules rule.

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Synopsis:  (From Goodreads) 

Reading great literature well has the power to cultivate virtue. Great literature increases knowledge of and desire for the good life by showing readers what virtue looks like and where vice leads. It is not just what one reads but how one reads that cultivates virtue. Reading good literature well requires one to practice numerous virtues, such as patience, diligence, and prudence. And learning to judge wisely a character in a book, in turn, forms the reader's own character.

Acclaimed author Karen Swallow Prior takes readers on a guided tour through works of great literature both ancient and modern, exploring twelve virtues that philosophers and theologians throughout history have identified as most essential for good character and the good life. In reintroducing ancient virtues that are as relevant and essential today as ever, Prior draws on the best classical and Christian thinkers, including Aristotle, Aquinas, and Augustine. Covering authors from Henry Fielding to Cormac McCarthy, Jane Austen to George Saunders, and Flannery O'Connor to F. Scott Fitzgerald, Prior explores some of the most compelling universal themes found in the pages of classic books, helping readers learn to love life, literature, and God through their encounter with great writing.

In examining works by these authors and more, Prior shows why virtues such as prudence, temperance, humility, and patience are still necessary for human flourishing and civil society. The book includes end-of-chapter reflection questions geared toward book club discussions, features original artwork throughout, and includes a foreword from Leland Ryken.

   〰First Thoughts〰

"Reading is a lost art that I wish people would find."  Though I'm not sure that I originated the phrase, it was my motto even before I worked in higher education (and before Pinterest and memes were a thing).  In school, some of the books we were required to read were pure torture, while others were so enjoyable that I've read them--or others like them--over again.  The way my instructors (the good ones anyway) took us through these volumes weren't an exercise in futility.  Even for stories that were loathsome, we were taught to look for the deeper themes and possible pragmatic lessons within the text.  The author of On Reading Well seems to be taking the reader on a similar journey.  I'm looking forward to reading it.

So, what's the first line of the book you're currently reading?