Sire, James W. How to Read Slowly: Reading for Comprehension. 2nd ed. The Wheaton Literary Series. Wheaton, IL: Harold Shaw Publishers, 1989.
Dr. James Sire, former professor of English and the former editor for InterVarsity Press, is most recognized for his book The Universe Next Door (now in its 5th printing with 350,000 copies sold).[1] Though his name may be synonymous with Worldview Studies for many, Sire produced erudite works aimed at Christians who often thought of philosophy and literature as something beyond them.
In How to Read Slowly, Sire tackles this preconceived notion head-on: “reading well is a broadly human craft and can be practiced by any person with a basic intelligence” (12). This basic principle sets the tone for Sire’s guide on reading a text for more than mere entertainment, though not less. For by recognizing the presuppositions of what we read, our own worldviews undergo a trial by fire, helping the reader to live well and to read well (18). Sire then goes on to work this theory out in each genre, first exploring non-fiction, then poetry, and finally fiction. His advice for each genre of writing builds upon the one previously discussed. For non-fiction, he proposes four primary questions for every text (34):
1. What genre is the reading?
2. What is the thesis?
3. What is the evidence, and how is it presented?
4. How does the author handle objections?
Using the metaphor of a cityscape, Sire then offers a way for readers to look for the right things in a poem, just as an architect recognizes much more in the beautiful structure of a building (70). Third in line is the world of fiction, where Sire offers further questions to ask of a text (98–99, 103, 109–110, 117–118, 123). He is keen to remind the reader of the necessity of seeing the big picture in such stories, however, using Tolkien’s idea of “sub-creation” as his foundation (93; cf. 125). The closing chapters are aimed at theoretical and practical bits which encompass the whole project. Chapter Five delves into contexts (biographical, literary, historical, and intellectual), and Chapter Six offers guidelines for knowing what to read, instead of the gorging method that is often attempted (20–21). Sire is quick to remind his readers that, though his proposal is a daunting task, “Reading does get done. The point is to start and then to read well. How far we get, how many books we read, must not become the issue” (155). The tail end of the book is a proposed reading plan and suggested reading list that focuses more on periodicals than book-length works (171–180). The entire book can be consumed in a couple of short sittings, and despite its title, is a quick read.
One of the fundamentals undergirding Sire’s thesis is that reading matters, especially for Christians. This necessity prompts him to provide a simple how-to guide to get Christians doing just that. Underlying this is the belief that all texts have a meaning, and that this meaning is discoverable by the average reader. Additionally, readers will best learn to recognize errors by exposing themselves to other points of view, which acts as a two-way street (145). Although offered in a simplistic way, Sire is arguing for the contextually contingent nature of literature and readers. Though words like, “play” and “historical consciousness” are not found in the book, Sire is tapping into some of the same ideas that Gadamer explores (albeit in a more philosophical way). What Sire offers is not an argument that all people will read the same way, nor that all Christians must read the same books. The benefit of this “big picture” method of reading is perhaps best illustrated in the poetry chapter: “Life is short, but art is long. Sophocles is dead, but Oedipus lives on . . . Each of us when we read a great piece of literature is a little more human than before” (58-59). This echoes Hans-Georg Gadamer’s own insights:
“The remnants of past life – what is left of buildings, tools, and contents of graves – are weather-beaten by the storms of time that have swept over them, whereas a written tradition, once deciphered and read, is to such an extent pure mind that it speaks to us as if in the present.”[2]
Sire is providing a helpful guide that draws Christians into the life of the mind through reading and engaging with the written word (which would also include the Word). Understanding what a person reads is one of the most essential tasks to growing in our understanding, not only of God, but of life in general. Books outlast empires; Plato is read long after the Greek Empire, and its successors, have become little more than ruins on the scarred face of the earth. As such, the development of good study and reading habits is vital to an active mind.
This kind of reading, which might not always be slow, but is consistently thoughtful, offers an invitation. By reading with purpose, asking questions of the text rather than passively imbibing the words on the page, the reader enters a long tradition of interpretation and a history of thought which will continue after the audience is gone. Like Sophocles, we will one day be dead, and yet Oedipus will live on. Sire’s helpful manual serves as a reminder of this invitation, encouraging Christians that “great books teem with peoples and lands, with ideas and attitudes, with exuberance and life” (168). It is a clarion call for all with ears to hear.
Sean C. Hadley is a husband, father, lecturer, and author. He is currently completing a PhD in Humanities (ABD) at Faulkner University. His essays and book reviews have been published by a variety of outlets, including Touchstone Magazine, An Unexpected Journal, The Imaginative Conservative, and The Hemingway Review. Entering the classroom in 2009, Sean’s teaching includes instruction in humane letters and service as Thesis Director at two different classical Christian schools. Sean has presented at various conferences, including for the Association of Classical Christian Schools, the American Literature Association, and Faulkner University’s Institute of Faith and the Academy. Since 2014, Sean has taught at Trinitas Christian School located in Pensacola, Florida.
[1] This interesting tidbit adorns the description of Sire’s book, Rim of the Sandhills.
[2] Hans-Georg Gadamer, Truth and Method. Trans. Joel Weinsheimer and Donald G. Marshall. (Bloomsbury Academic: New York, 2013) 163.