Becoming a Reader
The Experience of Fiction from Childhood to Adulthood
- Author: J. A. Appleyard, Boston College, Massachusetts
- Date Published: July 1994
- availability: Available
- format: Paperback
- isbn: 9780521467568
Paperback
Other available formats:
Hardback, eBook
Looking for an inspection copy?
Please email [email protected] to enquire about an inspection copy of this book
-
Becoming a Reader argues that, whatever our individual differences of personality and background, there is a regular sequence of attitudes we go through as we mature, which affect how we experience fiction, from the five-year-old child absorbed in the world of fantasy play, through the seventeen year old critical seeker of the truth, to the middle-aged reader recognizing their own experiences in fictional characters. Becoming a Reader argues that this sequence of responses can be worked out and described. The evidence for these claims is drawn from numerous studies of reading and from interviews with a great many readers, young and old. The developmental perspective provides a useful framework for assessing the implications of competing theories of reading and for charting the evolution of individual readers. Finally, in allowing us to predict our reading experience, the book allows us, as adults, to choose what to do with the power which reading gives us.
Read more- This is the most complete book of this type, covering readers of all ages
- The most up-to-date publication covering this material
Reviews & endorsements
'This book is an excellent introduction to the kinds of fiction that appeal to school-age children, adolescents, and adults. It provides a rich and provocative as well as informative view of the why and what of experiencing fiction by readers of different ages. It introduces the basic ideas, assumptions, and themes in literary interpretation and criticism. It portrays the kinds of characters and stories that are recurrent in formulaic romance and adventure that appeal to all ages in different forms. As a basic primer on literature and literary experiences of children and adults, it is highly recommended.' American Journal of Psychology
See more reviews' … a lucid and useful book on the way reading fiction helps us construct and enlarge our personal and social identities.' America
'Happily, Appleyard is in the 'grip' of neither Frye nor anyone else. Like his pragmatically conceived adult reader, Appleyard uses Frye's Anatomy because it works. He manages to hold aloft at once a number of theories, examining and extracting the best and most sensible ideas before moving on.' Book Reviews
Customer reviews
Not yet reviewed
Be the first to review
Review was not posted due to profanity
×Product details
- Date Published: July 1994
- format: Paperback
- isbn: 9780521467568
- length: 240 pages
- dimensions: 229 x 152 x 14 mm
- weight: 0.375kg
- availability: Available
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. Early childhood: the reader as player
2. Later childhood: the reader as hero and heroine
3. Adolescence: the reader as thinker
4. College and beyond: the reader as interpreter
5. Adulthood: the pragmatic reader.
Related Books
Sorry, this resource is locked
Please register or sign in to request access. If you are having problems accessing these resources please email [email protected]
Register Sign in» Proceed
You are now leaving the Cambridge University Press website. Your eBook purchase and download will be completed by our partner www.ebooks.com. Please see the permission section of the www.ebooks.com catalogue page for details of the print & copy limits on our eBooks.
Continue ×Are you sure you want to delete your account?
This cannot be undone.
Thank you for your feedback which will help us improve our service.
If you requested a response, we will make sure to get back to you shortly.
×