Readicide: How Schools are killing Reading and What You Can Do About It.
While in college, I remember having an English literature course and having to read the Secret Sharer by Joseph Conrad. Although I enjoyed the experience provided by the short story, as well as a number of the professor’s remarks, all in all, I found his in-depth review to be a bit overwhelming, i.e., he didn’t hesitate to point out every possible and/or remote bit of symbolism. Finally, after the professor finished deflowering the beauty of the piece, petal by petal, I asked him if it would have been possible to just to enjoy the harmony of how the words and ideas flowed. Replying to my obvious lack of education, he insisted that it was essential to understand every possible nuance. Accepting his supreme authority and not wanting to be disrespectful, I let it go at that.
However, considering the revelation provided by Readicide, I guess I was lucky the experience didn’t take away or reduce my interest in reading. Accordingly, I am grateful that Mr. Kelly Gallagher is able to point out that my college professor was unknowingly attempting to kill my desire to read, although, Mr. Gallagher is doing the same thing in Readicide that it is no less than an insult to my (questionable) intelligence. But one might ask, how can I find fault with a book that received thirty-five reviews on Amazon, where thirty earned five stars and the remaining had four stars? Furthermore, one reviewer was so excited about the book, that he only stopped praising it after 158 lines or 1725 words. After reading this lengthy review, one must wonder why he stopped at 1725 words, after all, Mr. Gallagher for the most part repeated his point for 118 pages, and that doesn't include the 18 pages dedicated to an appendix, six to references, and eight pages for an index. Could it possibly be that Mr. Gallagher couldn't stop writing even then, and penned his own 158 line review using a pseudonym?
By using his acquired statistics, and a brief explanation of same, I truly believe Mr. Gallagher would have been more than capable of convincing me that a problem existed, and he had the appropriate solution by presenting his argument in about four typewritten pages, or even five at the most, and that would include the appropriate references, but thankfully negate the need for an index.
But then, what precious words and/or chapters would be lost from such a revered book? For a start, let us consider that many readers of this tome have been teaching for a number of years and really didn’t need to peruse Mr. Gallagher’s own list of 28 items that were discussed at faculty meetings, or revisit the 21 lines from Hamlet.
I could go on and make note of the oft repeated concepts and unnecessary illustrations, but do not wish to insult your intelligence or to blemish the excellent reputation of Mr. Gallagher. However, there is one item I can't let stand, i.e., although paragraph three on page 30 states that “…there is not a single bookstore where I teach.” Please find that there are at least fifteen different bookstores within a five mile radius of the Magnolia High School where Mr. Gallagher has his classes and that includes a Barnes and Noble. Furthermore, there is a public library less than two miles walking distance from the high school. And I almost forgot, the Main Anaheim Library is 3.75 miles driving distance from the school. With these convenient options for free literature, does a person really need to buy a book?
In closing (yes, I believe I know when to put the pen down) Mr. Gallagher's book, while making an excellent point, and suggesting both realistic and unrealistic ways to achieve the love of reading in our students, does so in a fashion that easily fills a book, but fatigues our brains as we try to wade through the repetition, and/or the unnecessary pillars of support of this worthwhile revelation.
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