Thomas More
The other day, a friend tweeted and linked me to this article, wondering what my opinion on it might be. My opinion was just a little longer than 140 characters.
Said article describes a project called Open Utopia, which is, basically, a way to read Utopia by Thomas More with others. Anyone can annotate the text and, therefore, generate discussion about it.
A feature revolving around the key concept of Open Utopia, social reading, is also available on some ebook platforms– provided you “follow” or “friend” a fellow user, you can see any notes or highlights that they make public.
Part of me thinks this is super cool. Reading as a social activity? I mean, hello, I’m a book blogger. This is right up my alley. I obviously love to talk books. I am happiest when flailing over a text or quote I love with someone else who’s read the same thing. I see someone with a favorite book or hear someone mention it, and I feel like we’ve got a mutual friend.
It’s that part of me that loves this idea.
But the other part of me is stuck on the subjectivity in reading. How each person’s life experiences and knowledge inform their interpretation of a text. I think about the joy in feeling a particular turn of phrase resonate with me. Would I get the same thrill if someone else underlined that phrase first, forcing my attention on it?
I don’t think so.
Sure, I’d still like it. But it wouldn’t be the same.
And that’s why I think the idea of social reading is awesome… for a second reading. So that the reader can do a raw reading, experiencing the text for themselves before engaging in discussion and annotation with others about it. It’s the same reason I’ve begun avoiding reviews of books that I’m sure I’m going to read: I don’t want them to influence my opinion.
After I’ve read a book myself for the first time, sure. Open Utopia, discussion, and social reading itself? I’m game. Let’s gab.
But enough about my opinions. What do you guys think?
