Retention
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You are currently reading a thread in /lit/ - Literature
You are currently reading a thread in /lit/ - Literature
How do I increase retention after reading a book?
I just made a book backlog and have begun reading slow and steadily. A few days ago I was really into a book that I read half of it in one sitting, however I noticed that my retention suffered & could barely remember anything I read.
Does retention increase over time the more you read??
bonus question:
Have you noticed yourself being more focused and have an easier time expressing yourself the more you've read?
>>7809141
Why does Ayn Rand get shit on like this? I get that her philosophy isn't popular but at least reading her stuff forces you to think about why you might disagree. She might not be top tier but putting her lower than Stephanie Meyer is a fucking joke.
>>7809141
You're not alone OP, whenever I read more than 150 pages in one sitting I notice my retention is low. It could be that I read too fast, or perhaps too much but I'd also like to hear others' suggestions.
>>7809178
Stephen fucking King dislikes them both but considers Rand worse.
Pynchon is memed way more than DFW, senpai.
>>7809178
The vertical location of an author on this list doesn't have any relation to his or her perceived quality
I'm sorry you're stupid, mate
>>7809249
Nah, there's no relation at all. You know you're stupid and misread the infographic. Quit while you're down, idiot.
>>7809274
No, there is. I can do this all day if you like.
>>7809290
I can't because I'm not a shut-in loser who can't read. Go ahead and respond though, I've already won.
>>7809295
>projecting this hard
You didn't win anything. If anything you've lost by getting so upset.
>>7809312
Not the anon you were arguing with, but yeah he won.
But to answer your question OP, just keep a short journal of all the books you have read and your thoughts on said books. I have a little notebook with table of context listing the titles of read books, all marked to the page number where I wrote a paragraph or two.
>>7809178
The chart isn't best to worst you moron
I think retention decreases the more you read, simply because of the fact that your memory gets worse over time. I know I retain info a lot worse that when I was 16.
I retain better: write notes, review notes, reread. Possibly consider reading through "How to Read a Book" by Mortimer Adler.
>>7809199
This OP, I suffer from the same problem. Reading in smaller, more-focused sittings has always had a better effect on my retention than reading for long periods. It's kind of like binge-watching something on Netflix, watching a whole show at once or over a very short time absolutely kills any memory of specific events or episodes, it all blurs together. With reading, if you feel your retention starting to slip, tap out and reflect/digest on what you read. Take a breather, basically.
Other than that, I recommend annotating and marking up your books. Assuming you're not the kind of guy who likes to keep his books pristine, going to town with a highlighter and pencil, recording my thoughts and impressions as I go has definitely helped my retention. Each mark is a tangible instance and physical "stop-and-reflect" moment. Then I'll be reading something later in the book and catch something I would've forgotten otherwise, because I highlighted something related to it seventy or whatever pages ago. And if you DO want to keep your books as clean as possible, then just keep a separate log (hell, make a reading journal) like >>7809340 says.
>>7809341
I'm aware of that. The chart says that anyone ever talking about Ayn Rand is always a troll, but that sometimes people talking about Stephanie Meyer on this board are not trolling. To say that less people on /lit/ have a genuine desire to talk about Ayn Rand than Stephanie Meyer is fucking preposterous. Twilight is pulp shut, and anyone coming to /lit/ knows that.
The irony is that I genuinely tried to discuss Rand and got swarmed by trolls.
>>7809391
The chart is from 2012, when Ayn Rand was a much more frequent troll meme. I remember this because I was around back thenand made that chart.
