Nabokov's "Good Readers and Good Writers" Passages

While I was reading "Good Readers and Good Writers" by Vladimir Nabokov, several passages captured my attention. I thought it was really interesting when Nabokov included a paragraph talking about the boy who cried wolf. I used to love that story when I was a kid and made me focus more on the rest of the essay. It is comparing when literature was born to the childhood story of "The Three Little Pigs." Another passage that I found interesting was on the last page. He talks about there being "three points of view from which a writer can be considered." (Nabokov) The three points are a storyteller, a teacher, and an enchanter. The storyteller is there for the entertainment and funny parts, while the teacher is there for learning lessons and facts. But as Nabokov says, "the enchanter in him that predominates and makes him a major writer." (Nabokov) My favorite part of the essay was where Nabokov lists ten definitions on "what should a reader be to be a good reader." (Nabokov) I enjoyed this section because it really engages the readers and allows you to do a little quiz which is always fun. And then you can check and see if what you chose was right in the next paragraph.

Nabokov, Vladimir. "Good Readers and Good Writers." Lecture