What We See When We Read

Is it uncommon to mistake scenes from a favorite book for true memories of your own life? Why are some reading experiences so realistic and immersive while others feel artificial? Can we accurately picture any of the characters we fall in love with? What exactly happens when we read? Peter Mendelsund, associate art director for book publisher Knopf--notable for his cover designs for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and recent books by Ben Marcus, among many others--decided to find out. The result is the topsy-turvily illustrated marvel What We See When We Read.

Reading isn't merely a system for semantic conveyance, as many bookworms well know. The activity instead resembles a kind of transfiguration, in which text fades into oblivion as new worlds flower in our minds. Thank heaven for Mendelsund's artistic knack because, as he notes early into the adventure, "We imagine that the experience of reading is like that of watching a film. But this is not what actually happens--this is neither what reading is, nor what reading is like."

Why reading is unlike a movie playing in the mind can simply be illustrated by how vastly a book can differ when reread years later. But that doesn't bring us any closer to understanding the activity itself. What helps is Mendelsund's measured approach and his playful dismantling of language. He maps the dreamscape of reading to show us how the mirage dissolves under close scrutiny but its memory still burns brilliant. What a tangible magic books are! --Dave Wheeler, publishing assistant, Shelf Awareness

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