Rose Horowitch, an Atlantic writer, discusses the declining reading habits of college students, prompted by her reporting on their struggles with full-length books. She examines the impact of distractions like cell phones and standardized tests. Guests share personal reflections on high school literature, highlighting transformative works like Milan Kundera’s 'The Unbearable Lightness of Being' and John Donne's poetry. They argue for the enduring value of these readings amidst a changing academic landscape, emphasizing the profound emotional and intellectual growth they inspire.
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insights INSIGHT
Reading and Empathy
Reading is fundamental to being human and builds empathy by exposing us to different perspectives.
Novels are a reliable way to develop this capacity, especially during formative teenage years.
insights INSIGHT
Decline in Reading Ability
College professors observe a decline in students' ability to read books over the past decade.
Students struggle with details, overall plot, and unfamiliar ideas, even in short texts.
insights INSIGHT
Impact of Standardized Testing
The shift toward shorter texts in high school, influenced by standardized testing, impacts students' reading abilities in college.
Students have less experience with longer works, making the transition to college reading loads difficult.
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Published in 1969, 'Portnoy's Complaint' is a novel by Philip Roth that follows Alex Portnoy, a 33-year-old Assistant Commissioner of Human Opportunity for the City of New York, as he recounts his life, including his childhood, family relationships, and sexual experiences, to his therapist Dr. Spielvogel. The book is known for its explicit and comedic depiction of sex, which caused controversy upon its release. It delves into themes of Jewish identity, the impact of family upbringing on personal neuroses, and the struggle between sexual desire and societal expectations. The novel is structured as a non-linear monologue, jumping between various memories and experiences that highlight Alex's conflicted feelings about his Jewish heritage and his sexual obsessions[2][3][5].
The Color of Water
A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother
James McBride
In this memoir, James McBride recounts his own experiences as a mixed-race child growing up in poverty, while also telling the story of his mother, Ruth McBride Jordan. Born Rachel Shilsky in Poland, Ruth was the daughter of an Orthodox Jewish rabbi who fled pogroms and settled in America. She later married a black minister and founded a church in Brooklyn, raising twelve children despite facing significant racial and economic challenges. The book explores themes of race, identity, family, and the universal love that transcends these boundaries, as encapsulated in Ruth's phrase, 'God is the color of water.'
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Milan Kundera
Set in Czechoslovakia during the 1968 Prague Spring and its aftermath, 'The Unbearable Lightness of Being' follows the lives of Tomáš, a surgeon and serial adulterer; Tereza, his wife; Sabina, Tomáš's mistress and an artist; and Franz, Sabina's lover. The novel delves into philosophical themes such as the concept of 'lightness' versus 'heaviness', drawing from the ideas of Nietzsche and Parmenides. It explores the characters' experiences with love, sex, loyalty, and betrayal, all set against the political turmoil of the time. The story examines the human condition, the search for meaning and happiness, and the consequences of the choices made by the characters[2][3][5].
Recently, professors at elite colleges told Atlantic writer Rose Horowitch that their students don’t read whole books anymore. They blamed cell phones, standardized tests, and extracurriculars, and they mostly agreed that the shift began in high school. In this episode of Radio Atlantic, we make the case for reading books, one memory at a time.
We talk to Horowitch, and we hear from several Atlantic writers about the books they read in high school that stuck with them, and how their views of these books and the characters in them changed over time.
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