Surfing ! Skimming! Diving ! Go!

My English Professor for Charles Dickens’s novel – Hard Times phrased this:  Surfing, Skimming, and Diving. Before you move on to explore more about these sports and focus your attention on the undergoing Commonwealth Games where India is winning some notable laurels, this is about reading books. Not restricting yourself to any genre, this is how you should be trying to enjoy a book to its fullest, explore its murkiest realms and plunge into it. Everyone might have an interpretation of what this means and I do have my own.

Surfing:  To be honest, this is what is called as skipping through the pages. I do it whenever I desire to buy a book. Ignoring the evident glares of the shopkeeper and the attendant standing beside me, deliberately dusting near my shelf, I surf through the books. Not exactly called reading the whole books, but certainly getting the gist of it!

Skimming:  When you seriously feel that the book is worth reading, you pick it up cautiously. You still have some qualms of reading it, yet, try to have a good, quick read. Skimming is cleanly taking the top layer and absorbing it. You have understood what the novel says, you have all the characters in your sub conscious memory and you know the plot. Matter ends!

Diving :  Ah! Here comes the most interesting part! You finally trust the book! You dive into the spirit and soul of the book, put yourself in any character’s shoes, absorb the plot and relish the theme! You are at the very phrase which avid readers adore to do – “Read between the lines”.

And that packs up everything.

What is your interpretation of this phrase? Drop a comment below! <3