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Literary notes about Reading (AI summary)

The term “reading” in literature embraces a wide spectrum of meanings, ranging from the simple act of perusing text to the more intricate process of textual interpretation and criticism. In many narratives, “reading” denotes the everyday, intimate act of engaging with written material—a character might be depicted reading a letter late into the night ([1]), enjoying a newspaper on a brief pause in action ([2]), or even reading aloud to share a story ([3]). Yet, the word also takes on a technical nuance in scholarly contexts, where discussions of “the reading” refer not only to the physical process of deciphering text but also to debates over variant manuscripts and authoritative texts—instances seen in biblical commentaries ([4], [5]) and literary notes where different editions are compared ([6], [7]). Thus, “reading” serves both as a bridge to personal introspection and as a foundation for academic scrutiny in literature.
  1. Without a moment’s thought, Anna sat down to the table with Betsy’s letter, and, without reading it, wrote below: “It’s essential for me to see you.
    — from Anna Karenina by graf Leo Tolstoy
  2. But the driver had already swung down from his seat, and was seated on the parapet reading a small newspaper.
    — from Bliss, and other stories by Katherine Mansfield
  3. Little Flora Gordon was staying with the Misses Jenkyns, and when I came in she was reading aloud to Miss p. 35
    — from Cranford by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
  4. 23, where the right reading is τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἡμῶν.
    — from St. Paul's Epistles to the Colossians and Philemon by J. B. Lightfoot
  5. In Heb. x. 34 the right reading is not τοῖς δεσμοῖς μου, but τοῖς δεσμίοις συνεπαθήσατε (comp.
    — from St. Paul's Epistles to the Colossians and Philemon by J. B. Lightfoot
  6. The reading of the 1st ed. and that of 1821; "battle" in most others.
    — from The Lady of the Lake by Walter Scott
  7. Note 128 ( return ) [ harpy] So the 8vo.—The 4to "Harper;" and with that reading the line is cited, in a note on MACBETH, act iv.
    — from Tamburlaine the Great — Part 1 by Christopher Marlowe

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