ThePaperSunflower: The Joys of Reading Together


Reading Couple (1877) by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) www.wikiart.org

Reading Aloud

A very pleasant habit for home life is that of reading aloud some pleasant book in the evenings, and if the selection of the book is wise it certainly makes the home circle very attractive, and lightens the drudgery of the mother, who often sits after tea with her basket of stockings to be darned and who has a dreary time if each member of the family, who does not go out, takes his or her paper or book, as I have often seen, and subsides into their own interesting reading, leaving her to her own meditations. A book read aloud at home gets a charm, apart from itself sometimes; its very name will conjure up in our memories scenes in the far past— the pleasant family circle, then, perhaps, unbroken, the cheerful fireside, and frequently, too, the comments upon what is being read which add to the interest, and give a newer insight. The same association applies to a piece of work which is in operation while any book is being read.

--Ladies Fancy Work, Edited by Jenny June, 1886


Mrs. Cassatt Reading to Her Grandchildren (1880) by Mary Cassatt (1824-1926) www.wikiart.org

Times change, technology changes, but people don't change very much. In the 19th and 20th centuries, people often became isolated in their own reading or needlework, instead of interacting with each other. The unhappy looking couple below, riding on a train, appear to be pretending to read to avoid interacting with each other. The man holds his newspaper upside down, and the porter, standing behind them, his hand over his mouth, laughing at the absurdity.

Unhappy Couple On Train (1905) Photo by George R. Lawrence Co. (Courtesy of Library of Congress)

Today, we have more distractions--television, computers, tablets, smartphones, gaming systems. Couples, families, and groups of friends spend much of their time in the same room, but at a distance. Often people will find themselves sitting across the table from each other texting messages instead of talking. While quiet time alone is still important, and keeping up with social media has become essential in our world, it's important not to forget to share special times with the people in our lives, and to be present in the moment.

Postcard (1906) Courtesy of tuckdb.org (link)

Reading aloud together is a different way to experience a book, and is enjoyable for adults, as well as children. It can spark conversation, and give new perspectives and ideas. Reading aloud also creates vivid memories--not just of the story that is being read, but of a cozy, pleasant, unique place and time, and of the people who were present there, in that moment, with us. Reading separately, but in the same space, can also be an experience of togetherness, and a respite from the noisy and hectic world we live in.