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A review by jenniferdeguzman
Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain by Maryanne Wolf
3.0
I have to admit; I merely skimmed the last few sections of this book. Maryanne Wolf is obviously knowledgeable and passionate about her subject, but this has failed to translate into a book for the layperson that has a narrative arc that keeps the reader interested. I found the section on the historical development of writing and reading interesting, but my attention seriously flagged when I began the neuroscience section. (I also got really self-conscious reading about what my brain does while I read. It was weird! But not the book's fault.)
There is a textbook quality to the latter half, and technical terminology that was never adequately defined. I vaguely recall the various functions of parts of the brain from a college psychology course, but a quick run-down would have helped tremendously in refreshing my knowledge. More case studies would have also helped keep my interest. Early in the book, Wolf writes that she is going to tell two stories about children learning to read -- one who has been prepared to read and one who has not -- but instead of telling actual stories, she describes generalized situations. As someone more geared to the humanities than the sciences, I did not find the narrative decision to be very compelling, especially since, as Wolf writes in the introduction, this is a book meant for the non-scientist.
I wonder about the title, too -- if it was an editorial rather than authorial decision. The examples or analogies of Proust or the squid are not very important parts of the book's thesis or treatment of its subject. It seems like the title is just the juxtaposition of two intriguing but incongruent elements two draw interest that is not sustained by the text.
There is a textbook quality to the latter half, and technical terminology that was never adequately defined. I vaguely recall the various functions of parts of the brain from a college psychology course, but a quick run-down would have helped tremendously in refreshing my knowledge. More case studies would have also helped keep my interest. Early in the book, Wolf writes that she is going to tell two stories about children learning to read -- one who has been prepared to read and one who has not -- but instead of telling actual stories, she describes generalized situations. As someone more geared to the humanities than the sciences, I did not find the narrative decision to be very compelling, especially since, as Wolf writes in the introduction, this is a book meant for the non-scientist.
I wonder about the title, too -- if it was an editorial rather than authorial decision. The examples or analogies of Proust or the squid are not very important parts of the book's thesis or treatment of its subject. It seems like the title is just the juxtaposition of two intriguing but incongruent elements two draw interest that is not sustained by the text.