Peter Mendelsund, What We See When We Read ** 1/2

Yeah, what do we see when we read?

If I said to you, "Describe Anna Karenina," perhaps you'd mention her beauty. If you were reading closely you'd mention her "thick lashes," her weight, or maybe even her little downy mustache (yes--it's there.) ... But what does Anna Karenina look like? ... What does her nose look like? ... How did you picture her before I asked? Noseless?

It's a great question, but unfortunately What We See When We Read doesn't provide much insight into the answer. The author successfully problematizes the issue -- that is, he demonstrates how mysterious the process really is -- and he knows that it relates to the broader question of how we comprehend the world ("The practice of reading feels like, and is like, consciousness itself: imperfect; partial; hazy; co-creative"). It all just makes me want answers!