I was in the library reading LOTR (Just finished the Fellowship, my god would I recommend it!), and at the beginning of the session, I was reading the book and the descriptions and prose were so magnificent that I willed myself to try imagining what everything looked like in my mind’s eye. So this raises a question. Do you see the picture while reading? If so, how vividly? And is it automatic?
Just to clear up confusion, I’m not just talking about understanding the text. Or retroactively creating an image. I’m talking about while reading the text, you imagine what’s happening visually. And when something changes in the text, say the grass becoming dimmer, do you imagine that process happening?
Yeah I don’t think it affects enjoyment of reading in any way, we just experience reading and life a bit differently is all.
Also visualization doesn’t equal imagination, so descriptive scenes can be just as impactful. It’s still just a matter of personal taste if you like descriptive writing.
Having lived without visualization I can’t say I particularly want to be able to visualize, maybe for an hour.
Exactly. Would be nice to experience it, but I don’t feel like I’m missing out.
Hello fellow un-picturererer!