Reading sections of novels

[ColleenMc]

So, having gotten my feet sufficiently wet with reading fiction, I’m pondering participation in a group novel project.

My question for those who are old hands at this, do ou feel like you have to read or skim the rest of the novel to see context for your section? Or do you just jump in and read? Is there any way to maintain consistency across readers, like keeping track of name pronunciations or such?

[tovarisch]

Hello Colleen,

I've not got enough experience at this, and so I'm in the same boat as yourself. And perhaps that is why I recommend to pre-read your section(s) and ask your BC any questions (like about name pronunciation) you might have.

As a listener I can attest that if names are pronounced differently by different readers, it irritates a bit, and some folks can probably ignore it better than I can. That is one of the reasons I personally prefer solos to collaborative works.

Unless a pronunciation guide is provided, readers pronounce the names as they see fit.

[TriciaG]

I don't listen to or read other chapters when reading a group novel. I just jump into it.

I find slight variations in pronunciation of character names charming at best, not a big deal at worst. That is, for slight variations. If the pronunciation is so different that I cannot tell who the reader is talking about, that could be a problem. But that doesn't tend to happen. If the BC is concerned about the pronunciation of names, they'll usually include a pronunciation guide - either a spelling out of how to pronounce the name(s) or an audio file to listen to.

[kayray]

Like Tricia, I just jump in. I think it's fun to try to puzzle out what's going on while I'm recording, and I get bored if I pre-read.

And I, too, enjoy the charming little variations that occur in group recordings :)

[Cori]

Chiming in as a third 'jumper-in'. I always check the first post to see if there's a pronunciation guide, and if I'm an early volunteer in the project then I might ask in the thread too (especially if the author's name or hero/ine seem like they might have variants.) But I don't do more than that ... I just follow along with the story section that's in front of me.

[Penumbra]

Evidently I am in the minority. I don't read the whole book, but I at least skim the preceding chapter to see what has been going on, what the emotional tone is, and where the reader has been left. I tip my hat to those who just jump in, but it helps me to know a little about the characters and what's been going on just before my section. Also, if they are available, I will read two or three or four sections in a row rather than just one here and one there.

Re: pronunciation, you can ask the BC if there is a preferred pronunciation, but you can also ask the DPL, who has listened to all the sections turned in so far and so knows how things are actually being pronounced.

[JayKitty76]

I'm definitely not super-experienced at this, but what I usually do is just skim over the general context of the chapter- that way I won't make a weird mistake when I read. (At least, for me, the likelihood of that happening is much less when I scan it first than when I jump right in. Though sometimes I do that too ) Similar to Penumbra, I like to be a bit familiar with the book before I begin recording.

[Elizabby]

For me, it depends. I pre-read the chapter first before I try to record it, so if there's anything I don't understand or seems important then I skim read around for context. If it all seems straightforward then I just go ahead and record, and listen to the completed project later!

I had one chapter I particularly remember with a lot of narration, ending with a man walking into the room and everyone gasping "It's Charles!!" I can't remember the book, but I remember going back to figure out who on earth "Charles" was and why everyone was so surprised!