ABSTRACT
Books inveigle us out into the world. Sooner or later, we pose a question to ourselves about what we have read: “Is it real?” We need to find out in person so that it becomes a part of our actual lives, not just our fantasy. In this way, reading does not simply involve thinking about things but invites us to test our ideas against the things themselves.
Testing a book in the world forces us to confront the chasm that separates text and thing. Books seem plausible only as long as we read them from the comfort of our study with no intention of risking ourselves on what they say. Once we decide to test a book, though, even our most basic assumptions start to fall apart.
All of us stand on structures that feel solid under our feet until we step on a rotten plank which gives way under our weight. We can never be sure that the next step will support us. Our life is wholly experimental whether we admit it or not. Reading points us to what we need to test. That is its most valuable function.
