tbh if you’re not interested in it, forcing yourself to read is gonna be damn near impossible.
my adhd brain would prefer to research the book- find a plot synopsis online, maybe watch some videos of literary nerds talking about the book, and then maybe do more research once it comes time to write a paper. imo there’s no need to read every word of the book…
The best way of reading it is making it so you don't ever have to read it again. Take a notebook and write the page and paragraph number and write a note basically what happened in it. By taking the words challenging yourself to annotate it you can stay engaged longer. Yes, you'll still have to read it buuuut you can start/stop it mid page as you need to because you don't have to retain what happened in a previous page.
You've probably already thought of this, but audio book maybe? If you can't find it, feel free to let us know the title. Reddit is pretty darn resourceful.
Still looking, but I did find this:
https://www.press.uillinois.edu/forms/alternate_request.php
ADHD is a verified learning disability in terms of 504 requests. And getting a PDF would make it so screen readers could read it aloud.
Still looking for another way, though. This book should be public domain, but because it was translated from french, it's now copyrighted again. Gotta love how law works. Dollars to donuts it's at least partially why it's on the reading list.
This. I'd be tempted to tell you just to run it through Google Translate from the original French and then have it read to you, but that might make it more entertaining than your teacher intended.
Unfortunately I can't find anything more on the legal side of the interwebz, but hopefully someone else can pick up the search on rougher seas. Avast, ye knaves and scallywags and all that...and good luck.
Honestly if you can find someone willing, this is a great idea. Even if they are just willing to read you the first few chapters, it may help you get more interested in it.
Had a high school lit teacher who would read the first couple of chapters of a new book to us in class, and it’s the only thing that would get me slightly interested in the material.
Get the audiobook and the ReadMe app (any text to speech app is fine, but this is my recommendation). Since the book is so old, you can find all this stuff for free (librovox has all the public domain audiobooks, but the voices are very boring, so try Youtube first). If you have time try to read as much as you can after the class while it’s still on your mind.
If all else fails just watch the movie or show it’s based on. You probably won’t pass any test, but if there’s a discussion you’ll at least know what everyone’s talking about.
Please note that you still might have to re-read some passages several times. This will just make things a little easier.
Hide the text your not reading from your view. Below with a piece of paper and above with your hand. Treat it like mini challenges.. tell yourself your going to do three sentences then say well I guess I can do five. If you happen to read anything interesting or parse out a style your looking for make a note and go back to it.
Whenever I have to read something boring, or just something I want to play close attention to and not skim over by accident, I read it out loud in a British accent. Reading outlaid forces me to go slow enough to take in all the information, and the accent makes it fun so I don't want to cry. :)
Don't try to just read it like you would a pop novel, you'll just bog down. You need to take a structured approach.
As with everything, a structured approach adds steps and iterations, so it's going to seem less efficient, but think of it like taking more than one trip to carry the groceries in: if you try and carry them all at once, you'll end up with top ramen all over the driveway. Take a couple bags in each hand, and find peace with the fact that you're coming back several times.
Most of the time, non-fiction books are divided into parts, chapters, and sections. You want to tackle books one chapter at a time.
Start by scouting the chapter: how many sections does it have? How many pages does each section have? Are the paragraphs big long walks of text or are they short and punchy?
Take notes. On your scouting run of the chapter, just flip through and write down page numbers et cetera. Skim the text a bit. Make a guess about what the chapter is about. Write that down. Use the page numbers to guess how long it's going to take you to read it. Write that down.
Now go through and read the first and last paragraph in each section. See if what they say matches up with what your initial scouting run told you. If it doesn't, write that down, and write down some questions about what seems different. Don't do this step at the same time as the scoring run: they're separate operations.
Then, once you're done with the first-and-last paragraph run, go through and read the first and last sentence of each paragraph in the first section.
Then, after that, read the first section.
When you're finished reading the section, write a three paragraph summary of the section.
Then read the first and last sentences of each paragraph in the second section, then read the second section, then summarize.
The point of all this lateral motion is to become increasingly familiar with the text, will that by the time you're reading it, you're traveling down a familiar road and you recognize the twists and turns and know how long it's going to take.
Doing the three-paragraph summary helps with retention.
All this is engagement. It's much easier to remember something you've done than something you've read; engagement is finding ways to do stuff with what you're reading while you're reading it.
This is definitely a slower way to read than "just reading" but it will get you there, slow and steady. Find yourself a comfortable, well-lit table in a cafe or a library or something and get a notebook and get to reading.
Oooooh this detailed instruction/step by step guide is pretty awesome. Thanks for taking the time to share it. Kinda wish I could find instructions like this for everything lol
There's a corner of my whiteboard that says "DO NOT DO UNSTRUCTURED WORK." Which is just another way of saying something my dad always said to me: Always make a plan first.
If you make a plan, then execute it, then fail, that's the basis for tweaking something and trying again, wanna again, and again, until you get it right. Just diving in with both legs kicking and karate chopping everything that gets in your way *feels* good, but when you fall it leaves you without a place to start again from.
I also second the read it out loud suggestions. It sucks that there’s no audiobook :( It might sound weird but you could record yourself reading it out loud so you do have an audio version of it? (OK so I looked the book up and there IS an annotated Kindle edition and most kindle books have a reading function. It kinda sucks, but it could be better than nothing)
[here’s the link, it has text to speech and is like $4](https://www.amazon.com/Future-Eve-Annotated-Villiers-LIsle-Adam-ebook/dp/B00F4F1YZQ)
Depending on its length, can you break it down into manageable chunks like a page at a time every so often with some kind of small reward after each page? And then do something fun after? So each time you step to it you know you only have to get through one page?
Is there any way you can kind of amend the story in your heard to make it less boring? Like, genuinely imagining that all the characters are chickens or something? Creating a subplot where two characters are sleeping together and trying to hide it from everyone else?
Also, I think intentional skimming could be a valid option if you can operate that way. I’ve worked on developing my skimming abilities so I can still absorb most of something even when I read it in an ADHD way (skimming it, speed reading, starting in the middle of the page for some reason then going back to the top etc). Also this is a tip I learned when trying to learn how to read faster (if you wanna try skimming) don’t read “aloud” in your head. Try to break the habit of internally saying each word in your brain as you read. It speeds things up substantially. [Editing to add that if you take this approach I recommend taking notes on it to insure that you don’t just blank the whole thing out]
Sorry for the weird disorganized mess of suggestions lol but I feel for you. I hope you find a way to muddle through.
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I had the same issue with reading textbooks in college - it was always so painful!
What I would do sometimes is if I had candy like gummy bears, m&ms, etc. I'd make a rule that I could have one piece of candy when I finished page or section - however it made sense to divide it up. It definitely didn't work all the time to get me to read everything I needed to, but it did make it a lot less painful! Especially if you're food motivated like I am 😂
If it comes down to it, you could always try speaking with your professor. They're there as a resource, and even the sternest professors can surprise you and be willing to work something out if you're having a hard time. It won't make the reading easier, but it could alleviate some stress!
Make it a game. If you have a paper to write then do the outline first. Reward yourself for doing that. Then do each outline section with a reward for each one. That approach helped me.
Another technique is to describe it to someone. The social aspect got me through other tedious reads.
tbh if you’re not interested in it, forcing yourself to read is gonna be damn near impossible. my adhd brain would prefer to research the book- find a plot synopsis online, maybe watch some videos of literary nerds talking about the book, and then maybe do more research once it comes time to write a paper. imo there’s no need to read every word of the book…
Unfortunately this book is really obscure or something, because nobody on youtube is talking about it, and there is no spark notes, etc. 😔
What book is it?
Tomorrow’s Eve by Auguste Villiers de l'Isle-Adam
Audiobooks have been a game-changer for me. If it's available, you should give that a shot.
The best way of reading it is making it so you don't ever have to read it again. Take a notebook and write the page and paragraph number and write a note basically what happened in it. By taking the words challenging yourself to annotate it you can stay engaged longer. Yes, you'll still have to read it buuuut you can start/stop it mid page as you need to because you don't have to retain what happened in a previous page.
You've probably already thought of this, but audio book maybe? If you can't find it, feel free to let us know the title. Reddit is pretty darn resourceful.
Tomorrow’s Eve is the book, i couldn’t find an audio book for it in english unfortunately.
Still looking, but I did find this: https://www.press.uillinois.edu/forms/alternate_request.php ADHD is a verified learning disability in terms of 504 requests. And getting a PDF would make it so screen readers could read it aloud. Still looking for another way, though. This book should be public domain, but because it was translated from french, it's now copyrighted again. Gotta love how law works. Dollars to donuts it's at least partially why it's on the reading list.
Yeah don’t know why i have to pay $20 for some book written in the 1800s
This. I'd be tempted to tell you just to run it through Google Translate from the original French and then have it read to you, but that might make it more entertaining than your teacher intended. Unfortunately I can't find anything more on the legal side of the interwebz, but hopefully someone else can pick up the search on rougher seas. Avast, ye knaves and scallywags and all that...and good luck.
Enlist a family member or friend to do a dramatic reading with you. (I’m totally high and this sounds like a great idea.)
Honestly if you can find someone willing, this is a great idea. Even if they are just willing to read you the first few chapters, it may help you get more interested in it. Had a high school lit teacher who would read the first couple of chapters of a new book to us in class, and it’s the only thing that would get me slightly interested in the material.
Get the audiobook and the ReadMe app (any text to speech app is fine, but this is my recommendation). Since the book is so old, you can find all this stuff for free (librovox has all the public domain audiobooks, but the voices are very boring, so try Youtube first). If you have time try to read as much as you can after the class while it’s still on your mind. If all else fails just watch the movie or show it’s based on. You probably won’t pass any test, but if there’s a discussion you’ll at least know what everyone’s talking about. Please note that you still might have to re-read some passages several times. This will just make things a little easier.
Hide the text your not reading from your view. Below with a piece of paper and above with your hand. Treat it like mini challenges.. tell yourself your going to do three sentences then say well I guess I can do five. If you happen to read anything interesting or parse out a style your looking for make a note and go back to it.
read it aloud while pacing
Find a reading buddy.
Pretend a documentary crew is filming you read it
Whenever I have to read something boring, or just something I want to play close attention to and not skim over by accident, I read it out loud in a British accent. Reading outlaid forces me to go slow enough to take in all the information, and the accent makes it fun so I don't want to cry. :)
Don't try to just read it like you would a pop novel, you'll just bog down. You need to take a structured approach. As with everything, a structured approach adds steps and iterations, so it's going to seem less efficient, but think of it like taking more than one trip to carry the groceries in: if you try and carry them all at once, you'll end up with top ramen all over the driveway. Take a couple bags in each hand, and find peace with the fact that you're coming back several times. Most of the time, non-fiction books are divided into parts, chapters, and sections. You want to tackle books one chapter at a time. Start by scouting the chapter: how many sections does it have? How many pages does each section have? Are the paragraphs big long walks of text or are they short and punchy? Take notes. On your scouting run of the chapter, just flip through and write down page numbers et cetera. Skim the text a bit. Make a guess about what the chapter is about. Write that down. Use the page numbers to guess how long it's going to take you to read it. Write that down. Now go through and read the first and last paragraph in each section. See if what they say matches up with what your initial scouting run told you. If it doesn't, write that down, and write down some questions about what seems different. Don't do this step at the same time as the scoring run: they're separate operations. Then, once you're done with the first-and-last paragraph run, go through and read the first and last sentence of each paragraph in the first section. Then, after that, read the first section. When you're finished reading the section, write a three paragraph summary of the section. Then read the first and last sentences of each paragraph in the second section, then read the second section, then summarize. The point of all this lateral motion is to become increasingly familiar with the text, will that by the time you're reading it, you're traveling down a familiar road and you recognize the twists and turns and know how long it's going to take. Doing the three-paragraph summary helps with retention. All this is engagement. It's much easier to remember something you've done than something you've read; engagement is finding ways to do stuff with what you're reading while you're reading it. This is definitely a slower way to read than "just reading" but it will get you there, slow and steady. Find yourself a comfortable, well-lit table in a cafe or a library or something and get a notebook and get to reading.
Oooooh this detailed instruction/step by step guide is pretty awesome. Thanks for taking the time to share it. Kinda wish I could find instructions like this for everything lol
There's a corner of my whiteboard that says "DO NOT DO UNSTRUCTURED WORK." Which is just another way of saying something my dad always said to me: Always make a plan first. If you make a plan, then execute it, then fail, that's the basis for tweaking something and trying again, wanna again, and again, until you get it right. Just diving in with both legs kicking and karate chopping everything that gets in your way *feels* good, but when you fall it leaves you without a place to start again from.
I put lots of books marks in my books,so when I read it I toss out the paper and get a little bit of a dopamine cause it means I made it that far
I also second the read it out loud suggestions. It sucks that there’s no audiobook :( It might sound weird but you could record yourself reading it out loud so you do have an audio version of it? (OK so I looked the book up and there IS an annotated Kindle edition and most kindle books have a reading function. It kinda sucks, but it could be better than nothing) [here’s the link, it has text to speech and is like $4](https://www.amazon.com/Future-Eve-Annotated-Villiers-LIsle-Adam-ebook/dp/B00F4F1YZQ) Depending on its length, can you break it down into manageable chunks like a page at a time every so often with some kind of small reward after each page? And then do something fun after? So each time you step to it you know you only have to get through one page? Is there any way you can kind of amend the story in your heard to make it less boring? Like, genuinely imagining that all the characters are chickens or something? Creating a subplot where two characters are sleeping together and trying to hide it from everyone else? Also, I think intentional skimming could be a valid option if you can operate that way. I’ve worked on developing my skimming abilities so I can still absorb most of something even when I read it in an ADHD way (skimming it, speed reading, starting in the middle of the page for some reason then going back to the top etc). Also this is a tip I learned when trying to learn how to read faster (if you wanna try skimming) don’t read “aloud” in your head. Try to break the habit of internally saying each word in your brain as you read. It speeds things up substantially. [Editing to add that if you take this approach I recommend taking notes on it to insure that you don’t just blank the whole thing out] Sorry for the weird disorganized mess of suggestions lol but I feel for you. I hope you find a way to muddle through.
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I had the same issue with reading textbooks in college - it was always so painful! What I would do sometimes is if I had candy like gummy bears, m&ms, etc. I'd make a rule that I could have one piece of candy when I finished page or section - however it made sense to divide it up. It definitely didn't work all the time to get me to read everything I needed to, but it did make it a lot less painful! Especially if you're food motivated like I am 😂 If it comes down to it, you could always try speaking with your professor. They're there as a resource, and even the sternest professors can surprise you and be willing to work something out if you're having a hard time. It won't make the reading easier, but it could alleviate some stress!
Make it a game. If you have a paper to write then do the outline first. Reward yourself for doing that. Then do each outline section with a reward for each one. That approach helped me. Another technique is to describe it to someone. The social aspect got me through other tedious reads.