When you read a manuscript that has been damaged by water, fire, light or just the passing of the years, your eye needs to study not just the shape of the letters but other marks of production. The speed of the pen. The pressure of the hand on the page. Breaks and releases in the flow. You must relax. Think of nothing. Until you wake into a dream where you are at once a pen flying of vellum and the vellum itself with the touch of ink tickling your surface. Then you can read it. The intention of the writer, his thoughts, his hesitations, his longings and his meaning. You can read as clearly as if you were the very candlelight illuminating the page as the pen speeds over it. .Diane Setterfield
About This Quote
Reading a page when it is in poor condition can be frustrating. The letters may be blurry, the ink may be smudged, or the paper may have been damaged in some other way. In this case, the best course of action is to read it as slowly as possible, carefully examining each word. If there are many errors, it is best to skip over them and focus on the words that are legible. Perhaps this quote will inspire you to approach your reading with an open mind and a kind heart, allowing your imagination to take over and enjoying each word for what it is.
Source: The Thirteenth Tale
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