Life as a reader : An interview study of pleasure reading inthe context of the readers life

This thesis investigates adult readers’ experiences of pleasure reading. The view of reading taken in this thesis is derived from reader-response theory. The theoretical framework consists of the idea that reading is a transaction between the reader and the text. Through semi-structured interviews with five readers, the role of pleasure reading in the context of the reader's life is explored. The thesis examines both the contribution that pleasure reading makes to the reader's life and, on the other hand, how the reader's life context and personal experiences affects the reading experience. The interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The results confirm that the readers’ lives and personal experiences has a great impact on the reading experience and what the reader derive from reading. Interview responses show, in line with previous research, that the readers’ own preoccupations work as a filter so that the reader pays particular attention to parts of the text that address their lives. The results show that, when describing a good reading experience, readers highlight narrative or language in varying degrees. Also, the results show that through reading for pleasure a person's mindset and ideas can be transformed.