On Reading Well

by Karen Swallow Prior · 2018

In *On Reading Well*, Karen Swallow Prior shows how the act of reading great literature can shape a virtuous life. Drawing on the insights of Aristotle, Aquinas, Augustine and other classical thinkers, she guides readers through a curated tour of works from Henry Fielding to Cormac McCarthy, Jane Austen to George Saunders, and Flannery O’Connor to F. Scott Fitzgerald. Each chapter focuses on one of twelve timeless virtues—patience, diligence, prudence, and more—illustrating how careful, reflective reading not only reveals the moral fabric of a story but also trains the reader’s own character. Prior weaves literary analysis with practical reflection questions, inviting book‑clubs and individual readers alike to engage deeply with the texts and discover how the stories we love can teach us to love life, literature, and the divine more fully.