On the Art of Reading

First delivered as a series of celebrated lectures at Cambridge, Arthur Quiller-Couch's On the Art of Reading remains a brilliant and inspiring guide for readers today. Quiller-Couch, beloved for his clarity, wit, and deep insight, invites readers to go beyond passive reading and truly connect with great literature.
With warmth and practical wisdom, he shows how reading can be a life-changing experience - an adventure of the mind and heart. Drawing vivid examples from classics old and new, Quiller-Couch offers practical strategies for uncovering layers of meaning, appreciating style and theme, and reading with both intelligence and soul.
Whether you're a student, educator, or lifelong reader, On the Art of Reading will sharpen your mind, deepen your enjoyment, and renew your love for the written word. For anyone who dreams of experiencing books more fully, this timeless classic is an essential companion.

Arthur Quiller-Couch was born in the town of Bodmin, Cornwall. He was the son of Dr. Thomas Quiller Couch, a renowned physician, folklorist, and historian who married Mary Ford and resided at 63 Fore Street, Bodmin, until his death in 1884. Thomas was the offspring of two historic local families, the Quiller and Couch dynasties. Arthur was the third generation of academics from the Couch family. His grandfather, Jonathan Couch, was a naturalist, physician, historian, classicist, pharmacist, and illustrator (especially of fish). His younger sisters, Florence Mabel and Lilian M., were both writers and folklorists. Quiller-Couch attended Newton Abbot Proprietary College between the late 1870s and the early 1880s. He later attended Clifton College and Trinity College, Oxford, where he earned a First in Classical Moderations (1884) and a Second in Greats (1886). Quiller-Couch briefly taught Classics at Trinity beginning in 1886. After gaining some journalistic experience in London, primarily as a writer to The Speaker (periodical), he settled in Fowey, Cornwall, in 1891.