Läsning som passion och social praktik

This article deals with research on the reading practice of ordinary readers in a book club. The background is the increasing interest in book club activities, but also the growing gap between professional reading within the academy, characterized by critical distance and analysis, and ordinary readers reading, often considered as immersive, naïve and uncritical. The lack of research on ordinary readers reading has been noticed by several scholars (Felski, 2008, Miall, 2006; Persson, 2011). The purpose of the study is to understand the characteristic features of the reading practice and the meaning making processes that takes place within it. The case study was carried out in a book club with seven women who meet regularly to discuss fiction. The material consists of four documented meetings, interviews with all participants and notes taken in connection with the meetings. The result show a multifaceted reading practice characterised by, on the one hand, immersion and strong emotions and, on the other hand, critical reflections on both the fictional and the real world. The reading practices affects the participants’ reflections on their lives and their place in society in a decisive way. The result can provide important insights for the teaching of literature.