If you were reading a book, and at every paragraph, there was at least a word that does not come under your pool of vocabulary, could you say that you understood the story?
Finishing up my last book, I had pondered this thought.
The author's field of vocabulary was certainly very vast, so huge that again and again, I came across numerous words which signaled a blank to my brain.
The unknown words were not only the same words, appearing again and again, but different words, heavily sprinkled all over the story.
I estimated, there were probably over five hundred of those words I didn't know their meaning.
Line by line, I read as the story unfolded before my eyes, as the genius of the author's mind was translated into words. Words I did not understand the meaning, I read over, trying my best to get purposes of the sentences, the objectives of the paragraphs, the heart of each chapters.
Sometimes, I had to reread them, occasionally stumbling over some lines. At those times, it was just simply difficult for me to comprehension what he was trying to convey. Too many new words, making it difficult to decipher the intention of the author. Other times, it was because of the theme of the story. Christianity. My knowledge on this subject, minuscule.
Miraculously, I managed to finish the book. Did I understand the story fully? Perhaps, the main theme. Would I look up on all the words new to me? No.
Will I pass a quiz on a this book, if there ever is one? Without a doubt, no.
So, then, can I say that I understood the book?
