Do people read every single word of a novel or do you skip over the wordy paragraphs that dont really add to the story - the sort of ones that relate to what colour socks the hero is wearing or how green the trees look in the valley?

I read them all, unless I know the story from reading it before, then I skim read the paragraphs im not that interested in.

How do you know the paragraphs are just about green trees and sock colours if you havent read them anyway?

Hrrm. If the book itself is dull enough that I feel like skipping through paragraphs, then its a crap book and I put it down.

Youd never survive a Faulkner novel.

The enjoyment is from actually reading it, not just knowing what happens.  Might aswell just flick to the pack page tbh  :?

Or go have a read of the Book-A-Minute summaries at Rinkworks.com

Sorry I was thinking 2nd reading.

Quote...None of them had more than one storey, and all were stone, with flat slabs of rock for roofs; but they varied considerably in size and shape - some were round, others square or rectangular, and still others so irregular from top to bottom that they seemed more like squat hollow boulders than buildings.

- Stephen Donaldson

vs

QuoteThey were in the Smoky Mountains at their favourite bed-and-breakfast.

- Dan Brown

You can argue that Brown is an appalling writer, but at the least he can keep a story going at a nice pace. Does the wordier paragraph do anything positive that outweighs the contradiction it creates?

Wordier paragraph is not worthy of skippage.

Why?

Because it gives you more atmosphere. I read to get involved in a book. I want to feel tension, and trepidation at events that occur with in it.

Saying they are in a bed and breakfast is all well and good, but if you cant close your eyes and get a mental picture of the scene... then its not well written, and is probably a crap book

hmm, I guess Im just lazy