The Paris Review - While there is a certain old man yells at cloud quality to this essay, it has some points. While I think that books have survived the proliferation of other media, as proven out by the YA booms of the last decade or so, it may be forcing people to "read the right way" that is hurting reading. Turning reading into an activity to be constantly checked and evaluated is bad enough, but to decide that there is one correct meaning and grade them based upon agreeing with it is even worse. Teaching people to approach every text as having to embrace an orthodox interpretation removes their agency as a reader. If their interpretation is thoughtful and supported by text in the book, it's correct. Teach them to defend their ideas and how to construct them. Don't meter their reading and grade them on getting the same message from the text as you.