Nabokov spells it out very early in his essay: imagination, memory, artistic sense, and a handy dictionary are required to be a good reader. Considering the lengths he went to wave the artist's paintbrush in a literary sense within this essay, he obviously feels an artistic sense is of paramount importance. He wasn't simply trying to send a message by Fed-Ex; he accompanied the message with a singing telegram, gold ink on parchment, and a Picasso painting on the envelope.
A trifle overdone, in my opinion, and I don't really agree with him, other than the imagination point.
Comprehension is the key component of a good reader, beyond all else, and this comprehension exists on several levels. Simply understanding the text is, naturally, quite important, and following the progression of the story and development of characters and events is just as important. This is the most simple part of comprehension, and most people fall into this category. They can read Tolkien, Steinbeck, or Poe and follow the storyline, drink in the atmosphere, and walk away from the book with a basic understanding of the novel.
But there is much more to reading than this. True comprehension is much deeper. A good reader recognizes the regional context and historical, political, and socioeconomic era in which the story was written, whether late 1800s Victorian England or 1970s in Maine. A good reader learns something about the author from his writing, divining not just a writer's literary insights but also some of his emotions that are spilled out on the page. Above all, a good reader is aware of his/her own prejudices and biases, and understands that he/she is reading the novel through a filter of preconceived notions.
In short, a good reader learns as much about themselves and the author as they do about the basic story itself.
I like to think of myself as a good reader, other than my impatience with convoluted and flowery prose (apparently I'm not the only one, thank goodness...http://www.writingforums.com/writing-discussion/126161-why-purple-prose-frowned-upon.html) But whether I am a good reader or not is for someone else to decide. We all try to fit ourselves into a nice, glowing image of nobility, intelligence, and compassion, but I somehow doubt we are ever really accurate in our self-assessments.
James
