Reading: What is it like for a person with multiple personality to read a novel? Would there be one reader or several? Would it depend on the story or genre?

Multiples (people with multiple personality) are different from each other. They have their own unique systems of alternate personalities. So there is no simple answer to the above questions.

The host personality (the one out in front on most social occasions) may or may not remember much of a novel that the person has read. It depends on whether the host was the reader or, if not, whether the host is co-conscious with the one or more alters (alternate personalities) who did do the reading.

Some hosts would not be able to tell me about a novel that the person had read, because they don’t read novels; it is so and so who does that. Or the host would have only a summary knowledge of the novel, which the actual readers had given the host to avoid social embarrassment.

Actually, if you are discussing a novel with a multiple, and if the host is not the one who reads novels, you will probably be talking to the alter who did read the novel, because which personality is out depends on what is being discussed. But if later you are talking to the host, you may find them at a loss if you suddenly bring up the novel.

Different alters may experience the novel differently. One may love it. Another may hate it. Another may find the theme or use of language interesting.

In most social situations, if you are discussing a novel, you won’t know that any of this is going on in the person with whom you are talking, because you won’t be aware that the person has multiple personality.