Do you have to have silence when reading?

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I'm reading Moby Dick for class and it's hard to imagine the scene and story while talking is going on in the other room. Luckily it's broken into 16 chapter chunks for the next month and a half so I'm fine (half way done on Ch. 9 of 16 for this week). I was curious if others have this reading problem? I have it with textbooks but not as bad since you aren't imagining the story it's facts/data/history. Plus I plan on rereading the chapters before the exams (to refresh myself anyway.) Maybe I DO need to start getting up earlier so I can focus on school work without being distracted.

It helps me to have silence and a lack of distractions around. A gazebo with screening to prevent mosquito passage, far away from the cities, would be ideal for me.

I cant read if anyone is talking near me. I think it's too much for my brain to interpret visual and aural language at the same time. White noise and music can distract me but not so much that I can't comprehend what I'm reading.

Yes. I can deal with some background noise, like my fridge humming. When other people are talking I can't ignore them and focus on reading, though.

No, but it requires more effortful concentration.

No, but if I am reading any more then a few paragraphs at a time I can't follow it in my head unless I read it out loud.

No, I don't think it ever bothers me. In fact, in the past when we've read books out loud in class, while everyone else is taking turns or the teacher is reading it, or a recording is playing, I usually read faster than them and god ahead, and completely blocked out the talking.

Likewise. When I was a child, though, noise didn't bother me at all--I could completely tune everything out. My family liked to joke that even a tornado coming through the house wouldn't interrupt my reading.

Either silence or my own music through my headphones.

Yes, I prefer silence in my apartment while I'm reading. I can read sometimes while other's are talking but it takes more effort and I can't do it for an extend period of time.

Noise can continue on outside and I'm not distracted unless it's gun shots next to my apartment house or some guys are having a shoot out here in the yard or sirens on my street for any number of reasons or someone's screaming something awful because somebody suddenly died or policemen banging on my door and telling me to open it (they had the wrong apartment). Those things have and will distract me while I'm reading.

Complete silence or sufficient white noise

Once I get into a book I am gone.
I don't see the pages and I don't see the words.

I see the scene that the book describes and actually hear the voices of the characters.
It isn't like watching a movie but it is like a vivid dream.

That's beautiful. I gotta move

I have to be alone in my bedroom with door shut to read. I can't read on the metro trains, airplane or cat. It has to be quiet.

Reading is the good way to turn me off. I read and I forget about the world. I can read in the train, hall, during lessons etc, but I prefer to be alone and quiet.

Christ, yes. It drives me mad when I'm trying to read and there are distractions, even if it's from a room downstairs while I'm upstairs.

Once I'm into it then I could probably read without notice background noise, but if it's there when I'm trying to START reading, then it's difficult. Can be really frustrating