My friends think I am crazy for being a literary studies major. These biochemists, architects, and chemical engineers claim that they could never do what my major entails--sitting on my bed and reading. I just don't understand how anyone could go through life ignorant to the thoughts of people like J.D. Salinger, Douglas Coupland, Sylvia Plath, and Paul Beatty. What are they thinking?! Reading brings me all the happiness those other people out there aren't giving me.
I used to read fantasy books when I was younger. They were a way for me to pretend I was someone other than the awkward, big-toothed girl who was constantly being moved accross the country. I imagined myself the heroines of the stories, and I longed to go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry... who doesn't? These days I still read only fiction. My favorite genres are naturalism, gothic, and postmodern/contemporary. Favorites include Jane Eyre, Catcher in the Rye, A Clockwork Orange, The Great Gatsby, and The Bell Jar. I like books that make me realize there are actually people out there who are crazier than me, and they are more interesting. I love being reminded of the beauty of the world in mundane things. I also love being reminded of how insignificant I am and how little time I have to spend here. I guess there are many other things in life that could do that but books do it for me. I like to lead my double life inside whatever book I'm reading. I like to write in my books in order to better understand the deeper meaning, and just to highlight thoughts that coincide with my own, but were stated much better by the author. I also write, and I think reading helps people become better writers because you can look for flaws or strengths in other people's writing.
Basically, reading is my life. It has made me more analytical and more understanding of human nature. If I hadn't read Catcher in the Rye when I was 16, I wouldn't have been able to realize that this world is full of phonies, and I'm the biggest one I know. If I hadn't read what I have read, I don't think I'd still have faith in humanity. Reading has taught me that there is a place I can always find refuge from this world.
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2 comments:
I really like your take on reading. I think you perfectly capture what is so misunderstood in much of the society we live in. Unfortunate, too, because books are so incredibly powerful.
I felt the same way as a little kid about science fiction as you did about fantasy. The sense of adventure one gets from reading these kinds of book is amazing.
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