– Or Why I Need a Bookshelf at School and You Need One Too –
and this blog post is probably going to bore you, but I need to talk about something, because I haven’t talked about anything for quite a long time. I’m going to talk about books, and why I need to read more books, and why people in general should read more books, because, as a society, we don’t read enough. We includes me, by the way – I don’t read enough. I don’t read enough and I am an English major. (Also, if you haven’t noticed already, this post is going to be a bit rambly – in the style of Rules of Attraction, cause it’s awesome.)
I figure I’m not reading enough because I’m already so bombarded with information that part of me just doesn’t think it can handle all the fiction, and that’s just a ridiculous notion because, come on, it’s fiction. It’s supposed to be an escape from all the work I have to do – a little place of awesome where I can forget about that terrible Philosophy essay I just handed in and pretend I’m a Hobbit. Or am friends with Dr. Watson. Or can cast spells and actually go to Hogwarts, instead of boring old regular school. Fiction shouldn’t be work, and I’m getting increasingly worried that it’s becoming work, mostly because of boring English classes taught by boring English teachers who do nothing to point out how exciting it all is, all of these word, phrases, clauses, and other bits of grammar. They should be explaining how damned cool it is that the monster in Frankenstein is essentially just the monstrous undertones of Victor’s personality, or how Holden spends an entire book trying to get people to listen to him and he can’t even get the reader to listen to him. Literature is cool – but most English teachers make it boring and inflexible and a chore. And thus people think that it’s always a chore and stop reading. They stop reading like the theoretical readers of this blog have probably stopped reading by now because something has made reading hard and unfun rather than cool and awesome.
And it is cool and awesome, which is why I have a huge list of books that I am going to read this year. I am going to read and attempt to finish all of them, unless the book becomes laborious and sluggish (I’m looking at you, Fellowship of the Ring), in which case I will throw the book in the ‘unenjoyable’ pile and move on to the next. I’m endeavoring to make reading fun again. It brings a sort of meaning to my life in a way nothing else ever has, and it’s the only handbook writers have to improving their craft, and I just really like books. I encourage the liking of books – I think other people should read at least a little bit, or try at least a little bit, because I promise you will find something that changes your life or out look or idea of the world. Or perhaps you’ll just find an escape.
And before I forget, I should just add that
March 8, 2012
Reading is Not a Chore
emigee93 books, bookshelves, it doesn't end for a reason, novels, ramble, rantish, reading, rules of attraction Literature, Self, Unsolicited Opinions 3 Comments
– Or Why I Need a Bookshelf at School and You Need One Too –
and this blog post is probably going to bore you, but I need to talk about something, because I haven’t talked about anything for quite a long time. I’m going to talk about books, and why I need to read more books, and why people in general should read more books, because, as a society, we don’t read enough. We includes me, by the way – I don’t read enough. I don’t read enough and I am an English major. (Also, if you haven’t noticed already, this post is going to be a bit rambly – in the style of Rules of Attraction, cause it’s awesome.)
I figure I’m not reading enough because I’m already so bombarded with information that part of me just doesn’t think it can handle all the fiction, and that’s just a ridiculous notion because, come on, it’s fiction. It’s supposed to be an escape from all the work I have to do – a little place of awesome where I can forget about that terrible Philosophy essay I just handed in and pretend I’m a Hobbit. Or am friends with Dr. Watson. Or can cast spells and actually go to Hogwarts, instead of boring old regular school. Fiction shouldn’t be work, and I’m getting increasingly worried that it’s becoming work, mostly because of boring English classes taught by boring English teachers who do nothing to point out how exciting it all is, all of these word, phrases, clauses, and other bits of grammar. They should be explaining how damned cool it is that the monster in Frankenstein is essentially just the monstrous undertones of Victor’s personality, or how Holden spends an entire book trying to get people to listen to him and he can’t even get the reader to listen to him. Literature is cool – but most English teachers make it boring and inflexible and a chore. And thus people think that it’s always a chore and stop reading. They stop reading like the theoretical readers of this blog have probably stopped reading by now because something has made reading hard and unfun rather than cool and awesome.
And it is cool and awesome, which is why I have a huge list of books that I am going to read this year. I am going to read and attempt to finish all of them, unless the book becomes laborious and sluggish (I’m looking at you, Fellowship of the Ring), in which case I will throw the book in the ‘unenjoyable’ pile and move on to the next. I’m endeavoring to make reading fun again. It brings a sort of meaning to my life in a way nothing else ever has, and it’s the only handbook writers have to improving their craft, and I just really like books. I encourage the liking of books – I think other people should read at least a little bit, or try at least a little bit, because I promise you will find something that changes your life or out look or idea of the world. Or perhaps you’ll just find an escape.
And before I forget, I should just add that