"It is chiefly through books that we enjoy the intercourse with superior minds... In the best books, great men talk to us, give us their most previous thought, and pour their souls into ours. God be thanked for books."-William Ellery Channing
If a day does not go by with out at least 100 pages of reading I feel incomplete. I agree so fully with Channing that books are a way to see inside a soul. This may sound a little extreme, but just thinking about how to describe my love for books right now, my heart feels so full inside my chest. There are so many things about the experience of reading that capture me.
First, finding the book. To walk the shelves of a library or bookstore and see all the spines staring back at me, or even better to be presented a book by a friend "I really want to know what you think of this one..." What better gift could be given!
Second, to hold the book. Is it heavy, does it smell new, old? Are the pages think or thin? I find this with the Bible actually. There is something about the perfect weight of this book. The thinness of the pages that are soft under your fingers scanning for the verse. The promise of finding just the right words of wisdom or encouragement. Or a new book by a favorite author. Just holding it knowing what is inside is going to inspire, bring tears, laughter... and of course a plot and people who make you think... but I am getting ahead of myself.
Third, to be connected with whom ever is inside. These people that will be a part of my world for a day, a week, a month. These people, if written well enough, that will be a part of my world forever. These people are loved and hated. They bring forth challenges of belief. They introduce new ways of thinking and living and understanding. These people, whether real or a figment of an authors imagination have the ability to teach, transform and inspire.
Fourth, to be transported to a different culture, time period, even world. This can be an escape from my own reality and it can be a window into some one else's experience. How else can I spend an afternoon in India in 1920 or England during the 2nd world war? How can I be in the imaginary world of Oz or an apple farm in Maine?
Finally, to shut a book pages away from the end, not wanting to finish for fear of losing these people. These places. To cover the opposite page with a hand so I do not skip ahead to see what happens. To finish a book and hold it to my chest to savor the moment of "The End" And, of course, to pass on an experience to someone who will savor it as much as I did.
This post was inspired by Jodi Picoult and her newest novel "Change of Heart" Some other favorites of mine are as follows:
1 comment:
You and I have similar tastes in books. :) I just tried to read Jodi Picoult's The Tenth Circle, however, and found it a difficult subject matter while on bedrest. I was pretty disappointed in myself. Have you read it?
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