With a divided mind I have decided to rejoin the ranks of
People Writing About Themselves On The Internet. Here goes...
I love to read. It’s one of my things. A few days without
reading and I’m getting edgy, scratching at the carpet and darkly plotting how
to find a few moments in a quiet corner with some well crafted and delicious
words.
I like the old books best. New ones lack a sort of
class, or maybe it’s just that they haven’t yet proven themselves against the
years. They still may. There’s non-fiction as well as novels, I go through
phases. Something about the author, title, the cover, or just the way the book
feels in my hands causes a flicker in my mind so I follow the words, page after
page to see where they lead.
I don’t know where this urge to read comes from. It’s
tempting to say it’s from a desire to know about the world, to understand human
nature, to connect with the stories of others and hence to find my place in the
greater story of the world. But that doesn’t explain it. It’s more true to say
that it’s just how it is, and the best thing I can do is to keep on following
the urge. Might as well ask a tree why it grows toward the sun.
There’s a bit of a problem though. I’m not sure if it’s
because I race so frantically from one book to another, or maybe I’m not paying
enough attention as I read, but I forget a huge proportion of what I have read. It wafts away like summer rain evaporating as soon as it falls. I know I’ve read Slaughterhouse 5 but I couldn’t tell you much about it, and I
don’t recall the plot of Wuthering Heights, Brave New World or Walden.
So I thought I’d write my thoughts about what I’ve read, in
a little series as long as my enthusiasm lasts. Not so much book reviews as
book reflections. How this book fits into my life story and, what it has given
me. I’ll not share too much of the plot, I promise! And I’ll try to keep them
bite-sized. That’s my plan, and you’re most welcome to join me.
