Feature

It's all about reading

Marzia Rahman

NOTHING shocks me more than people who do not take delight in books. I find it surprisingly shocking when people complain of getting bored or not having anything worthwhile to do to pass time when there are oceans of books to read. It is annoying to find people lacking this great hobby of reading books. And alarmingly this number of non-readers is increasing.

People have the time and taste to sit before TV or computer for hours but they hardly gets any time to read books. Youngsters of today engage all their time in sending or receiving text messages, chatting or keep glued to the high sound of music. Some young people even think that when they can get any information or news with the tip of a finger then why they should spend their precious time in reading?

So the question comes naturally why people read books?

Different people read books for different reasons. Some read to acquire knowledge, some read to gather information, some read only for amusements. Some read to understand life with its thousand facets and to learn how to live life. Some even remark that they read books because their individual experiences are narrow and limited whereas books acquaint them with the experiences and thoughts of innumerable others, often the wisest of their generation, and lift them out of their narrow ruts.

So should we read books only to attain knowledge and wisdom?

No, they are also great source of pleasure. In Jawaharlal Nehru's words, “There is a strange magic of good literature which is wonderfully refreshing and soothing. The magic comes to us slowly as we make friends with good books, and when we have begun to feel it, we have found the key to the wonderland of books. They never fail us, these friends that neither age nor change. Literature, art, music- all make our life rich and deep and varied.”

Now the important question arises what to read and how to read?

In my opinion, read for life, all your life. Nothing can invented provides such sustenance, such infinite reward for time spent, as a good book. Read to your heart's content. Let one book lead to another. They nearly always do. Take up a great author and read everything he or she has written. Read about places you have never been. Read books that changed history.

Read those books you know you are supposed to have read and imagine as dreary. The reason why we do not enjoy some finest books is because we are forced to read them as a duty. The best example of this is our examinations and textbooks. Shakespeare, Milton, Goethe, Victor Hugo, etc. become terrible bores because of their association with examinations. If we read them not for examinations but for pure pleasure, they will make fascinating reading.

Another important question is how to read? Once Jawaharlal Nehru in one of his letters to his daughter Indira Gandhi advised her about the right way of reading books: “One should read books slowly. If it is read too fast, one is often liable to miss much in a book. Some light books of course have to be read fast; there is little in them. But a great book deserves a little more time and attention. Think of the pains and the great deal of thinking that the author has put behind what he has written, and when we just rush through it we miss his real meaning, and forget soon enough what we read.”

Then if you want to be a writer, the first and foremost way to become a good writer is to read. Read, read and read. The more you will read, the more you will learn and the better your writing will be. Read anything and everything from cartoons to journals, from romance to horror, mystery, fantasy, and science fiction. Every book, every page has lessons for you.

To conclude, to carry a book with you wherever you go is old advice and good advice. John Adams urged his son John Quincy to carry a volume of poetry. “You will never be alone,” he said, “with a poet in your pocket.” So for those who adore books, keep reading. But those who do not appreciate reading start reading. Believe me, you will discover a fascinating new world. Bon voyage et Bonne lecture!