Oct 18, 2010

Stories in Cellulose

First of all, hurray! Go Colts! Yesterday's game was exciting to say the least, and though it was disappointing and really stupid to watch Peyton Manning so evidently doubt his game and his strategy and change it haphazardly - was that like looking at a rookie or what? - some of the interceptions and catches were simply WOW. It was a suffered 27 to 24, where the Redskins gave a worthy fight, matc hing touchdown to touchdown.

After having finished "The Brothers Bishop" book, I'm left with "Moll Flanders" as only read right now. I decided to stick to one book, as usual, instead of the two simultaneous ones, mainly because this novel by Daniel Defoe requires somewhat more concentration due to the language it uses, and it's written in a more fluid, united way. Separation from the pages for too long may get you to lose the thread of the story. It is tempting, though, to tackle another book, particularly now when so many interesting books are piling around me. It's like being in a cakeshop surrounded by the most succulent pies and cakes you can think of. Key lime pie, cherry cheesecake, Black Forest, cherry pie... In this case, witchcraft, angels, noir crime, conspirancy, secrets to be unveiled. It's not as easy as pies and cakes, though, because once you start these books, you don't want to put them down until you've finished them.

A lot of people, nowadays, don't like to read. They find it boring, something that requieres a very big effort, or a sort of imposition. The thicker the book, the bigger the task. Then again, if you think of reading as a task, then you shouldn't do it, or you'll ruin many good stories for yourself. Reading then, requieres something that's less and less common in today's world: concentration. For instance, take a moment to look at your Internet window. How many pages do you have on? And how often do you check them? See what I mean?

Books have many, many advantages over other means of entertainment. For instance, you can read them whenever you want, and as long as you want. You don't have to wait for next week or next season to know what happened (unless you are reading sequence books). You don't need electrical power to enjoy them (unless you subscribe to e-books), they are portable, so you don't have to wait to get to a given place to enjoy them, but you can carry them in your pocket or your bag and pull them out any time. Then, there are so many books around, so many stories, so many genres, so many plots... it's a source you can tap forever!

Recently I discovered that the new owner of Doc Brown's is an avid reader, and we started swapping titles between each other. Thus, books can pull you closer to new friends. Books, are something that remain quite unchanged through the centuries, and so, if it has been effective all these many years, why would it stop now?

Books are awesome. Perhaps you should try them out too. And if you know them and enjoy them, what are you waiting for? Spread the good word!

No comments: