Hello darlings,
How is everyone doing this fine day? So my coworkers and I were talking books last night, and as I drove home this morning I kept thinking about our conversation. We talked about how in school there were books we “had to” read but really enjoyed. While technically I should be sleeping right now, I can’t get these books out of my mind.
You see I adore classics. Books by Jane Austen, Emily Bronte, Alexander Dumas, Herman Melville, George Orwell (just to name a few) are all books that made a difference in my life. Sure, there were times when I was in a middle of a Christopher Pike mystery and had to put it down in order to read 1984, but once I did so, I was thankful. Books teach us important lessons. Lessons that sometimes movies, tv shows, music, and other forms of entertainment overlook. Sometimes in our society, it feels like we’re so focused on the entertainment part that we forget that stories are so much more. They’re life lessons, adventures, dreams, road maps to self discovery, security blankets, limit pushers, vocabulary teachers, history teachers, guides, and friends. I can go on and on talking about what books, good books, can mean to an individual, but to each of us, they are a different adventure.
Personally, I loved how Jane Austen always taught me to look for the best in people, how looking past the obvious may let you glimpse the amazing. Alexander Dumas had taught me how not to be afraid to stand up for my friends, knowing that true friends will always stand with me. George Orwell showed me how a world can be, and how I can play a part in making it better. How I can be something other then what society wants me to be. Herman Melville showed how one man’s obsessive nature can ruin lives of so many, how a prideful heart can be a downfall, and how bravery is in all of us.
Each story can be interpreted in so many different ways and this is why I love stories. For those of you who see classical literature as a daunting undertaking, I encourage you to find a story that fits you and read it. These authors wrote with their hearts, and isn’t that what true literature is all about. Today we are encompassed by greatness on every side. I won’t start naming authors because I know I will overlook someone. But I think that the books off old still have some very important lessons to teach us and I encourage you to find those lessons and take them to heart.
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| Yes, this is how I fell about books! |
What’s one book that made a difference in your life?
Much love,
Valia
1 comment:
Awesome post Valia! I am sort of the opposite when it comes to classics though. I have had such a hard time getting through the ones I have tried, that I'm hesitant to try others. Don't get me wrong, I will one day. There are so many books on my "book bucket list" if you will, and most of them are the classics.
There are of course some classics that I really connected with like 1984 and Jane Eyre, and because of those I really need to try others.
But as far as teaching us lessons, I so agree. It's hard to explain to people who don't enjoy reading the value of a good book (*ahem* my husband lol). People who say "oh I'll just watch the movie". I truly feel really bad for those people because I was once like that. I didn't always love reading, and it's something that within the last several years has become a key element in my life. I couldn't imagine life without it now. Like you said, "Books teach us important lessons. Lessons that sometimes movies, tv shows, music, and other forms of entertainment overlook." Spot on.
Again, great post, I really enjoyed reading it! :)
♥ Sarah @ I'm Loving Books
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