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I graduated with a degree in Humanities: English, which is similar to an English degree.  I mentioned yesterday, and was thinking while reading Thora’s post about reading, that I really do not like popular or fluffy fiction.  By popular fiction I mean those recently written books that everyone seems to adore, such as Twilight, Harry Potter, The Davinci Code, The Notebook, The Other Boleyn Girl, Stephen King novels, and so on.  By fluffy fiction I mean young adult fiction that is super easy to read and maybe has a captivating plot but not much else.  The people I know say they read these as a way to escape, and I think that is a perfectly legitimate way to read books.  It’s just not the way I like to do it.

Actually, I do usually read books to escape, but somehow I end up reading different books….  Before I went to BYU, I did read popular fiction, actually.  I think maybe all of the literature classes I took in college made me realize how many good books are out there, and so now I try to choose books that I know will be incredible.  Another factor is that I am not a particularly fast reader.  I’m not slow, but I”m not fast either.  And I’m proud of it.  It used to frustrate me, but I learned that there is something to be said for slow reading.  Words like “savoring” come to mind, while fast reading reminds me of “wolfing” or “snarfing” food.  (Don’t you just love food/reading analogies?  They seem to be as old as reading itself.) I don’t think there is a right or wrong way to read good books, but I am glad to have gotten over being intimidated by fast readers.

So I learned in college that there are so, so many good books out there, and I also learned that I am not a fast reader.  I came to the conclusion that I need to choose what books I read carefully, or I would be wasting reading time on “fluffy,” books that I would forget as soon as I finished them.  In my experience a good book lingers in your body and your mind, it sticks to your bones like oatmeal (lol) and it is satisfying and thought provoking.   You find yourself thinking about it and talking about it in your daily life, and it is fun.

The first time I read the Iliad I thought it was kinda boring.  And long.  And boring.  And violent.  The second time I read it, it was better.  The third time was best of all.  (Note: all three times were for different classes, and  not actually the entire book was assigned -just most of it.)  By the third time I knew the characters well, and could admire them or make fun of them or speculate on what they would do in various funny situations.  That is what made the book fun: getting to know the characters.

Samuel and I are currently reading Le Morte D’Arthur. I love this book because it is funny.  Sir Dinadan is pretty much my new favorite character.  He is a knight who is very noble, and is not afraid to say he doesn’t want to fight because he knows he will get hurt.  If you know anything about knights, this is a very strange thing to do.  There is one bit where an approaching knight asks to joust with Sir Dinadan.  Dinadan says, “For love or for hate?”  (that is, for love of the sport, or because you hate me and want to kill me) The knight replies, “For love.”  Then Dinadan quips, “It may well be so,  but ye proffer me hard love when ye will joust with me with a sharp spear!”  Now that is freaking hilarious if you ask me.

I read Anna Karenina for a class when I was a freshman.  That book is so beautiful, I was in a daydream for most of my life while reading that book.  When you hear the title Anna Karenina, I know you probably think “Oh, one of those Russian downer books.  I hate reading depressing books.  Why would anyone want to read a depressing book.”  I know I used to feel that way.  But this book is not depressing, I promise.  The title of this book was originally going to be Two Marriages, but Tolstoy changed it for some reason.  The book is about two marriages- one that is successful, and one that isn’t.  Yes, Anna’s unsuccessful marriage is depressing, but the successful marriage totally makes up for it.  When I got to the middle of the book, I said to my friends, “This is like a Jane Austen novel so far.  Except the heroes just got married, and the book is only half over!”  The rest of the book is a beautiful portrayal of a happy marriage, with its troubles and trials too.

Don Quixote I don’t remember very well, but now that I’ve read a lot of knightly romances, I should probably read it again.  I do remember that it is HILARIOUS.

Huck Finn is a great character.  I wrote about one of my favorite quotes of his in the bottom half of this post.

Samuel and I recently finished all of the Sherlock Holmes stories.  I used to love Holmes but after reading all these stories I’ve discovered that I really like Watson quite a bit more.  Unfortunately in most movie adaptations his character is a bit flat.  Watson is awesome.  He has such an interesting history, for one thing.  Also I suspect that he is the real reason why Holmes is so good.  I know he seems kind of dumb in the stories, but really, he must be dumbing himself down for the sake of explaining Homes’ logic to the readers.  Holmes is such an antisocial person, if Watson were really that stupid I’m sure Holmes would not be his friend.  I think he is a humble genius. 

Moby Dick is another great book.  But then I am really into the American Transcendentalist time of literature (think Thoreau, Emerson, Hawthorne ♥♥♥.)  I absolutely love Ishmael and wish I were more like him.  I will have to read this one again because the memories are fading….

In conclusion I’d like to include the Reader’s Bill of Rights, from a great book I came across as a teen.  This book helped me not be intimidated by “Literature,” but it might also help those of you who like fluffier books and maybe feel a little guilty about it!

The Reader’s Bill of Rights

1. The right to not read.
2. The right to skip pages.
3. The right to not finish.
4. The right to reread.
5. The right to read anything.
6. The right to escapism.
7. The right to read anywhere.
8. The right to browse.
9. The right to read out loud.
10. The right not to defend your tastes.

—Daniel Pennac, Better Than Life

Comment and tell me why you read what you read!

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