by Wys So
In fact, I don’t like reading books at all. Not just dislike, but I hate reading books. I have been used to watching television shows, movies, sometimes newspapers, but rarely books. I always have this conception in my mind that reading books is a tedious thing to do. At that time I firmly believe that books are dead, while movies are not. The characters in the films can move, they can express their thoughts and feelings directly to us. But for the books we still have to search for the meaning of difficult words, and analyze the text carefully, which is such a hassle task to do compare to watching films. As a result, I don’t buy books; I buy DVDs.
It may sound astonishing that the first English book I’ve finished reading completely is “The Catcher in The Rye”, a major requirement in my high school 3rd year English class, and my first Filipino book is “El Filibusterismo” (I didn’t even finish the latter part of “Noli Me Tangere”). And thus here comes my problems in college: Readings and readings everywhere. During my first year in college I was so depressed reading those articles and searching for the words. The readings are traumatizing my life. They didn’t even do me any favors in my life, maybe just my grades. No matter how fascinating and touching the article is, I will sooner or later forget about it anyway. Reading for me is about understanding and applying what the texts want to convey to us. And that’s all.
So I am really glad when I realized from our class that reading is such a great opportunity for us to improve our life and being. What I didn’t figure out before is that lies beyond the texts are infinitely many possibilities that can lead us to concrete action, that will bring us nearer to the “true life” we desire. Books actually show us modes of being in this world (outside of our own world), and how limited our thinking and knowledge are. Each of them gives us a chance to reflect upon our present state of living, thus give us a room for improvement. I also realized that merely understanding the texts is not enough for them to affect you, we must reflect upon the texts, think critically, and be open to them, for them to change, renew, and make an impact on our life --- In short, for them to recreate us.
Arthur Rimbaud, his poetry, and his life make me learned that poetry is indeed an amazing thing. It is a way for people to express their existence through their languages. It’s like philosophy in a sense that it leads us to the answer of our fundamental questions.
Sadly, I still haven’t read a book that really strikes me. But I think the articles that I’ve read in this philosophy class do somehow make impacts on me, and have changed my perceptions on many things.
I sort of understand what you mean by reading books in the first part of this post; but as for me, I have this huge fetish for buying books which I usually never end up reading. Why? I really don't know. The only books I would actually finish were the ones that the school required of me. Other times I would start a book, but I wouldn't finish. Today, I have a library of books I have not read nor touched in years. As much as I would love to immerse myself in the thrill of reading books, this want is never enough for me to actually do it.
ReplyDeleteWhen it was brought up in class last semester that the narrative can and often leads to catharsis, I was surprised because I never thought of reading literature or observing the plot of movies in that way. I merely saw them for their stories, but never got the chance to reflect on how they actually made an impact on me.
In my Basic TV Production class, I learned that videos transmit more information effectively to the viewer than reading because it skips the act of imagining and interpreting which is already visually represented in film. That is why in relation to this, many people just wait for the movie to come out because they find it easier than having to read the book (which is usually still better than it's film version). Although this is quite true, unlike reading literature, it leaves no room for the viewer to have a different interpretation on the narrative - thus creating no room for creativity which I believe is important in how we live in our "broken world" today.
When I was a small kid back then, I also didn't like reading books. It was boring and the number of pages left in the book doesn't even seem to lessen. The more I read, the harder it gets. However, when I was in Grade 4, our class made this mini-library where each one of us had to bring books for everyone to read. As I saw plenty of books, I became fascinated and one caught my eye; it was a Goosebumps series book entitled Monster Blood. Because of my curiosity, I read it and instantly became hooked. That book indeed opened me up to infinitely many possibilities. I was introduced to a world where monster-possessed objects haunted people.
ReplyDeleteMy point is, if you just let your curiosity take you and really try on reading, you might find that one book that would really strike you. I once hated reading, but now, it's one of my favorite things in the world. :)
Lastly, I'd have to disagree that books are dead, while films are not. In films, you only know what is happening through the characters' actions. You don't actually know their entire feelings and thoughts, unless explicitly expressed. In books, you know all of this and this is what lets us understand the whole story more, enabling us to reflect upon them, effectively. But that is just my opinion; I guess it really depends on each one of us.
Good luck on finding that one book!
Marika King
PH 102 - A
Maybe you are correct in saying that reading is a better experience than watching films.
DeleteJust sharing, recently I've found a book that really fascinated me a lot. Its content made me realized that maybe it's what life is all about: continuously searching for answers and meanings which we may not be able to attain even to the end of our journey. But still, we do not know if we do not try to open the cover of the book. The title of the book is "Regression".
I think we both have the same love/hate relationships with books. Growing up I was never fond of books. The books I'd usually read would be connected to tv shows and movies, such as Pokemon and the Chronicles of Narnia. Our discussions in class lately and also towards the end of last sem have also given me a deeper appreciation for books.
ReplyDeleteI think when we read books we disconnect ourselves from ourselves and enter the world of another. When we read a writer's work, we enter his mind, his line of thought, and reflect them on our own. Books, now, serve as a means for me as a place to escape and reflect on my own life.
The only thing I had a problem with your blog is how you kind of belittled the fact that you watch television shows, movies, and other video stuff. I think these serve the same purpose as books. Some might say that some youtube or tv shows are pointless and absurd, but I think this also allows us to enter into reflection. It's all a matter of our mindsets when we receive these.
Yes, books are less direct than movies that's why reading promotes our imagination, and in a way, it personalizes the text we're reading because of our unique imagination and at the same time, opening us to different perspective and experiences.
ReplyDelete-Diane Cheng (A)