As Camus said, nothing is true which forces you to exclude. Readers read everything, from the Beano to Heidegger. No limits, no tramlines.
Frank McCusker
8 months ago
As Camus said, nothing is true which forces you to exclude. Readers read everything, from the Beano to Heidegger. No limits, no tramlines.
Fafa Fafa
8 months ago
This “has to be relatable” thing is part of the continued dumbing down of the Western mind.
I remember being 17, randomly picking a book from the shelf of my local library, opening it and starting to read, then finding myself finally looking up, still almost euphoric and exhilarated by the experience, and noticing that I was now dark. It was Chekhov’s “The Steppe”, a story too short for a novel, too long for a short story, but a preschooler slowly being moved, in a cart drawn by oxen, across the Russian steppe was certainly not anything I could “relate to” in the 21st century Western sense.
I had a few similar experiences later, now being much older, one of them was when reading “100 Years of Solitude”.
What one relates to in works of art is that which transcends the surface of the work and awakens something new in the universality of one’s consciousness, not that makes one exclaim “Oh, that’s just like my Macdonalds on Jefferson Avenue”. I’m sure others expressed it much better than me but that’s how I see it.
I had a similar experience. I was in a library revising for my A levels. I was an avid reader and once I started reading a novel, I would read it to the end. I wanted a short novel to read on the bus, an hour’s journey. I knew I wouldn’t continue my revision until I finished reading the book. I looked at the fiction books on the shelves, it wasn’t a particularly large section and selected the shortest one. Years later, I was sitting in a lecture on existentialism and a book was being discussed. I recognised it as the short novel. It was the outsider by Camus, it was only then I realised the profound effect the novel had had on me. When selecting the book, I never looked at the title or the author, but I guess that is the impact of great literature.
I had a similar experience. I was in a library revising for my A levels. I was an avid reader and once I started reading a novel, I would read it to the end. I wanted a short novel to read on the bus, an hour’s journey. I knew I wouldn’t continue my revision until I finished reading the book. I looked at the fiction books on the shelves, it wasn’t a particularly large section and selected the shortest one. Years later, I was sitting in a lecture on existentialism and a book was being discussed. I recognised it as the short novel. It was the outsider by Camus, it was only then I realised the profound effect the novel had had on me. When selecting the book, I never looked at the title or the author, but I guess that is the impact of great literature.
You expressed that just fine: the point being that you’ve touched on something very important and in danger of being lost.
Fafa Fafa
8 months ago
This “has to be relatable” thing is part of the continued dumbing down of the Western mind.
I remember being 17, randomly picking a book from the shelf of my local library, opening it and starting to read, then finding myself finally looking up, still almost euphoric and exhilarated by the experience, and noticing that I was now dark. It was Chekhov’s “The Steppe”, a story too short for a novel, too long for a short story, but a preschooler slowly being moved, in a cart drawn by oxen, across the Russian steppe was certainly not anything I could “relate to” in the 21st century Western sense.
I had a few similar experiences later, now being much older, one of them was when reading “100 Years of Solitude”.
What one relates to in works of art is that which transcends the surface of the work and awakens something new in the universality of one’s consciousness, not that makes one exclaim “Oh, that’s just like my Macdonalds on Jefferson Avenue”. I’m sure others expressed it much better than me but that’s how I see it.
Brian Villanueva
8 months ago
This article leaves out my favorite C.S. Lewis quote of all time: “a children’s book that can only be enjoyed by children, is a poor children’s book.”
As the Bible says, we are to “have the mind of a child” but also “give up childish things”.
Last edited 8 months ago by Brian Villanueva
Brian Villanueva
8 months ago
This article leaves out my favorite C.S. Lewis quote of all time: “a children’s book that can only be enjoyed by children, is a poor children’s book.”
As the Bible says, we are to “have the mind of a child” but also “give up childish things”.
Last edited 8 months ago by Brian Villanueva
Aphrodite Rises
8 months ago
I have never read the book but I have watched the film many times. It is an excellent film and sounds as if it is quite true to the book. Fairy tales are incredibly important to society. I am currently reading Joseph Campbell’s the hero’s journey. Apparently, George Lucas used it when writing Star Wars, though they didn’t meet until after the three original Star Wars films had been produced.
Last edited 8 months ago by Aphrodite Rises
Aphrodite Rises
8 months ago
I have never read the book but I have watched the film many times. It is an excellent film and sounds as if it is quite true to the book. Fairy tales are incredibly important to society. I am currently reading Joseph Campbell’s the hero’s journey. Apparently, George Lucas used it when writing Star Wars, though they didn’t meet until after the three original Star Wars films had been produced.
Last edited 8 months ago by Aphrodite Rises
Geoffrey Collyer
8 months ago
I devoured all the Narnia books as a child, and read them to my children as my mum had done to us. But the problem with them as adults is that CS Lewis didn’t want children to grow up – see The Last Battle
Michel Starenky
8 months ago
Read like a child then think like a child rest of one’s life.
Michel Starenky
8 months ago
Read like a child then think like a child rest of one’s life.
As Camus said, nothing is true which forces you to exclude. Readers read everything, from the Beano to Heidegger. No limits, no tramlines.
As Camus said, nothing is true which forces you to exclude. Readers read everything, from the Beano to Heidegger. No limits, no tramlines.
This “has to be relatable” thing is part of the continued dumbing down of the Western mind.
I remember being 17, randomly picking a book from the shelf of my local library, opening it and starting to read, then finding myself finally looking up, still almost euphoric and exhilarated by the experience, and noticing that I was now dark. It was Chekhov’s “The Steppe”, a story too short for a novel, too long for a short story, but a preschooler slowly being moved, in a cart drawn by oxen, across the Russian steppe was certainly not anything I could “relate to” in the 21st century Western sense.
I had a few similar experiences later, now being much older, one of them was when reading “100 Years of Solitude”.
What one relates to in works of art is that which transcends the surface of the work and awakens something new in the universality of one’s consciousness, not that makes one exclaim “Oh, that’s just like my Macdonalds on Jefferson Avenue”. I’m sure others expressed it much better than me but that’s how I see it.
I had a similar experience. I was in a library revising for my A levels. I was an avid reader and once I started reading a novel, I would read it to the end. I wanted a short novel to read on the bus, an hour’s journey. I knew I wouldn’t continue my revision until I finished reading the book. I looked at the fiction books on the shelves, it wasn’t a particularly large section and selected the shortest one. Years later, I was sitting in a lecture on existentialism and a book was being discussed. I recognised it as the short novel. It was the outsider by Camus, it was only then I realised the profound effect the novel had had on me. When selecting the book, I never looked at the title or the author, but I guess that is the impact of great literature.
You expressed that just fine: the point being that you’ve touched on something very important and in danger of being lost.
I had a similar experience. I was in a library revising for my A levels. I was an avid reader and once I started reading a novel, I would read it to the end. I wanted a short novel to read on the bus, an hour’s journey. I knew I wouldn’t continue my revision until I finished reading the book. I looked at the fiction books on the shelves, it wasn’t a particularly large section and selected the shortest one. Years later, I was sitting in a lecture on existentialism and a book was being discussed. I recognised it as the short novel. It was the outsider by Camus, it was only then I realised the profound effect the novel had had on me. When selecting the book, I never looked at the title or the author, but I guess that is the impact of great literature.
You expressed that just fine: the point being that you’ve touched on something very important and in danger of being lost.
This “has to be relatable” thing is part of the continued dumbing down of the Western mind.
I remember being 17, randomly picking a book from the shelf of my local library, opening it and starting to read, then finding myself finally looking up, still almost euphoric and exhilarated by the experience, and noticing that I was now dark. It was Chekhov’s “The Steppe”, a story too short for a novel, too long for a short story, but a preschooler slowly being moved, in a cart drawn by oxen, across the Russian steppe was certainly not anything I could “relate to” in the 21st century Western sense.
I had a few similar experiences later, now being much older, one of them was when reading “100 Years of Solitude”.
What one relates to in works of art is that which transcends the surface of the work and awakens something new in the universality of one’s consciousness, not that makes one exclaim “Oh, that’s just like my Macdonalds on Jefferson Avenue”. I’m sure others expressed it much better than me but that’s how I see it.
This article leaves out my favorite C.S. Lewis quote of all time: “a children’s book that can only be enjoyed by children, is a poor children’s book.”
As the Bible says, we are to “have the mind of a child” but also “give up childish things”.
This article leaves out my favorite C.S. Lewis quote of all time: “a children’s book that can only be enjoyed by children, is a poor children’s book.”
As the Bible says, we are to “have the mind of a child” but also “give up childish things”.
I have never read the book but I have watched the film many times. It is an excellent film and sounds as if it is quite true to the book. Fairy tales are incredibly important to society. I am currently reading Joseph Campbell’s the hero’s journey. Apparently, George Lucas used it when writing Star Wars, though they didn’t meet until after the three original Star Wars films had been produced.
I have never read the book but I have watched the film many times. It is an excellent film and sounds as if it is quite true to the book. Fairy tales are incredibly important to society. I am currently reading Joseph Campbell’s the hero’s journey. Apparently, George Lucas used it when writing Star Wars, though they didn’t meet until after the three original Star Wars films had been produced.
I devoured all the Narnia books as a child, and read them to my children as my mum had done to us. But the problem with them as adults is that CS Lewis didn’t want children to grow up – see The Last Battle
Read like a child then think like a child rest of one’s life.
Read like a child then think like a child rest of one’s life.