It really is hard to be me. Well, not in any obvious way, I still struggle with the same problems you surely do: family, funds, feral creatures stalking the trees outside my window, the usual trivialities of life.
That, however, is not my problem. My problem is that when people ask me about me, they freeze up when I tell them I am a scholar of the literary arts. They then mumble and shuffle and mention something about how Shakespeare wrote some nice things.
Ah poor Shakespeare, the scape-goat of all conversations when it comes to reading.
Well, let me tell you, from a person who has spent and is still spending his time pouring over books, analyzing, scrutinizing, and masticating them, just relax!
Books are wonderful little things that are meant to soothe our brain cells, not tighten our social sphincter. Why should you be worried that the last book you had link curly writing and a fruity drink on its cover? Especially if you are assuming that mine was a simple white cover with the title written in a somber Helvetica font.
(In fact, the last book that I enjoyed had on its cover a one-eyed monkey chomping on a cigar shooting bullets everything from two very large guns)
My point is, we should never feel guilty about the books we read or even want to read. Many bemoan the fact that what constitutes people’s reading these days does not do enough to elevate the human consciousness. They want people to read books that ponder the human condition and make us weep for humanity.
To those who think that only such books be worthy of discussion, I call them lazy.
It is easy to talk about humanity when the book laboriously twists itself upon exploring such a subject. Yet, ask such people to find what hidden depths can they find within the latest Mills & Boon product, and they will titter-tatter at the obvious salaciousness of the material.
However, that is what we are, aren’t we? People are full of emotions, not just navel-gazing and self-introspection, so we should embrace such works! If a book makes you laugh, share the humor, it might lead to other books which brings out more and more of our very many, messy human emotions.
So don’t be serious when thinking about a book! Read it! Share it with someone else, even if the person is a stuffed shirt, they just might secretLy enjoy it as well.
