Let's face it, life isn't always exciting. Pre-COVID, I spent hours at school, doing schoolwork I often saw as drab, if not meaningless. Following this daily adventure, I would come home for a riveting afternoon of homework, soccer practice, and maybe some video games. While I enjoyed the small pleasures embedded in each of these, no one would classify my daily life as dynamic or exciting.
This is probably one reason I have always enjoyed fiction. As a kid, I would spend hours reading about legendary quests or mystical worlds. During that time, I wasn't in my average looking house in a Bay Area suburb, I was tagging along for the ride with the characters in the text I was reading. One of my favorite parts about reading is the immersive power it has. A good writer can give you a vivid picture of what is happening, what the characters are feeling, and where the story takes place. So even though I've never swung a sword, I feel like I have witnessed hundreds of epic duels through the books I have read. I have never felt the chill of the Himalayas, but I can describe the fierce cold even from my couch in Santa Clara.
Like anything, my preferences have changed over time. These days, I spend most of my leisure reading on historical fiction. In fact, my favorite book, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, fits into this genre. Like the stories of battle and magic, I am able to put myself in the shoes of the characters, but my purpose is more academic. Reading has given me a broader perspective and allowed me an insight into different times and places in history. While I am not the same reader I once was, I still enjoy those instances where I get sucked into the world I'm reading about, and the next thing I know, hours have passed. In the end, fiction is a great way to leave the pressures and routine of this world behind and enter a place full of wonder and excitement.
I also enjoyed reading fiction about mystical words when I was younger, and I enjoy the immersive power of reading. It is quite interesting and powerful that just words on a page can completely enter your thoughts and take you to a different life or world.
ReplyDeleteI can not say the same for me about The Grapes of Wrath. However, I can appreciate your interest in it - to the point that its your favorite book. Your perspective is quite refreshing, my classmates and I would just complain about the fact that we had to read it.
ReplyDeleteI also feel the same way while reading fiction, but probably not on the same level as you. I believe it does allow you to delve into a different world and allows you to imagine epic events, which is actually pretty cool. Unfortunately, I know for sure that I haven't beared witness to as many epic battles or episodes as you, which is probably a lack of imagination on my part. I hope in the near future I can engage in fiction the way you have.
ReplyDeleteYour comment about how reading fiction has given you different perspectives is so important. If you hadn't read Grapes of Wrath, would you have been able to understand the hardship experienced by those in America in the 30s who suffered from sudden poverty and tried to make new lives for themselves? These are the kinds of benefits fiction can give us.
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