Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Reading-for-pleasure Wednesday: Narrative! A cry for help!

A few weeks ago, a student of mine told me that he was so glad to be reading Huck Finn again, because he had never re-read a book before.

I'm proud to say I kept my jaw from dropping. I simply replied that I'd be curious to know what it was like for him to re-read the novel this time around.

I was the exact opposite as a child: I re-read compulsively. At some point, almost every book on my bookshelf got picked up again, although it sometimes took several years. I re-read most multiple times. In fact, I remember receiving a hand-me-down copy of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory from a friend of the family, who commented that her son had read it twenty times. I determined instantly that I'd read it more (and I think I must have, since I remember being proud).

So today I find myself re-reading some really satisfyingly trashy fantasy novels from my middle school days. Normally, I don't go out and purchase these books; I'll wait and get them through interlibrary loan or some such, but I felt such a craving a couple of days ago that I instantly went out and bought not only those, but a couple sci-fi novels as well. Which made me wonder whence the urgency.

My lust for narrative, I think, is stemming from the fact that my own career is particularly nebulous right now: I'm in the midst of trying to narrow my disciplinary boundaries enough to come up with an exam reading list; I'm teaching a subject (writing) that I haven't been well-trained in; I'm wondering which faculty members will be on my committee; etc. So reading (and re-reading) things with such clear narrative arcs is tremendously satisfying; I've also found pleasure in bingeing on TV series recently, for the same reason. I don't think I properly acknowledged how stressful this period of decision has been, though, until the stress manifested itself in trashy novel buying.

7 comments:

Jane Dark said...

I get this lust for narrative, I do. And though I was raised on a slightly different version of the formula, I thoroughly enjoyed your series of trashy fantasy novels last summer.

Anynomous said...

it is so true that we read so that we can have pleasure but yeah you could say that we learn a lot from that but we enjoyed it too. visit this page is the best option for the writing service help.

Unknown said...

Reading something and getting fun is really a pleasure thing and I would love to connected with this reading habbits. on this site you'll be get more ideas about the writing help.

Kharbooza said...

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Useful link said...

Actually reading is a passion. I read blog because it's my hobby. And I enjoy to read blogs. I think everyone read for their pleasure. Someone reads blog for information. And for many things.

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