Books. Reading
There are so many proverbs and sayings about book and reading, but the one I have found recently seems to be the best. ‘Those who read, will always control those who watch TV’. It is quite modern and it can’t be called a quotation, as there is no definite person to quote. Really how many people read and how many watch TV?
We can be proud of the fact that we still live in the most ‘reading’ country of the world, though I know a few people who declare that they have read just one book in addition to what they read at school. Nothing makes them read and they don’t feel any necessity to do it.
I have never taken books just as bound sheets of paper, as printed material. A book for me is a way to speak to people who have passed away but who continue to live in this special form which we call ‘printed word’. Scripture is the greatest invention in the history of humankind.
Today books are read even more widely on electronic devices – e-books and tablets, but I still like to have paper ones. I remember the days when I used to go to the library. And even at that time I realized that the best indicator which helped me find the one to read was the state of the book. If it was untouched – it was either new or unpopular. So I always chose the shabbiest ones and never regretted it.
I have never counted the books in home collection, but I always try to add new items to it, just like my parents and grandparents. To tell the truth I don’t attach much value to the decorative design of the book. It may look very simple but have a great meaning for me. I mean there is no difference between a paperback and a hardback copy. But I pay attention to the binding, so that the book wouldn’t fall apart at once.
I can say that reading has always been one of my hobbies and I began reading at the age of four. When I turned five I could read short stories on my own, and at the age of six I read ‘The Headless Horseman’.
My reading taste has changed several times during my lifetime. When I was small I liked fantasy, then I turned to adventure stories. Now I like historical books and memoirs more than novels. My favourite writers are Tostoy, Turgenev, Chekhov. The notion of ‘favourite writer’ implies that I have read several works, not only one book. Russian literature seems to be deeper with its scale of thought and feeling than European literature. It is my humble opinion. I connect it with more powerful expressive means of the Russian language.
I started listening to audiobooks not long ago. And you know, it is quite a good thing. But the impression depends greatly on the person who reads, on his or her voice and on the speed of reading.
I like reading so much that I dream of writing some novel in the future, when I have enough life experience that can be put into a book and condensed within it. I have tried to write a few short stories so far and my friends say they are better than ‘okay’ for a commencing writer.
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