“To discover a new writer you love is like discovering a whole new country.” – p. 4
The seventh book of Christmas is Why I Read: The Serious Pleasure of Books by Wendy Lesser.
From the start, Lesser told the reader that the book they were about to read might be inconclusive. She spends the whole book talking about what she reads and why. However, along the way, she is careful to point out that reading is an individualistic endeavor – no two readers have the same experience with a particular book (or books in general) nor are all readers likely to read for the same reasons.
Reading this book has convinced me that Lesser has read every book ever printed. Her knowledge of Russian literature is completely intimidating and her grasp on Shakespeare is astounding.
One of her discussions was about plot and character. Lesser makes the rather obvious, but important argument that you cannot have a sound plot without character growth. The two are linked; you cannot have one without the other.
A sound plot and characters that are consistent in their development are two key elements in order for a book to be worthwhile (in my humble opinion, that is).
My favorite discussion in this piece was about translations. I have read literature that has been translated, but admittedly, I do not do research on the translators reputation or other works. I usually just trust the translator. How foolish I’ve been.
Lesser bemoans the fact that she has to rely on translators. “The English language is the golden prison I inhabit: richly and divertingly adorned, but with all the exits closed off, preventing me from making my escape to French or Russian or Italian or German.” She shows an example of a passage that was translated by two different people and the differences were astounding. The intention was clear in both passages, but the prose of one was far superior to the other.
I will now be diligently comparing translations for the rest of my life.
She concluded the book with “A Hundred Books to Read for Pleasure” – list that is not meant to be best books, but some of the very best. I will certainly be adding these titles to my “To Read” list.
If you are interested in reading about why a fellow reader loves to read, this book is for you.
Live, Love, Learn,
Candice & The Write Teacher(s)