Reading can be defined as the power to discern the written script. Man must have developed the languages in the spoken forms. Still, the art of scripting and deciphering the written script would have been the initial step toward cultural modernization. The writer of the first text must have written it intending to be read. From ancient scrolls, stone carvings, or cave scripts to modern digital platforms, everything is written to carry forward the ideas to fellow beings and the later generations. ‘Reading,’ thus, is the most crucial exercise that keeps one in touch with the writers’ visions, thoughts, and ideals.
In this connection, René Descartes, the renowned philosopher and mathematician, rightly observes, “The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries.” A reader gets a chance to enter into the conversation with the writer. It is a lively affair where the reader starts catching the critical frequency of the writer. Sometimes, in this process, the reader is likely to feel that what the writer has conceived was his very ideas; the only difference is that the writer had the privilege of rich language and vast exposure. This feeling indicates that the reader absorbs the writer’s creative and critical talent. Virginia Woolf’s observation aptly expresses the same view, “To read a book well, one should read it as if one were writing it.”
George R.R. Martin, acclaimed author of the “A Song of Ice and Fire” series, encapsulates the transformative power of reading when he says, “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.” George R.R. Martin’s observation beautifully encapsulates the essence of the para-experience that reading offers. Through the act of reading, individuals transcend the confines of their own lives and embark on a multitude of journeys, each one distinct and enriching. By immersing themselves in authors’ narratives, readers inhabit characters’ lives, traverse familiar and fantastical landscapes, and confront challenges and triumphs beyond their lived experiences.
The reader, who has gone through the pages of countless books, acquires a wealth of perspectives, insights, and emotions that extend far beyond the boundaries of their singular existence. A good reader walks in the shoes of heroes and heroines, villains and victims, saints and sinners, and acquires a deeper understanding of the complexities of human nature and the world at large. They find the opportunity to explore distant lands, unravel mysteries, and engage in the timeless conversations that span the breadth of human history and imagination. Through the act of literary immersion, readers not only expand their horizons but also cultivate empathy, resilience, and wisdom. They develop the capacity to navigate the complexities of life with nuance and understanding, drawing upon the diverse array of insights gleaned from their literary odysseys.
There can be many motives behind reading. Some read for pleasure, some to look scholarly and learned, some to pass the exam, whereas some read because they can’t help. Whatever motive might remain at the base of reading, the outcome remains the same; that is, it leaves an impeccable mark of saneness on the reader. It imparts knowledge, skills of critical thinking, and the ability to challenge oppressive structures, ultimately fostering personal and collective freedom.
All the great minds have become so through their capacity to think and read. When Bhagat Singh was summoned for execution, he was busy reading a book on Russian revolutionary Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. Gandhi is said to have studied Bhagavad Gita while in political confinement. In his letter to his son’s teacher, Abraham Lincoln requests her to “Teach him if you can the wonders of books…” In his letter to Indira Priyadarshini on her birthday, Jawaharlal Nehru asks her to go through the great legacy of history. From all these instances, one clearly understands the significance of reading. Reading works to expand the horizons of visions.
New technology has introduced some novel and transformative forms of books. There are PDF and digital versions of texts along with the Kindle versions. These new forms of books give the reader an experience of the latest compatible reading mode. A Kindle or PDF version is handy to take any number of books anywhere. Moreover, the reader can read any number of books simultaneously, keep track of reading, make notes, and create comments along with reading on the digital device. Books are also now available in the audio formats. The reader, sorry, the listener, can listen to them. Again, it requires concentrated efforts to listen to the monotonous voice of the narrator.
Despite all such incredible advantages reading offers, it remains one of the most challenging tasks for many. Since it demands a concentrated and focused pursuit, it becomes difficult for some to follow a written text closely. It requires patience, practice, and, above all, the capacity to keep calm. In the fast life of technology and digital distractions, one finds it quite complex and challenging to acquire such calmness and patient endeavours of reading entire texts. There are distractions of the vital screen. Daily, a significant number of digital content is poured out; following it with a comparatively lazy mind is much easier than reading, which demands greater attention and close pursuit. Still, if you have reached this part of the text, I congratulate you for your passion and capacity for concentration. You have mastered a tact to win the world.
Bells and Whistles:
A young man sent a message-chit in a book to the girl he liked, asking her to wear a red dress if she loved him too. The girl returned the book to him the next day and did not wear the red dress. The man was disappointed and left the city. After many years, when he accidentally opened the book, he found a reply from the girl, which read, “Dear, I do love you. But I don’t have a red dress.” The man received another shock at his foolishness. The story’s moral is: “One should open the book to read it.”
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