How many times have we heard this from young people these days (and dare I say some older)? It seems like they all too often have enough time to “text” their friends all day and read the messages, send and receive emails, but when it comes to anything involving reading a book, they make a sour face, roll their eyes or just brush it off because they don’t have the time. In this day and age of high technology, it isn’t surprising that we are inundated with things that propel us into this type of mindset. Sitting down and opening a real book isn’t “cool”, or I guess in today’s generation, “tight”. I think much of this is because anything that is assigned at school is seen as work. If a kid doesn’t grow up at home reading, he won’t want to in school. So what is the answer to getting anyone to “want” to read if they never liked it? Keep reading.
I, too, come from a place of having a hard time getting into reading. My main reason? It seems that when I go to the library or a bookstore, I am daunted by what I see. I don’t know the authors, I am not familiar with any particular book series, and I am also not really sure what kind of book I like. So I may flip through several, but then eventually feel that I just couldn’t read an entire book without getting bored or not having the time. Oh, there are a few books that I have read that I really liked, but when moving on to a different author, I feel lost. And when I stand in front of the New York Best Seller’s book section at the grocery store or in the library book bin, you will see at any given time many titles of paper and hardbacks like “A Time For Murder”, “Slow Boat to Russia”, “The Sun Never Rises”, etc. (no those aren’t real titles), and they just all look the same. Lots and lots of thick paperbacks that cost at least $8.99 each if you are at the store. If you are like me, I have a hard time spending that kind of money for a book I might not like, not to mention being broke from our current economic situation. And when at the library, I love browsing, but never really know what to pick without the help of the librarian, who is usually very knowledgeable on the many different genres. But what if I don’t want to start off with a complete book? Or what if I just don’t like to read really long stories?
My answer? The short story or essay. Just because it is short, doesn’t mean that it isn’t packed with some strong writing. I am attending a course in creative writing at the University of Oxford in London, and we are spending a great deal of time reading short stories from a wonderful array of writers. Woolf, Cheever, Hemingway, Gilman, Atwood, and Joyce, just to name a few. I am also beginning to realize that to become a great writer, you first have to be a dedicated reader.
Because of my newfound reading experience, I would like to encourage anyone, whether young or old, to consider trying out the short story or essay. I am going to post a few here for you to read in the coming weeks. This might just change your mind about reading once and for all! Oh, and by the way, did you know that we even have a book club on our site that offers excerpts of each of the weekly regular length novels so you can see if you like it first before checking it out? Just click one of the book jackets at the bottom right page of our site. Also, if you want a more personal experience, then join our Book Talk. It is open to everyone and it is a way to delve deeper into literature, meet in person, and make new friendships!
So, lets get started with our first story! This is a rather funny short essay about Walter Mitty, a hapless, meek man who dreams big. It was written by James Thurber and was made into a movie, starring Danny Kaye. It is very short, just under 800 words, but it is amazing how Thurber takes us on the roller coaster with his character, Walter Mitty. Enjoy!
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
And if you become really ambitious, check out this site with tons of links to more short stories, essays, and poems…Stories and Narrative Essays