Having had an ample amount of time to read these past few weeks, I’ve found myself ruminating today about why exactly we read. Beyond say, for aesthetic pleasure or to become lost or immersed in another world, there is something more to it, particular in relation to the Classics. I managed to read 18 books in 2023, which is more than I ever have. My goal was 15, so it feels great to have exceeded that number. Far better though is what I have gained from the act and art of reading.
Appreciation for the human experience
One of my favourite things about reading fiction is that I find myself having a greater appreciation for the human experience. Different authors shed light on different aspects of life throughout the ages. Jane Austen for example (since I recently finished “Northanger Abbey”), satirical as she is, provides an understanding of the Gentry in late 18th/early 19th century England. She uses sentimentality and humour as a way of connecting us with the daily happenings and social issues of the day. Her particular use of syntax and attention to detail brings characters to life. It places us within the pages. She conveys how a woman like Catherine Morland in “Northanger Abbey” would have felt about the world around her. Not just in her physical space, but in imagination as well; under the influence of a rich inner-world and gothic novels, her mind runs wild.
“You have been abroad then?” said Henry, a little surprised.
“Oh! No, I only mean what I have read about. It always puts me in mind of the country that Emily and her father traveled through, in The Mysteries of Udolpho. But you never read novels, I dare say?”
“Why not?”
“Because they are not clever enough for you — gentlemen read better books.”
-Jane Austen, “Northanger Abbey”
This is the sort of perspective which history books and other works of non-fiction cannot provide. Connecting in this way to certain time periods or geographies can add depth to our lives, even centuries later.
A masterful job is also done in “The Plague” which I read this autumn. Camus’ novel is much more poignant now due to our own shared experience with contagion and lockdown in 2020. This helps connect us to the world he creates further, of course, but even without this, he brilliantly encapsulates the despair and perspective such an event stirs:
And he knew, also, what the old man was thinking as his tears flowed, and he, Rieux, thought it too: that a loveless world is a dead world, and always there comes an hour when one is weary of prisons, of one's work, and of devotion to duty, and all one craves for is a loved face, the warmth and wonder of a loving heart.
-Albert Camus, “The Plague”
Camus has softened my previously harsh, bleaker view of the nature of life. It brings peace to my troubled spirit which starves for meaning in a nonsensical world. When I read Camus I feel…deeply. I empathise and I yearn. And because of that, I am more complete. I am more balanced an indvidual for having read his novels. One must imagine Sisyphus happy, indeed.
We read to better understand the human experience: all of its emotion and tragedy and joy. The heights and depths. We read to reaffirm that we are not the first person in human history to feel the absurdity of the world weighing upon us. We read so that we may take what we learn and apply it to our own lives as a means of enjoying what it means to be alive.
Participation in a larger conversation
In the same way that writing is not done in a vacuum, reading is influenced by our current environment, geopolitical climate, knowledge and personal background. When we read, we are taking part in a broader conversation. We are adding to the story created first by the author, then added to by the analysis commentary of others who have read and interpreted the text. It is a body of knowledge which will continue as long as books are discussed and analysed.
Literature should be enjoyed, but also engaged with in a world-facing way. When you read, dissect and inspect the text and bring it to the table with others who have done the same, you build upon your solo understanding and it takes you deeper into the content. Hearing feedback on your interpretation of the material and the observations of others enriches our experience with books. In some ways, we have not fully read a novel until we are able to talk about it with others. I for one light up when this opportunity arises. I feel not only joy in the common love for an author, but also for the person I am conversing with as I draw from their analysis.
We read to enjoy this conversation with history through the ages and humanity at large. We read to connect with the author and to take a piece of their insight with us into our physical world. This informs our social interactions. In this way, reading allows us to keep certain truths alive, eternally.
Imagination
As we read, we imagine other worlds and human interactions at different moments in time. When we also take time to read history and philosophy we can connect on an even more meaningful level because we can place characters into that time and place with the same knowledge of the world they had; seeing it through their eyes. This is especially important as to not judge the words and actions of a novel’s cast too harshly. Some literature applies language which may be deemed overly hidebound by today’s standards and we should never let that keep us from enjoying a piece of work or extracting valuable life lessons.
Whether an author is creating an entirely new world like Tolkien or Lewis or simply taking a snapshot of another moment in time and space, going there allows us to build upon what we know to be true in our particular reality. As I read through “Moby-Dick”, I am taken by Ishmael’s aching for adventure. It revives him when life has gone stale. He does not settle for routine, but awakens his spirit by taking to the sea. He listens to his heart and he takes action.
It is a feeling I am mostly unfamiliar with in my current work-from-home, suburban existence and his almost Shakespearan-like style adds an incredible layer to the experience. It is a type of escapism which begs me to question my own life choices and inner-most desires. Who am I? What am I made of? Where should I direct myself? What do I do and see in the time that remains? It is a wondrous thing. Not only can I appreciate the beauty of Melville’s language, but I can use it as inspiration to seek more adventure in my own life.
Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; when I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially when my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people’s hats off - then, I account it high time to get to the sea as soon as I can. This is my substitute for pistol and ball. With a philosophical flourish Cato throws himself upon his sword; I quietly take to the ship. There is nothing surprising in this. If they but knew it, almost all men in their degree, some time or other, cherish very nearly the same feelings toward the ocean with me.
-Herman Melville, “Moby-Dick”
We read to expand our imagination of the world around us. We read to add a sense of wonder to our life. We read to deter a sense of weariness, monotony, and sameness.
Understanding ourselves
Lastly, we read to understand ourselves. Non-fiction may illuminate facts and figures about the world around us from which we can form opinions and a worldview, but there is nothing like a great work of fiction to compel us to examine our own life, our actions, biases, and standing in the world. A well-written piece of fiction will do more for you than any technical history or philosophy book ever will.
Every life is in many days, day after day. We walk through ourselves, meeting robbers, ghosts, giants, old men, young men, wives, widows, brothers-in-love, but always meeting ourselves.
-James Joyce, “Ulysses”
When we read, we consider how the characters act and presume how we would handle the same situation. Authors use stories to evoke emotion. When we open ourselves up to being vulnerable with a text, we see further into our own tendencies and can then interrogate and better ourselves. Dostoevsky does this to me time and time again. Reading his novels has led me on a journey from self-criticism to optimism and from militant-atheist tendencies to an honest, open-hearted analysis on the role of faith in the human experience. His novels have also taught me the value and meaning of love and how our moral conduct reverberates outward.
Above all, don't lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love.
-Dostoevsky, “The Brothers Karamozov
We read to gain insight into our own minds. We read to become more equanimous. We read to continually know ourselves, reform our outdated opinions and discern our own morality.
Reading is not a necessity in life. It will not on its own make you successful or happy. It will however, when approached with curiosity, care and an open spirit add extensively to your human experience. Let yourself be entertained and learn from the stories of those who have gone before. Savour the language, styles, and wisdom. Apply it and live it. Allowing literature to enhance this already wondrous world we inhabit and your time in it makes for a more elevated and magnificent life.