There is no Frigate like a Book
To take us Lands away
Nor any Coursers like a Page
Of prancing Poetry--
This Traverse may the poorest take
Without oppress of Toll--
How frugal is the Chariot
That bears the Human Soul--

-Emily Dickinson


November, 2010. This is when I had an epiphany that I knew nothing about literature. What exactly prompted this revelation, I don't remember. But what I did after that was print off "BBC's Top 100 Books" list in order to expand my horizons. (Although I'm aware that there are plenty of books omitted from the list, as well as new books constantly being published, this is intended simply to help me be acquainted with literature.) I challenged myself to read all of the books on the list. One year later, I've realized it will take much longer than expected. With only 7 of the 100 books read, this task seems daunting and unrealistic. While some may think it's somewhat masochistic, some may think it's an admirable goal. I guess it depends on the book I'm reading. Frequently I'll read a book that is not on this long list. I used to apologize for it, but I'm assuming hardly anyone reads it anyways.

I started by critiquing the books and authors, but the purpose for writing has changed over the years. The purpose of this blog isn't necessarily to write reviews for the benefit of high school procrastinators or for eagerly researching book-readers or for really anyone besides me. It's a documentation of my own progress as a learner and a reader, as well as being wonderfully cathartic. Books elicit an emotional response, which allows me to explore my own beliefs about life and spirituality.

As of Sunday, June 21st, 2015, I have read twenty-six books on the list. This is hopefully subject to change, and will be updated regularly...or more accurately, as regularly as I finish a book, which isn't always regular.


Saturday, January 12, 2013

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll

Read Twenty-First on January 12, 2013.

So I haven't read any books in a long time. I would say my excuse is experiencing my first semester at college, but in hindsight, I had too many memories of me sitting around doing nothing. Getting back in the habit of reading, I felt like I needed to start small. And this is hardly a book; it's more like a pamphlet.

I also don't feel very much like myself...and by that I mean that I don't feel very critical and/or pretending to be insightful. To me, it just seemed like a hodgepodge of nonsense (which it was) that was solely supposed to entertain children. If I remember correctly from my sophomore English class, it was indeed written for a little girl of whom Lewis Carroll was fond. (There was some debate on whether this fondness was of the pedophilic type or not.) Of course the whole story is centered around a very imaginative girl who longs to escape from a world where books have no "pictures or conversations" so she dreams of Wonderland. Okay, simple enough.

Am I just losing my touch? There has to be something else in it that makes it so famous. Walt Disney must have seen something of value in it. But then again, I don't know how popular Alice was when the movie was made.

I'm just going to go read another book.
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