From as early as I can remember, reading has always been a huge part of my life and my family’s lives. My parents would spend the free time they had on vacations with books, and we would always have to complete 30 minutes of free reading before we were allowed to play any sort of video game. I enjoyed free reading in my youth, but there was one specific book that I read in 6th grade that stuck with and would never leave my mind. When I first opened Dan Brown’s Inferno, I entered a story that would change me and my reading forever. Inferno follows the story of Professor of Symbology Rober Langdon as he tears through the city of Florence, Italy, trying to solve clues to prevent the release of a deadly pathogen from wiping out a massive portion of the population. I can see myself clearly in my room, under the covers with my lamp still on, reading quietly, and putting myself into Langdon’s shoes as he tries to solve various puzzles. I remember checking the clock over and over again, promising myself for five more minutes, until five minutes because another hour. Now at midnight, I had the choice to either go to bed and continue reading again after school, or power through and keep reading until my eyes wouldn’t stay open anymore. Naturally, I took the second option.
Reading that book was the first time I felt absolutely merged with a story; I felt like I was Langdon as I did my best to crack a puzzle with the clues I had around me. That mindset has stayed with me, and through the rest of middle school and even high school, my style of read has always been one of following the path the author sets while maintaining my own personal ideas, and merging the two to glean one comprehensive meaning. I would never research and author or their time period, because I always figured that everything I would need to understand the book would be in the book.
That being said, my reading will continue to evolve, as I learn more and more about literature and my place in it. Books will always be around me, and sometimes, the best course of action would be to understand why the author is writing what he is writing. The beauty of a story comes from two places: Reader and Writer, and I have learned that there needs to be a balance between the two. If you focus too much on the reader’s point of view, you’ll never understand what the author is trying to convey to you. However, over analyzing the author’s writing and background can leave you with a story that doesn’t pull you in and creates a divide. The most important thing in reading and writing is to find an equilibrium between you and the author, because at its core, literature is just communication. You can’t have a meaningful conversation if you do all the talking, nor if you do all the listening. The beauty of literacy is the conversation you engage in, sometimes for hours, days, or weeks, that puts you into a world separate from your own, and expands your horizons into something that you might never be able to experience yourself. In this, your reading improves your writing and vice versa, leaving you with the skills to engage in a conversation with anyone in the world at any time, either as a reader or writer. Either as speaker or listener. With literacy, any opportunity is open to you. All you have to do is open the cover.
Dan Brown is a great read, I enjoy all his books. I like your understanding of both the reader and the writer and trying to find a balance. I also liked your comment on the book will provide me with everything I need to know. I like that approach. Thanks for sharing your reading journey.