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Random musings:
Reading and the Book Fair
Does reading make a perfect man?
Sachitra MAHENDRA
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Some read papers on the mobile. Now that you have many things
to read, even on the go,
you got to learn how to read fast
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One batch mate has dropped a short to-the-point mail asking me to
confine the facts into one topic. With hats off to her request, I still
got to have my say: I just can't help treading on side alleys. One is
connected to the other. Or near enough, anyway.
This time I am trying to edge my subject: reading with the Book Fair
season. A wide subject area. I do not want to go into details why a book
fair is important on encouraging reading, and how nice to see BMICH
packed with bookworms. Sorry for putting it this way: these are nothing
but empty talk. Especially when you have so many things to think of
sideways.
Why read in the first place? Well they say reading makes a perfect
man. A funny inbox mail reads: reading makes a man perfect. Nobody's
perfect. So why read?
Professor James Moriarty in Sherlock Holmes fiction is a well-read
professor but all his knowledge was powered to harm the living. Osama
Bin Laden is also said to be a well-read scientist. What could he do
with his exceptional brain? Reading makes you either a professional or a
professor. And some professors are just ivory towers. Is it what we
interpret as, or, mean by, 'perfect'?
The intellectual Dr. E W Adikaram dropped reading towards the last
stages of his life. The biography has details on how the philosopher had
felt enough of reading and needed time to reflect his readings. This
biographical episode cast a spell in my childhood thinking path, and
elders got scared that I would drop reading too. You should not get the
wrong end of the stick. The Adikaram theory does not prompt dropping
reading, as it might seem to a lazy reader. His matured decision has a
meaning: you shall know what you will read.
Reading whatever falls on your hand is good for language development,
but not for the perfection, I think. I bought Adolf Hitler's biography
in a previous book fair, but could not complete the voluminous book.
First because of the boring language, and I felt like reading a
biography of a notorious politician. You have hair-splitting answers
against my stand here. There are political elements in the biography.
You can study the making of a fixer. You can analyse modern politics.
With many more reasons to justify reading this 'great work'. May be good
for political, social or some other scientist, but not for a simple folk
like I. I gain nothing perfect by reading a voluminous biography of a
notorious politician written in an archaic language.
The term perfection does not have a particular definition. Many
scholars need to interpret in many ways. It should be somehow something
that gives your life a relief from the grief. Your reading should be
able to provide that relief. It perfects your life style.
So come to think about categories such as religion, literature and
medicine. You will get 'something'. Analysis of such reading may lead us
towards a particular type of perfection. Religion brings you the feel of
some sort of salvation. Literature makes you forget the real-life drama.
Medicine will lengthen the beloved life. And there are many categories
that might bring you to the brink of perfection. What about categories
like 'crime' then? You are the Jury to choose the verdict category
between 'religion' and 'crime'.
Today we live with heaps to read. The Internet and mobiles are worse.
Some read papers on the mobile. Now that you have many things to read,
even on the go, you got to learn how to read fast. They teach you that
faster reading means faster learning. It's like learning English in 8
days as guaranteed by 'qualified English teachers'. Fast reading is of
course a farce.
Don't get me wrong in the bottom line. I do not want to spoil your
reading appetite. Just carry on but be selective. Think twice, or
multiple times, before leaping out to buy a book with an attractive
finish. I am going to stick to my words too this time keeping tabs on my
bony wallet.
So perfect reading to you all!
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