… with words.

Little bit of a backstory:

A friend of mine got a job this year that requires her to travel 2hours every morning and 2hours every night. Yes - shes mad, I know! But there has been a wonderful outcome to her painstaking journeys, she has finally come around to the idea of reading books! She’s the type of person who’s used to visually experiencing a story through film or illustration, so the thought of actually reading seemed tedious - until recently!

So another friend and I have been recommending some of our favourite pieces of literature and I think its fair to say - shes falling in love! Or at least learning to enjoy a story… CLOSE ENOUGH!

But it also got me pondering, why are some of us are so drawn to written work rather than images on screen? Don’t get me wrong I love both to death, and my list favourite movies stretches as far as my list of favourite books! But theres nothing like a book to take you into another world in a way that film can’t.

Now to the main part of this post…

What is it about a book?

I could probably ramble on for hours about how much I love books, but for now - we’ll stick to keeping it pretty simple..

When opening a new story, you experience something so incredibly personal that even if you read the same thing as the person sitting next to you, its still a completely individual adventure. A great story is so immersive you can sometimes forget that its all fiction, a bit of genius from the mind of the author. I’ll freely admit that I’ve cried over several books purely because of being so trapped in the pace, the emotions, the beautifully written details flowing from page to page and becoming obsessed with stories for weeks on end.

Its escapism in its simplest form. No frills, just a way out of reality for a couple of hours (perhaps longer if its a really good read). We (especially girls) love a fairytale, a way to believe for a little while that the impossible is possible, and this is one of the ways we get around it. It works so well because the story depends solely on you - the reader - continuing to read, your pacing, your thoughts, your imagination! Its a subconscious sense of power, whether you realise it or not. Yes, you may not have a say on how the story ends, but you are able to witness it unfold in however way you want. You can make a villain seem like a victim, a hero can become a self coward, you’re left to fall into your own interpretations and this is what makes reading novels so thrilling. The writer isn’t there hanging over you as you read, they completely disappear - yes, you can admire or scoff at their technique or grammar, but after a bit of time easing into a book, they’re forgotten until you come out of the other end. 

So, before I get too carried away - to wrap up… What is it about a book thats so beautiful? Its the fact that no matter what is happening in your life, theres an escape - even for a while - that has the potential of being so fantastical and wild that it could impact your life in a way you never really expect from reality.

Enough with the cheese.

Until next time, darlings!

- H.G