America - Read

I am confused about something. Actually, about most things, but one at the moment. I sometimes hear pundits lamenting the fact that people no longer read for pleasure. At other times, I hear that book sales are high. Obviously, that makes little sense as I doubt that folks are just buying books and letting them sit there.

Possibly, those complaining are upset that the kind of books they approve of are being ignored. You know, the great works of literature that we were told in school that we must read. There we have the problem. I am convinced that English teachers generally beat the love of good books out of their students.

For example, when I was a junior in high school, we were assigned Moby Dick to read. Our teacher who, I think, was well meaning, prepared us for this by stressing how difficult the book was and how we had to watch carefully on every page, for the deep symbolism. Then, day after day, in class, we tore the book apart searching for all sorts of hidden meanings. We examined that book almost word by word, and before we were a quarter of the way through, I hated that book. She ruined it for me and, I am sure for many others.

Then in college, I was again assigned the book. This time however, the Professor told us he wanted us to read it for the fun of it, not to worry about anything but enjoying a great adventure story. Reading it that way, I loved the book. Then, when we were through reading it, he becgan to discuss symbols and meanings and they were perfectly clear and easy to see. The lesson; enjoy the story. That is first and foremost.

I recently read Malcom Lowry's sublime book Under the Volcano, a book that is often said to be extremely difficult, and you know what? I followe my old Professor's advice and just read it for the story. It is a great and strange tale, a fine, fine story written as well as any I have read. It is true that there are some obscure references throughout the text, but I just skipped over them. That in no way lessened the impact of the story. Then, I went back, and had no trouble finding what those passages were talking about. That deepened my understanding of what Lowry was saying but it was important to first read the story. The tale's the thing, as Shakespeare said, and Willie, as he often was, was right.

I urge peolpe to go back and try some of those seemingly stale classics your high school teachers ruined for you. They really are fine tales once you realize that it is the story that matters, followed closely by the quality of the writing and the writers of classics are known as such because they were masters of both.