The Pleasures of Reading in An Age of Distraction

I read the above book (by Wheaton College English prof Alan Jacobs) a few months ago and it is the sort of thing I ordinarily would post about here, for it is a fine and relevant book. However, I found myself so distracted by the world and life that I never got around to it.

Anyhow, in the book Jacobs tells how earnest former students sometimes ask him for a list of books they should be reading. But he refuses, telling them, in essence, to "go out and read what you enjoy." That's what it's all about--that's how it should be. Reading should be a joy, not work or a burden, and even fiction written for sheer entertainment can be part of a healthy reading diet.

Essentially I agree with this since those books I have mastered and incorporated into my memory bank (to some extent) have been those I have enjoyed. Dull material I was forced to read for an examination was, as a rule, material I have forgotten.

Having said that, it also is true that the way I have come across those most enjoyable books usually has been due to the recommendation of people whose views I respect. It might be through a book review, a web post, a newspaper column, or a radio or TV interview with the author himself or herself. Furthermore, I have come across treasures simply because, through education, I was taught "this author is among the best." At one point in my life I needed to find books capable of distracting yet nourishing my mind for hours on end (we had limited TV access at the time, a good thing I think). Immediately, thanks to schools, teachers and other sources, I thought of Charles Dickens and over a period of years worked my way through a dozen or so of his best works. Repeatedly I found myself entertained, uplifted, and/or stimulated, and if I ever got bored would remind myself, "This is a famous Dickens novel. It'll get better." Nearly always, it did. (Exception: I never could get into Hard Times.) Jacobs comments on another topic of importance in this day and age, namely that of electronic readers made by Kindle, Sony or whoever. Is reading a book on them the same as reading a codex book (an old-fashioned one made with paper and ink)? Jacobs, as it turns out, likes his Kindle a lot, finding it nicer than carrying around armloads of books) and credits it with refiring his reading habit. My own thoughts on readers (got one in February) are more complex. Not sure if I actually read more with mine than I would with the same book in print since I always have to subtract time spent playing with it or uploading more free classic works (largely because they are free). On the other hand, once the novelty wears off maybe I will find the gadget simply to be a great supplemental item that could save me a lot of suitcase room and weight on my next plane trip. I recently read other ideas on this topic, written by a thoughtful commentator, to the effect that Kindle reading is not at all the same as reading the same book in print. If I come across the piece again, I will provide a link here...