Indeed bloggers, the book is over. So the real question is, what have I learned? Focusing more on the end of the book, (pages 125-319) one of my favorite chapters started on page 126. Different cultures read different ways and with different type of books. I was tickled at this notion. Words are words, right? Why does it matter where you put them as long as you put them somewhere, right? I was able to remember how important reading used to be. Today, reading is just a score on a report card to pass to the next grade, reading is in a test needed for our transcript for college. Reading has just become a letter grade. But is reading more? The ancient people thought so. I was amused with a thought mentioned : "In 1588 and Italian engineer, Agostino Ramelli, serving under the King of France, published a book describing a series or useful machines. One of these is a "rotary reading desk" which Ramelli describes as ' a beautiful and ingenious machine, which is very useful and convenient to every person who takes pleasure in study'..." (pg 131). It baffled me to know that people actually made furniture , even beds, to read books more easily. The only thing we try to make convenient for anything in America is trying to make the newest arm chair the most comfortable for watching television at night. I also agree with the fact that reading involves a great deal of privacy (pg 153). I don't mean to beat a dead horse, but reading is really an adventure where you can become whatever or whoever you desire to, and this aspect makes reading special.
On an entirely different note, I also found interesting when talking about Comstock (pg 287) the author asked what types of books he read? Then I began thinking, "What type of books do authors read? What type of books do teachers read? Fun ones? Boring ones? Short ones? Fat ones?" I guess I assumed if one was a teacher or in high supremacy they were only entitled to boring books if they seemed to be boring people. Wouldn't it be funny to find a fiction teenage book in the hands of someone in power? Possibly.
Reading is an adventure. Last week, I challenged you guys to go find a book and go to your secret place. How did it go? What was your favorite part from the book we are reading now? I truly enjoyed this book. I honestly thought this book would be unentertaining and tedious, but I found it rather fun. Let me know your thoughts!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I love that they took various means to create furniture that was more adapted to reading. I wish we had more of that! I know that I love to read either in my bed or an old rocking chair that once belonged to my grandmother. Unfortunately, these positions get tiresome and shifting is necessary to keep the odd tingling sensation out as various body parts begin to fall asleep. I would love to sit in that chair that was in the picture to see if reading in it was indeed comfortable or not. It may just be something that was an ingenious idea but was not entirely effective. I would love to know.
ReplyDeleteAs you know from reading my blog, I did not enjoy this book. However, I found it informative and bits and pieces were interesting. My favorite chapter was "Forbidden Reading" because I enjoyed learning why people chose to ban books. Books are really an outlet to different worlds and can be devices of revolutionary ideas. It said in the book, and I'm just paraphrasing, that the best way to effectively lead a society is to lead them in ignorance and fear. It is frightening, but true!
Kathryn- good insight! Maybe we should talk to the university about getting some of those chairs..ha ha. Just kidding. I wonder if people mocked those chairs because if those chairs were indeed at KSU, people would be making fun of them right and left. What do you think? I also think it's odd that various parts of our bodies tend to fall asleep if we stay put in just one position. I like to read on my bed, but usually I tend to fall asleep. It is a shame, but that bed is just comfortable, ya know?
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness! Can you only imagine KSU bringing in those chairs? That would cause a great riot among the students. Probably because of another fee that could be tacked on to our growing list. I can hear the complaints now. "We have another fee for READING CHAIRS??" It would cause quite a stir into the student population.
ReplyDeleteReading in my bed is truly a comforting thing, but it does so often put me to sleep! I remedy that by having a big glass of water next to me. The only thing that gets frustrating about that is having to get up so often to use the restroom and interrupt the story!!!