Elf They/them Posted June 8, 2022 Report Share Posted June 8, 2022 If for nothing else, the thing I will always be grateful for is the fact that I am a reader. That I live and breathe literature. That I feel most alive in worlds that never were; in worlds of ink and paper. I was a pretty lonely kid, am a lonely kid. And you know, that sucks, but it’s also okay cause I have characters. I have people who will never judge, never leave, who understand. And yeah, they may also be not real, but they matter to me. Reading is a reminder that you are not alone. When you read a book that speaks to your soul (you know the kind I'm talking about. The one that makes you feel seen, the one that invades your soul and shatters your heart into a million pieces and you don't even mind because it puts it back together all different and it’s so much better for having been broken.) its real. Its real because those words were written by another person who is so much like you that it feels like your very soul was used as inspiration for the book. And suddenly, you're not alone. You share a certain kinship with this stranger who might be hundreds of miles away from you. The characters themselves. Oh my... What can I say? Being a reader is listening to a certain song and then crying because it reminds you so much of your favorite character. It’s getting through a hard time by repeating the character's words in your head; by saying "If so-and-so did this, then I can sure as hell get through this." Its laughing, crying, loving, living, dying with the characters. Its sobbing when you read their tragic backstory. Its mourning with them. Even as I write this, I'm crying because of this song that reminds me so damn much of Kaz Brekker. Hahah Being a reader is being awake at 2 am and battling monsters or serving kings while listening to Tchaikovsky. Its perusing bookstores for hours on the end. Its breathing in the smell of old pages and feeling as you’ve breathed life back into yourself. Its passing your bookshelf and caressing the books, without even knowing you’re doing it, or dropping all your work to go hunt for a particular quote from a book. Its loving a book so much, that your own writing style mirrors it for a while (thank you, Nevernight, for getting me nearly full marks in my English essay). Its feeling alive. And you never feel more alive than when you find a book that you love so much it feels like you can’t breathe. Its learning too. Its learning that life isn’t fair; that hope is something that can never die; or that when the world tries to put you down, you climb to the top anyway. I know magic exists not. But when I read, I almost believe it does. For what can reading be other than sorcery? 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Wandering Wizard he/him Posted June 8, 2022 Report Share Posted June 8, 2022 Nothing, it can be nothing but sorcery indeed as the pages entrap and entangle. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morningtide she/her Posted June 8, 2022 Report Share Posted June 8, 2022 That....that was beautiful! I couldn't agree more. People who aren't true readers don't understand when you describe yourself as a reader or go on and on about books for hours. They can't understand what it's like to truly experience a book in its fullest. Most of my friends are readers, and I think that this is because, to readers, there is no better conversation topic than whatever book has currently captured your heart and mind. I love books more than I can say, and more than I can understand most of the time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elf They/them Posted June 8, 2022 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2022 Thank you! I agree with you. People who aren't readers just don't understand. And talking with other readers about books is quite frankly the best feeling in the world. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Wandering Wizard he/him Posted June 8, 2022 Report Share Posted June 8, 2022 15 minutes ago, Elf said: Thank you! I agree with you. People who aren't readers just don't understand. And talking with other readers about books is quite frankly the best feeling in the world. It is really fun to talk to other readers and even better if their Sanderfans. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Sedai she/her Posted June 9, 2022 Report Share Posted June 9, 2022 A beautiful essay. Thank you Elf! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elf They/them Posted June 9, 2022 Author Report Share Posted June 9, 2022 No, thank you for reading it! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medium he/they Posted June 9, 2022 Report Share Posted June 9, 2022 To say that reading is sorcery doesn't do it justice. It is art. It is passion. It is indescribably beautiful. Now, I'm going to go make an essay about writing, following your example, Elf. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Szeth's Facepalm Posted June 10, 2022 Report Share Posted June 10, 2022 I love you elffffffffffff !!! All of your writing about books and reading is so entangling and interesting. You're gonna go places with writing like that! On 6/8/2022 at 1:46 AM, Elf said: you know the kind I'm talking about. The one that makes you feel seen, the one that invades your soul and shatters your heart into a million pieces and you don't even mind because it puts it back together all different and it’s so much better for having been broken. this. This this this. I cannot get over how you described this. For me, this not only applies to books, but to music and other artful expressions. You put it into words absolutely perfectly. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elf They/them Posted June 10, 2022 Author Report Share Posted June 10, 2022 3 hours ago, CalanoCorvus said: To say that reading is sorcery doesn't do it justice. It is art. It is passion. It is indescribably beautiful. Now, I'm going to go make an essay about writing, following your example, Elf. Nice! By the time i respond to this you've already written it and mentioned me in it so ill get around to reading that in a bit! 2 hours ago, Szeth's Facepalm said: I love you elffffffffffff !!! All of your writing about books and reading is so entangling and interesting. You're gonna go places with writing like that! this. This this this. I cannot get over how you described this. For me, this not only applies to books, but to music and other artful expressions. You put it into words absolutely perfectly. I love you toooooo!!! Thank you so much!!!! I am glad you liked the essay :)) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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