Stop What You're Doing and Read This!

by Vintage Books (Editor), Carmen Callil, Michael Rosen

A mission statement about the transformative power of reading; about the way it inspires us, the tangible impact it can have on our wellbeing, the importance it holds for us now and will continue to hold in the future.

In any 24 hours there might be sleeping, eating, kids, parents, friends, lovers, work, school, travel, deadlines, emails, phone calls, Facebook, Twitter, the news, the TV, Playstation, music, movies, sport, responsibilities, passions, desires, dreams.

Why should you stop what you're doing and read a book?

People have always needed stories. We need literature - novels, poetry - because we need to make sense of our lives, test our depths, understand our joys and discover what humans are capable of. Great books can provide companionship when we are lonely or peacefulness in the midst of an overcrowded daily life. Reading provides a unique kind of pleasure and no-one should live without it.

In the ten essays in this book some of our finest authors and passionate advocates from the worlds of science, publishing, technology and social enterprise tell us about the experience of reading, why access to books should never be taken forgranted, how reading transforms our brains, and how literature can save lives. In any 24 hours there are so many demands on your time and attention - make books one of them.

Carmen Callil Tim Parks
Nicholas Carr Michael Rosen
Jane Davis Zadie Smith
Mark Haddon Jeanette Winterson
Blake Morrison Dr Maryanne Wolf & Dr Mirit Barzillai

Genres: Nonfiction, Books About Books, Essays, Writing, Anthologies, Literature, Self Help

190 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Ümit Mutlu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bazı yazılar gerçekten zihin açıcı; okuma üzerine derin düşünceler sunuyorlar gerçekten. Özellikle, Carmen Callil'in, yazısında değindiği şey çok hoş:

"Bir kitabı kindle ya da tabletten okumakta bir sorun yok tabii ki, hatta sorun olmamasının yanı sıra çok da pratik, ancak bu, basılı kitapla aynı şey değil. Bir cihaz asla bir kitaba benzemez. Kitaplar çok daha güzeldir. Kitaplar bahçeler gibidir, kindle ya da tabletse daha çok birer süpermarkete benzer: Hayatı kolaylaştırırlar, ama içinde istediğiniz gibi dolanamazsınız. Kitapları ise kurcalayabilirsiniz. Tıpkı bahçeler gibi muhteşem bir manzara sunabilirler. Onlara sarılabilir ve sıcak su torbası gibi kullanabilirsiniz; bir makine bunların hiçbirini yapamaz."

Basılı kitap-tablet savaşı kapsamında, tüm o yüzeysel "kitap kokusu" savlarının falan ötesinde, duyduğum en doğru yaklaşım bu: Kitapta gezinebilir, elinize alıp istediğiniz cümleyi okuyabilir ve dahası, ilk okuduğunuz zamanı ve o zaman sahip olduğunuz tüm hisleri tekrar anımsayabilirsiniz. Basılı kitap asla ölmeyecek.

[emre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jane Davis'in Okuma Devrimi, Jeanette Winterson'ın Bir Kitap. Bir Yatak. Bir Dağ. ve Mark Haddon'ın Doğru Sözcükler Doğru Sırayla başlıklı denemeleri çok keyifliydi.

[Heather Clitheroe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not bad - an interesting collection of essays on the art and act of reading, and on the necessity of literature. If it's meant to convince you that reading is essential, it's preaching to the choir: I don't know that many of the people who read this book would be inclined to disagree with the pronouncements.

I had to smile and shake my head at Carmen Callil's vehement disapproval of the ebook.

"Reading a book on a Kindle or an Ipad is all very well - in fact it is better than all very well, it is splendidly practical - but it is not the same. A machine can never look like a book: books are far more beautiful. Books are like gardens; a Kindle or an iPad like a supermarket - it makes life easier, but one doesn't want to loiter in it. You can fiddle with books. Like gardens, they can be wonderful to look at. You can cuddle them and use them like a hot-water bottle; a machine can't do any of these things."

For one, I'm quite certain that you can use a book as a hot-water bottle. And for another, it's disingenuous to argue that the value of literature and prose is somehow cheapened because of the format it's presented in. The theme of 'ebook is bad' is present throughout the book, which is disappointing and which unnecessarily dates the essays...the ones that are preoccupied with it lose any sense of timelessness in their discussions of the importance of literature.

[Murat Dural · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yine güzel bir Deli Dolu Yayınları kitabı. Takip edenler bilir kitap okurken kendime üçlü, birbirini dengeleyecek, rahatlatacak türde seçimler yapıyorum: Bir roman / öykü kitabı, bir çizgi roman ve bir kuramsal eser. Bol bol yazmak, kurgu oluşturmak üzerine kitap okuyorum ama ilk defa "Okumak Üzerine" bir kitaba bakma, inceleme şansım oldu. Farklı, önemli noktadaki insanın yazıları ile katkı verdiği eser gayet doğurucu. Naçizane yazma çabasında biri olarak pencerenin diğer tarafına geçip okur hakkında, okuma eylemi konusunda da fikir edindim.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains ten essays by authors, publishers and other passionate advocates of reading, all giving reasons why reading is important - if not essential - in our lives. It talks about the thousands of children in our country who cannot read and write with competence and those who rarely read outside of the classroom. The parents who do not read to their children, the homes which do not have books. Assuming you are browsing books on goodreads suggests you are a reader, whether devoted or casual, but this book aims to argue the importance of books and reading in all of our lives. From Zadie Smith's portrayal of her family as chronic library users, to Carmel Callil (found of Virago) writing of discovering her beloved fathers book collection after his death, to the wonderful Michael Rosen discussing his father reading Dickens aloud on camping trips to Jane David, attempting through her The Reader Organisation to bring the joys of reading aloud to those who may not have experienced it before, this is a book full of joy for the love of reading and the importance of literature and poetry in all of our lives. There are also scientific arguments for the positive aspects for those who need to be convinced, but reading has enriched my life so much that I could no sooner live without books than I could without food. I suspect the same of you, but, even if you need no convincing that books are great, this is an entertaining and important read in it's own right.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars. A bit wanky but Nicholas Carr author of The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains saved it from less stars.

I liked the cover. I judge books by covers. That's OK. Just the contents inside didn't live up to the cover ;-p

The title was convincing too! Clever, but overpromised and underdelivered. Should have had a staid brown cover and been titled 'What Authors Love About Books And Reading (Especially Classic Literature And Poems!)'

[Beth Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was really more like a 2.5-star read, especially toward the end. This is a non-fiction book containing essays by authors all about reading. Over half the authors were unknown to me and their essays were the most boring. Part of that may have been due to the fact that they're unknown to me but a lot of it was because many of them talked about more of the scientific aspects of reading, rather than how reading has affected their lives in more personal ways. I was expecting personal vignettes, not dry scientific facts. I found myself skimming much of the book and I was happy when I finally finished this book. That's never a good sign!

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man darf sich von dem Titel des Buchs nicht in die Irre führen lassen, es handelt sich keineswegs um die Aufforderung, alles fallen zu lassen und mit dem Lesen anzufangen. Sicher, die Überlegung, was passiert, wenn man den Alltag Alltag sein lässt und sich voll auf seine Bücher konzentriert, steht am Anfang des Buchs. Aber es ist nur die Einleitung für zehn Essays von verschiedenen Autoren, die über ihre Liebe zum Lesen und zu Büchern erzählen.


So erfahre ich, dass es in der Familie von Zadie Smith fast schon zum guten Ton gehörte, die Leihfrist für ihre Bücher fast bis ins Unendliche zu verlängern. zu ihrem großen Glück gab es in ihrer Bücherei irgendwann eine Amnesty für Leihsünder, so dass ihnen die große Rückzahlung erspart blieb. Blake Morrison meint, dass Bücher einen freier atmen lassen, und Andrea Ashworth hält sie für ein Kästchen, in das man seine Seele einbetten kann.

Beim Lesen gehört das jeweilige Buch den Lesern selbst, danach wollen, nein: müssen sie es mit ihrer Umgebung teilen. Dieses Forum ist das beste Beispiel dafür. Und auch die Diskussion über Print und E-Books findet ihren Platz. Beides hat seine Berechtigung, aber während Bücher wie ein Garten sind, durch den man schlendert, sind E-Books eher wie ein Supermarkt, bei dem alles ein bisschen schneller geht und man vielleicht auch ein bisschen mehr mitnimmt, als man eigentlich wollte.

Ich habe von der Geschichte vom Virago Verlag gelesen, den Carmen Callit gründete, um Schriftstellerinnen den angemessenen Raum und eine lautere Stimme zu geben. Aber es gibt noch viel mehr Geschichten in diesem Buch, große und kleine. In einigen Lesegewohnheiten habe ich mich auch wiedergefunden und gehöre definitiv zu den zwei Drittel von Lesern, die durch ihre Lektüre verändert wurden.

Es ist ein wunderbares Buch, bei dem der Titel vielleicht doch nicht so irreführend ist, wie ich am Anfang erwähnt habe. Man sollte es dringend lesen, auch wenn dafür einige vermeintlich wichtige Dinge liegen bleiben werden.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

"READING TRANSFORMS THE human brain, which transforms the mind, which transforms the life of every reader.".....
Marcel Proust characterised this ‘heart of reading’ as that moment when ‘that which is the end of their [the author’s] wisdom is but the beginning of ours’ (Proust, 1906).

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book of essay extolling the virtues of reading. They are by writers, publishers and scientists writing about their personal experiences with books, of their beliefs about the benefits of reading, and of the scientific evidence about what the act of reading does to our brains. The introduction says that;

This year (2011) we learnt that there are many thousands of children across Britain who cannot read competently, that there are thousands who leave primary school unable to put together basic sentences. One in three teenagers reads only two books a year, or fewer, and one in six children rarely reads books outside of the classroom. Many parents do not read stories to their children, and many homes do not have books in them. Stories, and poems, for these thousands of children, are not a source of enchantment or excitement. Books are associated with school, or worse - they are associated with acute feelings of shame and frustration.

I think my favourite essay was the first one, Library Life by Zadie Smith. She writes about the importance of her local library to her reading life and her education. At a time when they are under threat she emphasises the lifeline that libraries are;

It has always been, and always will be, very difficult to explain to people with money what it means not to have money. If education matters to you, well, why wouldn't you be willing to pay for them if you value them? They are the kind of people who believe value can only be measured in money.

The overwhelming majority of books I read as a child came from the library, and I'm sure that being able to browse there, without anybody telling me what I should or shouldn't read, engendered the passionate love of books and reading that's such a joy to me now, and will be to the end of my life.

The other essay which I really enjoyed was The Reading Revolution by Jane Davis. Her biography at the front of the book says that she is 'the Founder/Director of The Reader Organisation, a national charity bringing about a reading revolution by making it possible for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to enjoy literature in a direct, personal way.'

The Reader Organisation has established groups where people meet and read together - out loud, and discuss the book or poem as it is being read. People interrupt with comments about the work itself, or with any personal feelings that the reading might've brought up. It seems to be a very, very informal and free flowing way of reading together. Groups have been established in schools, prisons, nursing homes, in hospitals, with psychiatric patients. I thought this essay was fascinating and I really admire Jane Davis, who saw a need and did something about it. She writes;

We must reposition literature in settings - such as workplaces, mental-health services, demential care homes, looked after children services - where its profound worth will be seen for what it really is: the holder of human value, human meaning, and yes, even the secrets of the universe.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book of 10 British authors and their essays on the experience and love of reading. Some of these were quite good (Zadie Smith, Mark Haddon, Jeanette Winterson), some were terribly scientific and boring.

Throughout the book, though, I found little nuggets that I could relate to, and realize there are others who feel the same way I do when I read. I would love to say that reading possessed some of the special powers it is often claimed to possess, not least the ability to soothe the troubled mind. But when my mind is troubled, like many people, I find reading hard, if not impossible, and fiction in particular becomes a country from which I feel painfully exiled, so that when I'm able to read again it feels like coming home." Mark Haddon

Or this one, Our love of reading manifests itself in a romantic attachment to the physical book. A volume on a shelf becomes a kind of sacred relic. Glancing at its spine spurs memories of the time in which it was read or of the emotions it aroused. Some readers even rhapsodise, Proust-like, about the way books smell. They relish the ink-and-adhesives scent of a freshly printed book and the musty aroma of an old one. Nicholas Carr

And to think I was the only one in the world who loved the smell of books!

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a collection of essays about the importance of reading. Several of the essays focused on the ideas of reader-response theory, assuming that books are special because of the ways they engage each reader's individual imagination. One thoughtful essay speculated that we are on the verge of a paradigm shift as momentous as the historical shift from oral tradition to literacy in the transition to the digital age. Mostly, these essays felt like curiosities to me. I agree that reading is important, but I don't see it disappearing anytime soon, and I think the popularity of e-readers is evidence of this. I don't think there is any serious qualitative difference between reading a physical book and reading the same book in a digital format.

[Clong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought the last essay was very good at addressing e-reading and reading in the 21st century. Vs most of the other essays which simply eschewed electronic devices as reading's nemesis. Though all of the essays were well written and interesting in their own ways they had a beef. And it was the Kindle. Which is ironic because I read this bad boy on Kindle. Thus feeling a stab of guilt, as though I were cheating on books, or the literary community, throughout.
Loved all the brain science stuff. I always eat that up. And anything arguing FOR reading? Yeah I'm on board with that. Bravo. Reading is not just a languid pleasure. I'm improving my brain and compassion level people. And since you clearly have a goodreads account you are too. Way to be.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some interesting (and one or two annoyingly snobby) essays about the importance and pleasure of reading. I find the aim of the collection a bit confusing though, as for me they were preaching to the choir, but surely the LAST thing someone who didn't like reading would pick up is a book of essays...

[غيداء الجويسر · Rating 4 out of 5]

Updated review 31 March 2016:

Two different occasions you have to read this book on:
- If u r a reading-aholic feeling that no one understands how much u love reading!
- If u stopped reading for a while and u needed some enthusiasm to go back on track!

In sum, it is the best illustration of Bibliomania, people like us, explaining why we love reading & books, and how they make us alive!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

From BBC Radio 4 Extra:
Serialised book readings, featuring works of non-fiction, biography, autobiography, travel, diaries, essays, humour and history.

[GÜRSEL SOYBIR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kitaplar, kaçmaya çalıştığı dünya kadar gerçekti.

Kitap, bu anın ve buranın ötesinde bir şeyler olduğuna dair ümittir.

Kitaplar, bir cankurtaran, inanmamız için bir sebep, daha özgürce nefes almak için bir yoldur.

Yazılan herşey, okurun cömertliğine bağlıdır.

Onlarınkinin (yazarların) bittiği yerde, bizim bilgeliğimiz başlar.

Kitap dünyaya gelir gelmez kendi hayatını yaşamaya başlar, yazarların bebeği artık bizimdir.

Okumak; heyecanı taşıyor olmanın, yoğun bir biçimde zihnen ve sessizce yaşıyor olmanın en tekinsiz yanlarından biridir. Ve bu heyecan; zihnin en akışkan ve kişisel alanında, bir başkasının varoluşunun ürettiği, yakalanması güç yoruma anbean tepki göstermektir.

Kitaplar, insanlar gibidir, kimisi uzaktan yanıltıcı bir şekilde dikkat çekici görünür. Kimisi aldatıcı şekilde zevksizdir. Kimisi zahmetsiz bir eşlikçidir, kimisi de karşılığını alma garantisi olmasa da fena halde çaba talep eder, bazıları arkadaş olur, bunu ömrü boyu sürdürür, bazıları yokluğumuzda değişir ya da biz onların yokluğunda değişiriz.

Aynı zamanda, mucizevi bir şekilde beni de anlayan romanlar okumak istiyorum.

Bir insan olmanın ne demek olduğunu tam anlamıyla anlayan ve ifade eden romanların arayışı içindeyim.

Romanı filmin yanına koyun, filmler her şeyi vadeder,
neyi yapamayacağını bile unuttuğumuz sınırsız bir bolluk.

Romanlar dayanacaktır, filmelere, televizyona, sansüre, siyasi zulme, ikinci el kitaplara, online satışa, butik kitapçıların ölümüne ve amazonun yükselişine dayandıkları gibi.

Kitabın, özel güçlerden bazılarına, özellikle de dertle dolu zihinleri yatıştırma yetisine sahip olduğunu söylemek isterim.

Okumak bir şey daha sağlar, hayali bir dünya. Hayali dünya, bütün bir dünyadır, parçalanmış, ya da bölümlere ayrılmış değil.

Okumak daha derine dalmaktır. Ya da yükseğe tırmanmaktır.

Eğitimli bir akıl, konsantre olabilen akıldır. Dikkat eksikliği, bir hastalık değil, okumamanın bir sonucudur.

Hiç bir zaman okumak ya da yazmak için doğmamışızdır. Her yeni okurla birlikte yepyeni bir devre inşa edilmesi gerekir.

Suzan Sontag: Bir sanat eseri sadece bir şeyle ilgili değildir, bir şeyin ta kendisidir.

İçinde his olmayan bir düşünce söz konusu değildir. Hissetmemek imkansızdır.

Şiir, yüzleşmeye ödümüzün koptuğu şeylerle yüzleşme meselesidir.
Söylememeyi tercih ettiğimiz, umutsuzca paylaşma ihtiyacı hissettiğimiz şeyleri söylemektir.
Şairin, acıyı, dünyanın geri kalanı ile uzlaştırma girişimidir.

Şiir, derinlikle ilintilidir. Gözyaşlarıyla akıtmak için, derinlerde duran düşüncelerin dışavurumudur.

Mısraların kısalması koşuşturmamızı azaltmak gerektiğine dair bir işarettir.

Kederdir öngören
Koca bebeklerin ne kadar uçarı olduklarını
Ve etraflarında nasıl akılçelenler barındırdıklarını...
Ah şu zihin, zihnin de var dağları, yarları,
Dibini kimsenin görmediği dehşetli uçurumları,
....

John Clare:
Varım ben.... lakin kimse, ne umursar
Ne de bilir beni....
...
Yine de varım ve yaşıyorum, savrulan bir
Buhar misali.....
Ezilmişliğin ve gürültünün hiçliğinde,
Uyanık düşlerin dirimli denizinde,....
....
İtibarımın devasa enkazı içinde ..
.....
Bir yer arzuluyorum, insanlığın ayak basmadığı
Kadınların hiç gülmediği ya da ağlamadığı
.....
Ne rahatsız edeyim, ne de edileyim
Uzandığım yerde
Altımda çimen, üzerimde gök kubbe.

[Usuyitik]

Okuma Halleri
Burcu Bayer
Kendinizi nasıl bir okur olarak tanımlarsınız? Evden çıkarken yanınıza kitap almadığınızda tedirgin olur
musunuz mesela? Belli bir türü yalayıp yutan ama diğer türlerin yüzüne pek bakmayanlardan mısınız?
Ödev olarak verilmedikçe okumaz mısınız yoksa? Okuyacağınız kitapları nasıl seçersiniz? Çocukken
kütüphaneler ve kitapçılar sizi de büyülüyor muydu? E-kitap okumakla aranız nasıl, pek sevemediniz
herhalde? Bir kitap kulübü başlattığınız ya da bir okuma grubuna dâhil olduğunuz oldu mu hiç? Ya da
okumayı meslek mi edindiniz? Müthiş bir romanı okurken kendinizi eleştirmen koltuğunda buluyor
olabilir, bilimsel bir kitapta dipnot hatası arıyor da olabilirsiniz. Bir de musahhih okurlar var elbet,
gözü dil ve imla hatalarını teşhis ettiğinden okuduğu kitaptan bir türlü lezzet alamaz olur bu kimseler.
Okurluğun ve okumanın türlü halleri var elbet. Ancak okumanın faziletleri üzerine bir nutuk atmanın
gereksiz olacağı hakkında hemfikir olabiliriz sanıyorum. Nutuk atmak yerine bir kitap okuyabiliriz ama:
Delidolu tarafından geçtiğimiz ay çevrilen Okuma Üzerine Yakın Okumalar, İngiliz on yazar, yayımcı ve
akademisyenin kitaplarla kişisel tecrübeleri, okumanın faydaları üzerine fikirleri ve okumanın
beynimize neler yapabileceğine dair bilimsel kanıtlar içeren denemelerinden oluşuyor. Kitabın çıkış
noktası, İngiltere’deki okur-yazarlık ve kitap okuma istatistiklerinin pek de iç açıcı olmaması üzerine
insanların bir şeyler yapmak istemeleri. Türkiye örneğinde ise, ortaokul mezunlarının bir kısmının tam
anlamıyla okumayı başaramadığını, okumanın yalnız okul ve ödevle ilişkilendirildiğini, çocukların
içinde kitap olmayan evlerde büyüdüğünü ve kitabın bir lüks, gereksiz ya da zararlı bulunduğunu
hatırlayabiliriz. Bu nedenle, buna benzer bir deneme derlemesinin Türkçenin iyi yazarları ve
eğitimcileri tarafından hazırlanması ve lise çağı öğrencilerine okutulması nasıl da güzel olur diye
düşünmeden edemiyor insan.
Denemelere şöyle bir bakarsak, Zadie Smith, dar gelirli ve göçmen bir ailenin çocuğu olarak halk
kütüphanelerinin onun yetişmesi üzerindeki etkilerinden bahsediyor. “Kütüphanelerden çok şey
öğrenilebilir ama en önemlisi bilgiye nasıl ulaşacağınızı öğrenirsiniz,” diyor Smith. Tim Parks, “Etkin
Okuma”da kitap okuma deneyiminin haz ve farkındalık boyutlarına değiniyor. Bu devirde neden şöyle
televizyonun karşısına uzanıp bir dizi açmak yerine bir kitaba uzanmamız gerektiğine dair ikna edici
sebepleri var. Nicholas Carr ise okuma üzerine psikiyatristlerin yaptığı deneylerden bahsederek
okuma esnasında beynimizde neler olduğunu, okumanın zihnimizi nasıl dönüştürdüğünü keyifli bir
dille ifade ediyor. Kitabın son denemesi ise bizlere dijital çağda okuma eylemi üzerine zihin açıcı
sorular yöneltiyor. Kitaptaki favori denemem ise Blake Morrison’un “Okuma Üzerine On İki Düşünce”
adlı metni. Okumanın bizi nasıl dönüştürdüğüne, okuma hallerine, edebiyattan zevk almaya dair bir
keyifli metin kaleme almış Morrison. Bibliyofillerin kitapta en çok bu denemeyi tutacağından adım
gibi eminim.
Okuma Üzerine Yakın Okumalar, iki kesime hitap ediyor: Birincisi, siz, bu dergiyi her sayı merakla
eline alıp tüm yazıları didikleyenler, yani kitap-çok-severler, bibliyofiller. Sizinle kitap ve okuma
sevgisini paylaşan diğer kalemleri okumaktan çok keyif alacaksınız. Ve sizler, ne zamandır eline kitap
almayıp bundan biraz pişmanlık duyanlar, bilgisayarı kapatıp okumaya vakit ayırmak için ufak bir
motivasyona ihtiyacı olanlar. Bu kitabın sizi yeniden yola koyacağından eminim.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has sat on my shelf for years. Now I discover what a fascinating book of essays it is. Zadie Smith writes about the importance of libraries, a subject more relevant today than when this essay was written. Michael Rosen discusses reading aloud and how as readers we bring characters from our own lives into those we read. Tim Parks considers how we develop words to access our consciousness and feelings. Blake Morrison thinks about the companionship in reading, how a book can talk to the reader.
And Jeanette Winterson says " I am remapped by a book. My internal geography shifts."
As these writers discuss reading and how it has developed and will develop in a technological world, it made me think about the comfort of reading.

[Crazytourists_books · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title is so much promising but unfortunately the essays don't deliver what's promised. There are of course a few gems here and there, but overall the essays are far more theoretical and philosophical than I would have liked. Yes, we know the importance of reading, we are after all reading this book, we have already bought what they are selling. I would have liked more personal stories, favorite books, incidents, memories. That would have made me stop What I was doing and read this.

[anotherfungurl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mehh, not so good as I imagined it would be. There were too many classics, too little about my taste of books. Gave up by the 50-60th page. Could have been better.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some great essays in here, written by some of my fav authors!

[NKay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glad I did stop and read it. Reading is so under rated and mainly due to our personal time constraints. We should make time to escape. A good book is as good as any physical holiday in my opinion.

[The Contented · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked the Michael Rosen and Jane Davis essays, but found the others mostly forgettable

[belisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

ilginç anılar ve anlatılar

[Shane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve been having a bit of internal crisis lately, which I’m much too young to call mid-life. Nonetheless, when I reach that milestone in my life, I believe this is what it will feel like. A sort of purposelessness where I question all my latest decisions. One such point of contention is that I’m finding writing so hard is it really even worth it. After all, I can tell a story, but will it be better than Aladdin or Lord of the Rings or literally any piece of shoddy fanfiction?

A rope that was thrown to me was something John Green said to me the other day (on his podcast), in the form of this probably misquote. “There’s a certain hubris in writing that’s unavoidable. Who goes into a bookshop and thinks, ‘you know what this place needs? Another book.’” It’s a rope I’ve not quite grasped yet, still unsure if it’s referring to every other writer who isn’t me. What I take from this is it’s okay to write because you want to.

I was standing in the library thinking about this line (let me tell you, there are a lot more books in the library than in the average bookshop) and came to the conclusion that if I wasn’t going to write I may as well read. At least then I’d be taking half of Stephen King’s advice. I was in the journalism section, a type of writing that has always interested me, and looking along the stack for a book that called out to me. In a world full of covers, what else can you judge something by.

I like to think that this is the exact situation that Tarnisher found themselves in too – a character I’ll introduce in a moment. I imagine them starting at the aisle set with John Snow’s and war reporters’ memoirs and unable to find themselves drawn to anything. Spiralling into despair of I can’t even pick a book to read. Then, the only reason they stop looking is because they’re demanded to by a particular book.

STOP WHAT YOU’RE DOING AND READ THIS!

It’s in a rainbow coloured, capital lettered type that’s impossible to skip. I picked it up entirely because it told me to. It gave no hint at its contents even, my only inkling based on its proximity to the topic of the aisle.

The book is a series of articles about the importance of reading. The articles have all merged together in my head now, but their messages range from how school spoiled reading for you (and you should give it another go), the science behind why reading is import, and more personal stories about how reading liberated and broadened otherwise cloistered lives (in one case literally cloistered).

I do not meet Tarnisher until the second essay and even then I don’t spot them immediately lingering between a couple of sentences. They begin wearing red, nestled amongst the black type. A single red mark which looks very much like someone was tapping their pen and accidentally hit the book. Or mark or two later and I notice that someone is taking notes.

This is a library book, I’ll remind you. But I don’t know this book’s past history nor what state it came to the library in. The marks may be old or still drying. Regardless, I’ve quite a soft spot for gorilla marginalia. One of the essayists actually goes into talking about unconventional writers who changed what they thought were the limits of storytelling. What about a book with only questions? Or a book with no vowels? For me, the chain breaking book was S by Doug Dortst and JJ Abrams. In it you get a story within a story (within a story) by way of two people talking about the book by scribbling in the margins. The Tarnisher was my muted Eric or Jen.

I’m picturing a teacher. Who else wanders around with a red pen? As we already learnt, they’re also struggling with direction. So, a teacher who feels they have more to give. Working from eight till late reading, grading, and writing class materials for the benefit of their Year 8 class – who arrive almost mournfully to each class – is not enough. They give and give, but the lacklustre energies of their students are just too hard to shift. Maybe this book, Tarnisher thinks, can give me what I need to get these kids excited about reading again.

They chose this book like I did, without realising that the writing inside may well hold the key to their problem. This, I propose, is why the first essay is unblemished: it was sinking in. By the time the second essay rolled around Tarnisher was ready to make notes, be damned the permanence of their actions. They’d plucked from their coat pocket the only pen they had on them; the red pen that after all these years now fit comfortably in their hand.

One of the first flagged passages is in Blake Morrison’s essay. “The existence of the text is silent existence, silent until the moment in which the reader reads it.” I also mentally flagged this passage – and might have been what caught my eye about the mark. I toasted my companion, our agreement immediately bonding us. Of course, later we’d both realise that Blake’s line is a cliché. I’m not entirely sure Blake realised it’s a cliché. At least three times throughout the book the text is silent is referenced, and as far as I know none of the authors knew of each other’s works for this release. From then on, neither Tarnisher nor I were impressed by the passage.

The small red dash wasn’t simply a stoic bookmark. For sure that same mark meant a clear “yaaaaas, queen!” later on. The depth of the pen, the size of the line, and urgency were all… the same, but nonetheless the flamboyance was shared.

Tarnisher and I both took a break at the same time. It’s very possible that our bus trip was the same length. Our kinship so strong that our reading speed the same. Whatever the reason they stopped, so did I. I know this because at some point the red pen was misplaced and a black one took its place. An odd and surprising moment, like the first time you see Annalise Keating in How To Get Away With Murder without her wig. This intimacy Tarnisher was showing me warmed my heart. We truly were fast friends.

There was an awkward moment wherein one essayist made a sarcastic remark which Tarnisher marked, in their eagerness to agree with the well worded author. The sarcasm was evident all the more in the next sentence, which Tarnisher instead marked and crossed out their earlier transgression. I politely ignored it but we both felt the awkwardness. Is it this brashness that drove away their students? The heartfelt eagerness to teach quickly eroded by a temper when undermined? But as I say, I did not draw attention to it. This was moments after our relationship had become closer – I’d just seen them without their pileus mask – and neither of us wanted to change that.

We skipped the same passages. At least one of the essayists comes to mind whose early bringing up sounded like bragging and began simply listing authors. I even learnt Greek, you know. I skipped this section, but not before looking for points where Tarnisher had left their mark. There were none.
I think Tarnisher and I both got what we wanted out of this book; an excitement about reading (and writing) again and an understanding of the impact that stories have on people. To bump into that earlier cliché, this book was silent until I read it. The author had no idea what the story I’d take away was, and I doubt they’d ever suspect a relationship to form out of it.

I’m glad I picked this book up. That said, I wouldn’t recommend pouring over it. Skips the essays that don’t grip you. The next one will be in a different style and tell a story a different way.

[Bettie · Rating 2 out of 5]

You can listen too: here

:O)

Couldn't find the theme tune but this one fits neatly

blurb - Passionate, funny, revelatory and inspiring, this series is a mission statement about the transformative power of reading; about the way it inspires us, the tangible impact it can have on our well-being and the importance it holds for us now and will continue to hold in the future.

Stop What You're Doing And Read This! features five of our finest authors and advocates from the world of publishing. Michael Rosen, Jeanette Winterson, Tim Parks, Carmen Callil and Mark Haddon, are all united here in a passionate belief in the distinctive and irreplaceable pleasures and powers of reading. Their essays argue that reading literature is, and must continue to be, a fundamental part of our daily life, as it directly improves our mental health and well-being, enriches our experience and broadens our imaginations.

As the ways people read, what they read, where they buy their books and in what format are all changing rapidly, this series argues unapologetically for the paramount importance of books and reading in a fast-moving, dislocated, technology-obsessed world.

Producer: David Roper A Heavy Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was deeply into a detective-mystery novel when my husband ruptured my thrall (twice!) to suggest that I might want to read this book of essays on the power and joy of reading literature. I was irritated and made rude dismissive gestures.

However...

I ran out of something to read and decided to pick this up.

I apologized to my husband for my unspoken assumptions. This slim and quickly read book contains eleven essays by twelve esteemed writers talking about their individual love stories around reading. It was a little like stepping back into an English Lit class at University nearly 50 years ago, but, really, a great pleasure to have the rich experiences and rewards of books and reading reiterated in a time when the electronic media would sometime make "old school" literature and literary pursuits seem outdated and without value in a changing world. Not so.

Since reading this book my husband has pitched to our younger grandchild (11 years old) that we would like to read to her at least weekly. Online of course, since she lives in another province. She was highly receptive, even thrilled, and suggested that our reading aloud to her would be "soothing", which was not exactly the descriptor we expected, but given her very stressful young life, the word is fitting. She even suggested a couple of her favorite books. Her teen sister has not returned our call yet-- she might be a harder sell.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saw this book in a library and decided to read it. Ten essays by a variety of authors and academics discussing their love of reading and how it is essential. Preaching a bit to the converted with me.
Where I live I see the value of libraries in communities and how that is slowly being eroded away. It’s a shame some of the Internet billionaires of today emulate the past ones who built and set up libraries in the past.

What was interesting is how the essays mentioned their favorite poems, books, authors and how it allowed them new vistas. Books can be entertaining, inspirational, educational, instructional and also frustrating. The danger we have is the dumbing down of people via the media, television, social media where people get trapped in their own echo chamber thanks to the wonder of algorithms. Books can also do that but do require concentration instead of instant information gratification we get from the internet.

One of the best decisions we ever made was to get rid of our television. I sometimes watch it at friends places and come away not missing it. I know that I do read rubbish sometimes but mostly I like to think it is quality such as the classics. It is also true that at different times of your life some literature is more interesting and appealing. Overall this book of essays made me appreciate reading more.

[Florencia Scarpatti · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it. Essays about reading. It tells me nothing I don t know about the importance of it but sometimes is nice to read perceptions from other people that thinks literature is a way of life.
One quote: This is what books - the best books - give us: a lifeline, a reason to believe, a way to breathe more freely".