I'm not sure that there's been any one book. Different books have helped me at different stages of my life, but unlike most of the posters here, I've not had that kind of "life-changing" epiphany in response to a non-fiction or self-help type book. I love reading biographies, but I don't find that it changes my perspective because everyone's life journey is just so different.
Rather, it's mostly been literary fiction that has helped me to process some of my emotions during difficult moments in my life. When I was a teenager and coming to terms with being gay, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton really spoke to me. I often wondered what it would be like to have an older brother like Sodapop, or to have someone who was willing to protect you unconditionally. So even if I couldn't really identify with a lot of the specific cultural/class elements in the story, it was still really moving for me.
Then when I was struggling with loneliness in graduate school and thinking of changing fields, I would take really long walks to the local Barnes & Noble, and sit there for hours just doing nothing but reading Terry Goodkind, Agatha Christie and Anne Rice. Being able to disappear for hours at a time into a different universe gave my mind the space and freedom from stress to make a decision.
When I broke up with my boyfriend, I remember reading Neil Gaiman's American Gods on a trans-continental overnight flight snuggled underneath a blanket. That was many blissful hours where he was completely forgotten and I was happy again.
For me, reading is like the interior version of visiting different countries and places. To be honest, I often can't remember the exact plot after I've finished a book by, say, A.S. Byatt or Donna Tartt. It feels like an intense dream, and when it's over, it's over.
Rather, it's mostly been literary fiction that has helped me to process some of my emotions during difficult moments in my life. When I was a teenager and coming to terms with being gay, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton really spoke to me. I often wondered what it would be like to have an older brother like Sodapop, or to have someone who was willing to protect you unconditionally. So even if I couldn't really identify with a lot of the specific cultural/class elements in the story, it was still really moving for me.
Then when I was struggling with loneliness in graduate school and thinking of changing fields, I would take really long walks to the local Barnes & Noble, and sit there for hours just doing nothing but reading Terry Goodkind, Agatha Christie and Anne Rice. Being able to disappear for hours at a time into a different universe gave my mind the space and freedom from stress to make a decision.
When I broke up with my boyfriend, I remember reading Neil Gaiman's American Gods on a trans-continental overnight flight snuggled underneath a blanket. That was many blissful hours where he was completely forgotten and I was happy again.
For me, reading is like the interior version of visiting different countries and places. To be honest, I often can't remember the exact plot after I've finished a book by, say, A.S. Byatt or Donna Tartt. It feels like an intense dream, and when it's over, it's over.
Statistics: Posted by Caduceus — Mon Sep 02, 2024 4:02 pm — Replies 85 — Views 13297