Chayse Adams
English 100-20
11-30-2010
Questions for Reflection and Writing, Question #1
Richard Rodriguez, The Lonely, Good Company of Books (pg. 232-236)
My relationship with books is not very strong. For the longest dime I actually despised books. I did not enjoy reading and I was very slow at it, so it took me forever to read anything, which did not help. I couldn’t figure out why in the world anyone would ever want to waste their time reading when they could be outside playing or hanging out with friends or chasing girls. The point is there is so many things for a person to do, so why would they, like Richard Rodriguez says, feel alone to their thoughts like you are talking to yourself all alone in a completely empty room. At least that is how I felt about reading throughout elementary and high school.
Although my idea and perception of books has changed a little, I still do not have much to do with books or any reading for that matter, unless it is specifically for school or something else of importance to me. My favorite books to read, if I had to, would be war stories and old westerns, like cowboys and stuff. Although I was forced to pick a book from a list in one of my classes to read for an assignment, my all time favorite book would have to be With the Old Breed, E.B. Sledge. I have never enjoyed a book so much as that one. It really just drew my attention in and kept me interested for what was about to happen next. That was a rare and mysterious feeling for me, I did enjoy it, but I don’t think I’ll be reading a bunch of more books to find one that gives me the same feeling. I might buy it sometime though, I saw it at Target about two weeks ago and just about bought it because I wouldn’t mind reading it again sometime.
Hi Chayse,
ReplyDeleteI'm appreciative of the response that you provided. I like how you correlate your experiences with Rodriguez. He describes the feeling while reading books as a lonely experience; however, you disagree. What I would like to know from your own interpretations of the essay, why you think he describes reading this way. You tell us much of your experience, which I am grateful for.
MS. C