I am 22 (23 in some weeks). The last time I read a full book is more than 4 years ago (I think). When I was 14-17 I usually read all the time. I used to read one book every month, because I'm a slow reader who wouldn't miss the details. I write almost every day and I am still interested in literature. I just feel that I can not sit down and read anymore. I think my life somehow fell out of place and I need to restore it. But how should I start reading again? Which book should I start with? I always think low of myself because I am interested in literature but haven't read in years. When I've tried to read the last year, I have just ended up with putting away the book after reading some pages. I feel that I have missed SO much and that I will never be able to read the same way as I did before. I was and am still a fan of fantasy and scifi, but I think I'll need to read the old classics. I'm going to a writing course next year (a boarding school for writing technique), and I am scared that I will make a fool out of myself by no longer being a full time reader. If all of the other students will be literature experts, and I will be the only "lead astray", I start hating myself. Let's say that all in the group say "come on, let's discuss War and Peace by Tolstoy", and I'm the only one who haven't read it. One of the reasons why I never start reading again is because I feel inferior because I haven't read in years. Literature does give me a lot of pleasure, but I feel like I haven't had the time, discipline, inner security etc. I feel that my life has been more or less a chaos the last five years. Five years ago, I could open a book and just disappear into it! Are there other people in the same situation as me? I write mostly fantasy/scifi. Am I a hypocrite to write when I don't read? Am I missing a lot by not reading? I WANT TO read! HOW? I made a list of what I want to read: The Hunchback of Notre Dame Gulliver's Travels The Lord of the Rings (again. I have read it LONG time ago and I loved it) The Hitchhiker's Guide (I read 2 of the books, I think. I want to finish the rest) The Discworld Series The famous Shakespeare plays (R and J, Macbeth, Hamlet and Othello) The Stranger The Anne Rice books Jane Eyre The other sex Dracula Frankenstein War and Peace Anna Karenina Lovecraft's short stories Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde The Earthsea cronicles Does it mean that my writing technique is bad because I don't read much? And..... Don't recommend audio books. I think it is more difficult to get me to read an audio book than a normal book.
Don't worry, I'm sure most of the other students feel the exact same way as you. And besides, you say you write almost every day? Most of them won't. Some might not even write much at all. If I were to take a guess, I would say what you worry about is the school itself and how people will treat you, not if you don't read enough. You will be in a strange place with a lot of strange people. Of course you are nervous. But from a personal experience, I went to a boarding school some years ago. It was a Christian school on top of it, and I'm a heavy metal-fan. Not exactly your typical hymn-singer. (really, I got kicked out of the choir.) My sister is a manic depressive and had to quit the school two days before it even started, because she couldn't handle being around so many strange people so far away from home. As for me, it was easily the best year of my life. I'm a big fan of Anne Rice (and even have 'Servant of the bones' in a signed first edition) but they are not for everyone. They are very slow and can be quite boring if you don't 'get' them. Same goes for Lovecraft. (I don't have any signed, first edition from him, though.) :redface: I love his stories, but they can be very, very slow and boring. (and btw you can get all his stories in three Omnibus pockets on Amazon). Dracula and Frankentein... I haven't actually read Dracula yet, but I did read Frankenstein. Twice. It's great, but not for everyone. I guess the point is all those books you mentioned are great, but they are not for everyone. Are you sure they are for you? Reading a book you enjoy is a blast, but reading a book you don't enjoy is really dull and painful. You should be sure to stick with books you enjoy, whether they are old classics or bought in a gas station. The important thing is to enjoy it.
Thanks. I DO worry about myself and feel that I have stagnated in a way because I don't read. I want back the experience of reading and enjoying books.
My advice is to pick one of those books and just start reading. Of course you might want to find some time to fit it in if you have a busy schedule
I'm the opposite actually, I am always reading a book; when I'm done reading one I just go right on and pick up another one. Writing however I haven't done as much, I write everyday in a Journal that I keep, but that's were the majority of my writing takes place throughout the week.
