01/16/2012
Until I read Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salenger during summer school after an unsuccessful first attempt at Freshman English, I had never enjoyed reading. It was probably the first novel type book that I ever read cover to cover. I loved the tone of the book and the humor. The main character, Holden Caufield, reminds me of my brother. They are both very judgmental and ignorant to outside perspectives. Still to this day, I have only read a few books which I have not been asked to read as an assignment. I have however found pleasure in reading. A Walk in the Woods was another one that I read during my High school years which I enjoyed. Those are the only two books I have ever reread by choice. In rereading the entire books, I found that I pick up on a lot of the story that I missed the first time around.
Besides Salenger’s Catcher in the Rye, my attention as a reader has mostly gravitated toward Non-fiction books. I find fiction to be a waste of my time. I also like reading collections of short stories. Assholes Finish First is hilarious, though I strongly question the accuracy of the ‘true stories’ in the book. I find myself reading for enjoyment more in the summer than otherwise. I suppose my mind is stimulated enough during the school year with other forms of reading. I hope this changes as I transition from student to teacher in the classroom.
It is said that people read for (generally) one of two reasons-- to gain knowledge (to learn something) or to "escape" (to enjoy the experience or be entertained). Ideally, we can do both--which may account for why you liked Catcher in the Rye (comment feature won't let me italicize the title). It sounds like you enjoy humor, and I would imagine reading that allows you to consider new ideas or ideas from a unique or humorous perspective. (??)
ReplyDeleteI challenge you to keep looking for both informative and pleasure reading--both kinds are important.
As a teacher, I think it is important (albeit possibly obvious) to remember that your students will read or not read for various reasons. Part of our job is to encourage students as readers. In IT, this includes reading the technical texts related to your work (blueprints, architecture, magazine articles, textbooks, etc.), but it also includes fostering reading that encourages students' imaginations and creative thinking...