We May Read for Enjoyment, but Literature Isn’t Written Just to Entertain Us.
P eople have been telling stories since the dawn of time. But, storytelling has never been just about entertainment. Why are books written, then, if not for readers’ gratification? As Ursula K. Le Guin points out, “There have been great societies that did not use the wheel, but there have been no societies that did not tell stories.”[1] That... Read More.
Novels are Like Layer Cake – Be Sure to Get Every Bite.
T he first thing we notice about a birthday cake is the icing. And who doesn’t love a good butter cream? But there’s more to these delicious delicacies than just frosting. Without the rich, baked layers that gives it substance a cake’s icing would be little more than a puddle of sugary goo. And the same goes for novels.... Read More.
If You’re Not Engaging a Book’s Symbolic Language, You Aren’t Really Reading It.
A novel’s symbolic language carries a message beyond simply what happens in the plot. But like luggage, it has to be unpacked. Reading literature is more than being swept along by the charm of the characters, anticipation for the next shocking twist, or the thrill of the events on display. But it can be tricky. After all, as Hermann... Read More.
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