Our Trivialised Treasures

Our Trivialised Treasures

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" .. a mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge." - George R.R Martin (A Song of Ice and Fire)

Flipping through the pages of one of my all time favorites, the Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien, I couldn't help but ponder over the bizarre influence a book is capable of. Unraveling the chain of events of a gripping tale is quite similar to unlocking a treasure trove - a way to lead several lives in one life, by reading. In the end, they're stories ; half of them fictitious.

So what is it about stories that make them carriers of such uniquely portable enticement?

However, chance a reflection and it doesn't seem too strange an understanding. After all, a work of literature is, in essence, somebody's thoughts or ideologies propagated to the reader in different forms. A character is all but a display of the writer's cerebration, put forth for our perusal.

This underlines the very fact that the literary domain is an analogy of the universe; infinite and yet unfurling. Now consider yourself a time- traveler, (far-fetched, but hey, there's no limit to imagination!) exploring the depths of this literary 'universe' that I mentioned, soaking in accounts, thoughts and ideas etched by the writer onto a cosmos of narratives. That's the beauty of a good book.

It draws the reader in...slowly, and I'd even say cunningly. Soon it becomes more than a book, but more of an escapade from our mundane existence. Watching a film is interesting, but the charm of reading a book is something else. Be it riffling through the folios of an old book or taking in the strangely refreshing smell of a new one, reading surpasses the label of a mere 'hobby' once indulged into. It's surprising, really that so light and simple an object as a book holds a vast array of worlds and characters. It makes me visualize literary works as a sort of portal; a means of being transported to a place far away and yet ironically so close to what you'd consider home.

There are no strictures, nor boundaries that exist in a realm as multifaceted as that of literature, wherein the endless possibilities of a plot can be exploited....exploited to near perfection and presented to the reader. I'm not saying reading's everyone's cup of tea, since this is mostly based on personal conviction. However for those who have found the wealth of a book worth appreciation, have discovered in it a wise counsellor, a constant companion and a patient teacher...


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