Wow, that Franz Kafka quote is mind-blowing. I tend to agree with Marc that there are other reasons to read as well that are equally important, but it's a tremendous justification for making sure our reading diet causes some dis-comfort, which is an essential ingredient in transformation.
Eloquent quotation from Kafka. I’d be sad for anyone who swallows it whole. I like books to lead readers to better selves and societies. Some do it, as Kafka suggests, like an axe to ice. Some do it by inspiration and delight.
Though I love history and deeply appreciate the work of historians, this post reminds me why I often reach for literature that gets both sensations in a single book - Alice Walker’s The Color Purple and Octavia Butler’s Kindred rank high on the list. Toni Morrison, of course. Many people would choose Beloved; I’d add Paradise, not quite so often read. The stories of Charles Chesnutt and Harriet Jacobs. And beyond the American experience, The Barefoot Woman by Scholastique Mukasonga belongs on this list. These and others draw me in to sympathy and hope even in the midst of devastation. I hold on to the resilience, resourcefulness, and love of individual characters to hope for a way through for all of us. Discomfort, yes, and also something else.
Reading books that make us uncomfortable open our eyes to things we would rather ignore. The psychological defense mechanism called Denial, is always at work when confronting what we do not want to see. Great post.
Wow, that Franz Kafka quote is mind-blowing. I tend to agree with Marc that there are other reasons to read as well that are equally important, but it's a tremendous justification for making sure our reading diet causes some dis-comfort, which is an essential ingredient in transformation.
Eloquent quotation from Kafka. I’d be sad for anyone who swallows it whole. I like books to lead readers to better selves and societies. Some do it, as Kafka suggests, like an axe to ice. Some do it by inspiration and delight.
Though I love history and deeply appreciate the work of historians, this post reminds me why I often reach for literature that gets both sensations in a single book - Alice Walker’s The Color Purple and Octavia Butler’s Kindred rank high on the list. Toni Morrison, of course. Many people would choose Beloved; I’d add Paradise, not quite so often read. The stories of Charles Chesnutt and Harriet Jacobs. And beyond the American experience, The Barefoot Woman by Scholastique Mukasonga belongs on this list. These and others draw me in to sympathy and hope even in the midst of devastation. I hold on to the resilience, resourcefulness, and love of individual characters to hope for a way through for all of us. Discomfort, yes, and also something else.
Reading books that make us uncomfortable open our eyes to things we would rather ignore. The psychological defense mechanism called Denial, is always at work when confronting what we do not want to see. Great post.
I think books that make us strive towards action are hard when all sorts of media is outrage driven.
In fact sometimes I need a respite from the world in books. But I have read Maus and To Kill a Mockingbird, and Slaughterhouse 5.
I think periods of self reflection to know what you can handle might be just as important as the content.