Inschool,welearnhowtoread,oneofthegreatestandmostdifficulthumanskills.Everyoneofushascomeacrosssuchathing:readthebookassignedbytheteacher.
Idon‘twanttoreadMobyDick.Idon’tlikeit.IthinkIwon.Butactually,Ilost.MyeffortstokeepadistancefromMobyDickcostmealot,andIlostwhatIshouldhavegainedfromreadingthefamouster,IconsciouslyreturnedtoMobyDick.Ilovedit,andeverytimeIreadit,Ifoundanewkindoffun.WhatisfamousFamousissuchabook,evenifonlyforamoment,itwillmakeyoufeelapartofthemeaningoflife.Afamousbookisabookthatcanstandthetestoftime.Itisabookthatmillionsofreadersintheworldhavereadformanyyearstogetspecialenlightenmentfromit.Notmanybookscanstandthistest.Ifyoucountalltheworkspublishedsincethefirststonetoolsweremadewithchisels,onlyaverysmallpartofthem-lessthanonethousandthofthetotalnumber,onlyafewthousand.
Ofthesebooks,lessthanahundredareitssolidcore.WhyshouldyoureadfamousbooksandlearntoappreciatethemIputforwardthreegoodreasons:first,famoustobroadenyourhorizons.Second,famehelpsyougrow.Third,famousbookshelpyouunderstandlifeandyourself.Thelastpointisveryimportant.Famousbookscangiveyouinsightintoyourinnerworld,whichisnotavailablefromotherplaces.Tobesure,youcanalmostenjoyyourselfinmanybooks;butonceyoureadafamousbook,itwilltakeyoutoahigherlevel.Ioftenhearpeoplesay,“famousnamesaretoodifficulttounderstand.
Ican‘tgetintothem.”Letmegiveyousomeideastohelpyouopenupthiswonderfulworld.Takeafamousbookyouoftensayyouwanttoreadandreaditaccordingtothefollowingsuggestions!Knowwhatyou’rereading.Isitanovel,aplay,abiographyorhistoryToknowthis,lookupthetableofcontents,readthecoverandpreface,orlookupthetitleorauthorinthereader‘sEncyclopedia.Don’tlieinbedandread.Iadmitthatclassicscanbedifficulttoread,soyouhavetobementallyactiveandhavesharporgans.Ifyoureadinbedandyouwanttosleep,thenwhenyoustarttodozeoff,youcomplainaboutthebook.Don‘tbeinfluencedbysomanycharacters.
Itisimpossibleforawriternottoexposehimself.MostofourguessesaboutShakespearearebasedoncluesfromhisplays.Rereadit.Allthefamousbookscanstandrepeatedreading.Afterreadingabook,ifyouareinterestedanddon‘tfullyunderstandit,rereaditimmediately.You’llfindmore.Ifyoureadafamousbookafewyearsagoandlikeit,readitagain.Therearesomanynewthingsinthebooktotellyouthatyoucan‘tbelieveit’sthesamebook.Don‘tjustdipyourtoesinthedeepwaterofthefamouspool.Jumpin.Liketheintelligenthumanbeingsofpreviousgenerations.
Youfeelinspiredinyoursoulbythethoughtsandinsightsofthemosttalentedwritersinhistory.