"...perhaps I am a philologist still, that is to say, a teacher of slow reading ... for philology is that venerable art which demands of its votaries one thing above all: to read well, that is to say, to read slowly, slowly, deeply..." Neitzsche
One of my goals for 2015 was to read more. Rather, I have instead adopted to read more carefully, that is to say, more slowly. I think there is some value in taking our time with reading a novel or a text and more fully appreciating the art and the craft of constructing a written work. I find myself more thoroughly enjoying written language when I take my time, instead of rushing through one novel just to get to the next one. This incessant urge to rush through things to get to the next is unfortunately imbued into our culture and our society of today. Not only in reading but in all things. This concept of reading slowly and enjoying each moment in a book can be taken into daily life as well. Enjoy the small moments of each day instead of rushing through. take the time to enjoy the walk home, the drive to work, the dishes you wash. Notice our world. Notice our life.
I love reading books. There is nothing like sitting quietly and enjoying the subtle constructions of sentences. It is a peaceful exercise. Lately I find myself spending more time reading than watching TV or movies, or listening to music. I enjoy the solitude and the silence.
Some of my favorite books I have read so far in 2015:
Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay (I actually read it twice back-to-back I enjoyed it so)
The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy (I read the beautiful Anna Karenina last fall)
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut (one of my favorite novels; I had read it before)
Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace (I am halfway through this gargantuan work but already it is incredibly powerful and well worth the time I am investing in it)