If I got a dollar every time someone asked me how many books I'd read, I'd be able to buy a whole shelf of books from it.
Unfortunately, I don't.
For some reason, reading has become another piece in the constant self-improvement project, and the only important data point is how many books one has read.
Which annoys me alongside the entire idea of data-ism quite a bit.
To quote Herman Hesse: "Life is short, and no one will be asked in the afterlife how many books they've read."
Not a bad maxim to live by. The things they'd ask in the afterlife, although we have no way of knowing what we'll be asked there - if there even is such a thing.
All I know for now is the questions people currently ask me about why, what, and how to read.
So here are some thoughts from me on that. For some background, I also described my reading journey a while ago. It wasn't a linear process...
How do you read so much? I don't have any time at all...
People asking this actually have the answer provided themselves. Not having time is a question of prioritization and forming habits. The majority of people who've asked me this were not parents with kids, jobs, and households to take care of - to caveat a little.
It's really simple, actually. I read every day.
I always have interesting books around me. And if I don't, I make sure to find something. With the internet at hand, there isn't an excuse that goes along the lines of "I can't find anything that interests me...".
Isn't reading fiction a waste of time?
When asked this, I have to constrain myself not to hit them with a hardcover of War and Peace...
I know violence isn't an answer, but why do I know that? in part because I read fiction.
The idea that only nonfiction teaches us is outrageous to me. Sure, these days, there is a lot of mediocre fiction writing on the market, thanks to our weird culture of requiring authors to be influencers first and not wanting to be confronted with anything that is mildly irritating— such as a story set in Russia.
And if they dare to go against that, they'll be drowned in one-star reviews on Goodreads by people who never read the book. (This review system in itself is problematic, but I leave that for another post)
I went through a phase of reading a lot of nonfiction, especially about business. At some point, I realized that it all started to sound the same, so I read fiction instead.
Now I do both.
Although I must say some of the most beautiful writing and most profound reflections of human nature and our struggles I found in novels and essays.
Take the beginning of Carlos Ruiz's Zafon's Angel's Game
"A writer never forgets the first time he accepted a few coins or a word of praise in exchange for a story. He will never forget the sweet poison of vanity in his blood, and the belief that, if he succeeds in not letting anyone discover his lack of talent, the dream of literature will provide him with a roof over his head, a hot meal at the end of the day and what he covers the most: his name printed on a miserable piece of paper that surely will outlive him. A writer is condemned to remembr that moment, because from then on he is doomed and his soul has a price."
To speak in meme:
The struggle inherent in all creative workers who balance their own livelihood with the works they want to create vs. are paid to create.
No non-fiction book on the topic could have resonated deeper than these first few lines. Needless to say, I've re-read this book multiple times.
When reading fiction, we enter the world created by another's mind, an exercise in imagination, empathy, and compassion.
Non-fiction might provide us with a firmer understanding of the immediate world around us, but fiction increases the ceiling of what we're able to conceive.
And, isn't it weirdly comforting in a world where we're constantly told how unique we're supposed to be that a hundred years ago, somewhere in Denmark or Russia, a man shared the same existential angst I have?
“The most common form of despair is not being who you are.”
- Soren Kierkegaard
Plus, at times, fiction writers can distill the real world even better than the so-called experts.
To reference Hesse once more, each book is a distillation and intense simplification of complicated things.
"Even the smallest poem is already such a simplification and concentration of human sensitivity."
- Herman Hesse
But books are soooo expensive...
This is a comment a friend made when discussing reading, so I figured I'd include it while the memory is fresh.
The book discussed was one of the trending romance books on TikTok, and the Hardcover was selling for 34 euros.
But this wasn't the only book considered expensive; even those 15 euros fell in that category for her.
I guess it's cliche to blame Amazon, but seriously, the damage this conglomerate has done to publishing and our perception of literature's value shouldn't be understated.
If you get Kindle Unlimited - which my friend had - or any other similar service, you have at your fingertip endless books available without any cost associated except for the monthly subscription fee. Obviously, this changes the perception of value just as Netflix or Spotify have done to other media.
Paying more than $5 for one book then is outrageous.
I am pretty sure that with many of these hyped books, the biggest part of the revenue does not go toward the author but toward marketing, advertising, and distribution...
Art for art's sake? No thanks.
Interestingly, I also remember reading an interview with the siblings running one of the largest bookstore chains here in Germany.
Their impression was that people did not feel turned off by higher prices (inflation, etc.). Instead, they noted that people continue buying books.
This makes me a little more optimistic. After all, owning a book stands in stark contrast to having it on your Kindle.
"Ownership is the most intimate relationship that one can have to objects. Not that they come alive in him; it is he who lives in them."
-Walter Benjamin
And for those looking for unlimited access to irl books, public libraries still exist.
They might not always have the hottest new books - but they have a team of well-read librarians always happy to dish out recommendations, and books you'd have never discovered in the algorithm coalmine.
For what books provide, I don't think they are soooo expensive.
Buying the advertising space to occupy your mind for the time a book does is probably a lot more expensive.
In the end, using books are so expensive as an excuse not to read at all is weak. The opportunity costs are high.
You can easily find books that cost very little (especially when you go for older books and glean your collection at a flea market) or even for free if you find a public bookshelf or a neighborhood where people just put boxes with stuff out for others to take. Sure, it's not Amazon Prime, but maybe a frictionless world isn't all that fun.
"There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island."
Walt Disney
May the treasures you find exceed the price you pay.
And if they don't, you might want to consider reading different books 😄
I'll share some thoughts on what to read and how to in my next post on the topic.
Thanks for reading 💚
P.S. For some reading inspiration in the meantime, here's my modern angst reading list.
