And they exist in me. Its not that I can be two very different people, but that I like to do very different things. Mostly read very different things. Very, very different things.
It reminds me of two different things I have read; one is from Northanger Abbey and the other is from an Archie comic.
I relate everyday things to the oddest sources.
In Northanger Abbey, the heroine of the book, Catherine, likes to read the popular gothic novels of the time. She is young and innocent and is not worldly enough not let other people know that she indulges in such a frivolous pastime. She merely enjoys the stories. When talking with her love interest Henry (who by the way is one of my favorite Austin men, possibly even surpassing Mr.. Darcy) she assume he does not indulge in novels as all the other young men of her accountiance (which is really very small) do not.
Austin actually stops the story for a rare brief moment, something that rarely happens in her books. She points out how common it is for other female writers to have their heroines show distain for common novels, novels just like the one they are in. Austin goes on to praise many of these novels calling them, well now I can’t find the page, but she says something along the lines of the books showing deep human nature at its best. Jane Austin is much more eloquent then me I’m afraid.
The other reference is to a Betty and Veronica comic, mush easier to decipher! The story is about Veronica, who is showing Betty and her father some new sonnets that she has recently purchased and informing them that she only reads the best books, mostly classic works. Mr. Lodge complains that he is well learned and that now he is more then welcome to enjoy a good light mystery novel from time to time. Betty is smarter and finds Veronica’s very large stash of romance novels in her closet.
My point (I think I have one anyway) is the difference in which “light” or my favorite term “fluffy” novels are viewed. In Northanger Abbey, Catherine thinks that the men around her must have much more important things to do then read a novel, even though she herself enjoys them. She doesn’t take into account that even more light hearted novels can sometimes have great insight to human nature and the point of reading them is enjoyment and not so much educational.
In the Betty and Veronica story, Veronica is trying to seem more worldly and important by reading what she considers “worldly and important” books, even though she does not enjoy them. She tries to hide her enjoyment of fluffy romance novels, so she seems well read.
So what on earth does all this have to do with me and reading opposite things?
Because I have been much like both Veronica (only a little bit) and Henry (you thought I was going to say Catherine did you not?)
By the time I was 15 I was reading books like War and Peace and had read several plays by Shakespeare. I rarely read what I deemed “fluff” novels. When my mom got sick I was just started Don Quixote ( a book that I still have not managed to get through). Somehow having to deal with everything with my mom made in impossible to read a more intellectual book. So did what I thought I would never do, what I despised.
I read a romance novel.
Then another.
And soon I found that I actually liked them. And that they were not rotting my brain. Although I kept it a secrete for a quite a while that I approved of these books.
Now I find a happy medium between the two. I find that I need to read, but when life gets too rough to be able to enjoy a more stimulating book (its soooo hard not to make a sexual comment about that!) I will often read a romance novel (ok I give in!!) which are stimulating in a whole different way. (I’m so bad!)
But now I am trying to figure out how and why this change came about. I love classic novels, I will not read anything written later then the turn of the century, unless its a romance novel and then I only read ones that take place in the Regency era. It seems that if I can’t read a novel (or text) from that time then I have to read one about that time.
I’ve lost track of things, what am I trying to get at?
I had a point somewhere, but I might have lost it! Perhaps I need to clean up so I can find it! Or maybe the romance novels really did rot my brain!
I think the point I am trying to get at is that fluffy romance novels and in depth looks at life and people can co-exist peacefully.
I have also found that sometimes romance novels can show great depth of character and reality and that some “classic” books can be silly and just plain annoying to read (not that I am naming any in particular cough Moby cough dick cough).
Maybe I just have a split personality, how else can I be in the middle of reading a romance novel, a si-fi novel and a book on Babylonian myths and legends? Because they each satisfy a different part of my brain.
The romance novel takes one away from reality and into our best fantasies, ones that we don’t have to work at making seem even a little bit believable nor do we have to exert the brainpower to create them. They are ready made and waiting for us at our local supermarket (or in my case on my phone about 30 seconds after I buy them off Amazon, have I ever mentioned that I think Amazon is a genius?). We know more or less what is going to happen, yet its always so much fun to read!
The si-fi novel I equate to other modern well written and entertaining books. It gives us a look at society through anothers eyes. It mocks our social status quo by placing familiar characters in situations that can be likened to every day life, but with a different twist or edge to make it more interesting.
The Babylonian myths is something not everyone is going to read, but for me I find it fascinating and romantic. Not in the same sense that the romance novels are romantic, but in the exciting and unknown sense. I love anything ancient and I enjoy learning about the ancient cultures that shaped our world. I think they hold more insight and interest then anything modern day.
Ok, as this is the third time I have come back and edited this post I am going to finish it now! I’m kinda getting tired of trying (unsucessfully) to make this post make sence!
Pax Vobiscum!
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