Unit 3 On Reading

ONREADINGW.SomersetMaugham1.ThefirstthingIwanttoinsistonisthatreadingshouldbeenjoyable.Ofcourse,therearemanybooksthatweallhavetoread,eithertopassexaminationsortoacquireinformation,fromwhichitisimpossibletoextractenjoyment.Wearereadingthemforinstruction,andthebestwecanhopeisthatourneedforitwillenableustogetthroughthemwithouttedium.Suchbookswereadwithresignationratherthanwithalacrity.ButthatisnotthesortofreadingIhaveinmind.ThebooksIshallmentioninduecoursewillhelpyouneithertogetadegreenortoearnyourliving.Theywillnotteachyoutosailaboatorgetastalledmotortorun,buttheywillhelpyoutolivemorefully.That,however,theycannotdounlessyouenjoyreadingthem.2.The“you”Iaddressistheadultwhoseavocationsgivehimcertainleisureandwhowouldliketoreadthebookswhichcanwithoutlossbeleftunread.Idonotaddressthebookworm.Hecanfindhisownway.Iwishtodealonlywiththemasterpieceswhichtheconsensusofopinionforalongtimehasacceptedassupreme.Weareallsupposedtohavereadthem;itisapitythatsofewofushave.Buttherearemasterpieceswhichareacknowledgedtobesuchbyallthebestcriticsandtowhichthehistoriansofliteraturedevoteconsiderablespace,yetwhichnoordinarypersoncannowreadwithenjoyment.Theyareimportanttothestudents,butchangingtimesandchangingtasteshaverobbedthemoftheirsavouranditishardtoreadthemnowwithoutaneffortofwill.Letmegiveoneinstance:IhavereadGeorgeEliot’sAdamBede,butIcannotputmyhandonmyheartandsaythatwaswithpleasure.Ireaditfromasenseofduty;Ifinisheditwithasighofrelief.3.NowofsuchbooksasthisImeantosaynothing.Everymanishisownbestcritic.Whateverthelearnedsayaboutabook,howeverunanimoustheyareintheirpraiseofit,unlessitinterestsyou,itisnobusinessofyours.Don’tforgetthatcriticsoftenmakemistakes—thehistoryofcriticismisfulloftheblundersthemosteminentofthemhavemade,andyouwhoreadarethefinaljudgeofthevaluetoyouofthebookyouarereading.This,ofcourse,appliestothebooksIamgoingtorecommendtoyourattention.Wearenoneofusexactlylikeeveryoneelse,onlyratherlike,anditwouldbeunreasonabletosupposethatthebooksthathavemeantagreatdealtomeshouldbepreciselythosethatwillmeanagreatdealtoyou.ButtheyarebooksthatIfeelthericherforhavingread,andIthinkIshouldnotbequitethemanIamifIhadnotreadthem.AndsoIbegofyou,ifanyofyouwhoreadthesepagesaretemptedtoreadthebooksIsuggestandcannotgetonwiththem,justputthemdown;theywillbeofnoservicetoyouifyoudonotenjoythem.Nooneisunderanobligationtoreadpoetryorfictionorthemiscellaneousliteraturewhichisclassedasbelles-lettres.(IwishIknewtheEnglishtermforthis,butIdon’tthinkthereisone.)Hemustreadthemforpleasure,andwhocanclaimthatwhatpleasesonemanmustnecessarilypleaseanother?4.Butletnoonethinkthatpleasureisimmoral.Pleasureinitselfisagreatgood,allpleasure,butitsconsequencesmaybesuchthatthesensiblepersoneschewscertainvarietiesofit.Norneedpleasurebegrossandsensual.Theyarewiseintheirgenerationwhohavediscoveredthatintellectualpleasureisthemostsatisfyingandthemostenduring.Itiswelltoacquirethehabitofreading.Toacquirethehabitofreadingistoconstructforyourselfarefugefromalmostallthemiseriesoflife.Almostall,Isay,forIwouldnotgosofarastopretendthattoreadabookwillassuagethepangsofhungerorstillthepainofunrequitedlove;buthalfadozengooddetectivestoriesandahot-waterbottlewillenableanyonetosnaphisfingersattheworstcoldinthehead.Butwhoisgoingtoacquirethehabitofreadingforreading’ssake,ifheisbiddentoreadbooksthatborehim?5.ItismoreconvenienttotakethebooksofwhichIamnowgoingtospeakinchronologicalorder,butIcanseenoreasonwhy,ifyoumakeupyourmindtoreadthem,youshoulddosointhatorder.Ithinkyouwouldbemuchbetteradvisedtoreadthemaccordingtoyourfancy;nordoIseeevenwhyyoushouldreadthemonebyone.Formyownpart,Ifinditmoreagreeabletoreadfourorfivebookstogether.Afterall,youaren’tinthesamemoodononedayasonanother,norhaveyouthesameeagernesstoreadacertainbookatallhoursoftheday.Wemustsuitourselvesinthesematters,andIhavenaturallyadoptedtheplanthatbestsuitsme.InthemorningbeforeIstartworkIreadforawhileabook,eitherofscienceorphilosophy,thatrequiresafreshandattentivebrain.Itsetsmeofffortheday.Lateron,whenmyworkisdoneandIfeelatease,butnotinclinedformentalexerciseofastrenuouscharacter,Ireadhistory,essays,criticismorbiography;andintheeveningIreadanovel.Besidesthese,IkeeponhandavolumeofpoetryincaseIfeelinthemoodforthat,andbymybedsideIhaveoneofthosebooks,toorarelytobefound,alas,whichyoucandipintoatanyplaceandstopreadingwithequanimityattheendofanyparagraph.6.UponlookingbackonwhatIhavewritten,InoticethatIhavemorethanoncesuggestedtoyouthatyouwouldbewisenowandthentoskip.IthinkallthebooksIhavementionedareimportantenoughtobereadthoroughly,buteventheyaremoreenjoyableifyouexerciseyourrighttoskip.Changeoftastehasrenderedcertainpartsofevengreatworkstedious.Wenolongerwanttobebotheredwiththemoraldissertationsofwhichtheeighteenthcenturywassofond,norwiththelengthydescriptionsofscenerywhichwerefavouredinthenineteenth.Whenthenovelbecamerealisticauthorsfellinlovewithdetailforitsownsake,andittookthemalongtimetodiscoverthatdetailisinterestingonlyifitisrelevant.Toknowhowtoskipistoknowhowtoreadwithprofitandpleasure,buthowyouaretolearnitIcannottellyou,foritis