“No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally–and often far more–worth reading at the age of fifty and beyond.”
~ C.S. Lewis
I was already way into my thirties when I came across this little wise piece of thought from the writer of one of my all-time favorite books series', The Chronicles of Narnia. I often reread the novels from my childhood, especially the adventures in Narnia, and this quotation validated my behavior. Even as an adult, these stories still deliver the same wide-eyed fantasy and hope they instilled in me as a child. I own many copies of each of my childhood favorites, in a vain hope someone would ever ask to borrow them one day (but it appears the people in my immediate circles to not have the passion for reading as I possess), and the copies I read the most are warn, with whitened patches on the covers, some pages loose (if a paperback copy), and I value each and every one of their signs of aging and repeated use. Maybe it's the nostalgia of youth or the brief moment of not having responsibilities again, but reading my childhood favorites will always be a favorite pastime.
I wholeheartedly agree with Lewis' assessment of a story and it's value at any age, because any good story should ring differently during different times of our lives. If we haven't changed, grown, or matured, a story will simply be the same story we read years ago, but if we come to a story with a different set of eyes, more wise with experience and age, a story will ring with a new zest, a new situation to analyze, a new fantasy, helping us grow yet again.
No comments:
Post a Comment