Kidnapped
It's funny how we forget things completely and then, when reminded somehow, everything floods back. I had an example recently when I watched a public television presentation of Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped. Stevenson was born in Scotland and died in Samoa, having written prolifically and traveled widely. I always admired his adventuresome spirit and was fascinated by both Treasure Island and Kidnapped when I read them as a child. Watching Kidnapped on television brought memories of childhood, childhood hopes and, most importantly, my early reading pleasures. I thought I would travel like Stevenson, have adventures like his fictional heroes. At least I continue to enjoy reading.
I've written before about my love of Ellery Queen novels; that love began when I was a child. My broader interest in mystery novels began at about the same time. I remember, as a small child, a librarian complaining about my interest in Perry Mason novels, arguing that I was too young to be reading such novels. I remember finding Sir Walter Scott and other authors of adventure novels such as Stevenson. I well remember the feeling of escape from reality into a world of excitement and adventure. It was so quick and easy to become another person in another place by reading novels.
Later, I began to enjoy biographies. I remember my thirst for books about American heroes: Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, U. S. Grant. I suppose the same escape motive led me to these books. Soon I began to read about great trial lawyers and their famous trials. When a fire destroyed my library, stories about William J. Fallon, Clarence Darrow and Earl Rogers were high on my list of desired replacements. Then the love of biographies led to the love of reading history. I was especially taken by the history of California and the Gold Rush, by stories of war and peace, of the role of inventions in populations' lives. Now I find myself reading anything that comes my way, books, magazine articles, newspapers, internet publications. I've rarely read anything I found completely useless; there's always something to learn, even through learning what to avoid, in my reading.
It makes me sad to think that new media, television and the internet particularly, may prevent young people from learning to read and develop a love of reading. I see my friends working hard to instill the love in their children but I also see examples of those whose parents are unable to devote the resources to do it. For the latter, too often television and computers become baby sitters. If I could have one wish granted for young people it would be that they develop the love of reading that has sustained me so often in my life.
Enjoy reading. Even if there's no learning in it, you will derive hours of pleasure. And it costs little. For the price of a computer game or dvd, you can travel often to a library and you'll feel better after you do.
1-16-06 [I was traveling last week and unexpectedly found myself without access to a computer; I'm sorry I missed last week's publication date.]
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