Books

I was at a bookstore recently. Many months have passed since I finished reading my last book which I think was Mitch Albom's For One More Day. After that I purchased two or three more books which I stopped reading after a few dozen pages; I didn't like the story.. yet.

So yeah, I was browsing through the New Arrivals and Best Selling shelves, looking at titles after titles.. some of which I have at home, a few more that I've read but never owned, quite a number that I've lost or misplaced as well as one or two that I've given away to people. 

Apart from me and Neet, there was this presumably avid book reading family there too. The sister was pointing at this book and that book on the bestseller's shelf, telling the mother and brother how good the books are.

"Of course they are, that's why they're bestsellers kan?", the mom said.

The sister kept on going, pointing at Mitch Albom's books, Coelho's The Alchemist and a few others.

"Oh my god! Have you read The Alchemist?", said the sister.

"Yeah, it was fantastic kan? I cried you know?", answered another female sibling.

"Yeah I know! Have you read P.S I Love You? I cried reading that too!"

Then suddenly came the little brother.

"You guys can cry reading a book?"

Pfttt?

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Well good sir, feelings are there to be felt. Personally I've cried reading books.. Yes I did. It was Nick Sparks' A Walk to Remember. I was just happily reading, reading, reading the book and suddenly when I came to the part where Jamie told Landon that she have leukemia, I cried. I don't know why, it just did. It felt really good, flushing out all that emotions down the tear duct. Satisfying indeed.

It isn't only about crying actually. It's the feeling of panic when I read Don Corleone got ambushed while buying some fruits, it's the fun of following Christopher Boone and his witty wit around London town, it's the nervous feeling watching Winston Smith avoiding the thought police in his quest for freedom.. books, a few thousand word on some hundred pages can sometimes be much better than watching a well hyped, well financed and well produced film.

We are all individuals, I know. Not everyone can listen to Beethoven and see joy. Not everyone can watch V and see a romantic lover. Not everyone can see the Mona Lisa and understand what it's all about and there's definitely a lot of us who can't really see what's so emotional about Baroque architecture. Still, I think we need to keep an open mind to things and try to understand things more deeply.

If there's one thing this world need right now, it's understanding. Once people learn to understand each others, everything else will follow. Peace and all that hoopla.

*

So yeah kid, feelings are there to be felt. The moral story is don't talk too loud, nanti ada orang tulis dalam blog.

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You’re currently reading “Books,” an entry on pelangi hitam putih

Published:
Saturday, October 18, 2008
by amerhadiazmi