Yesterday I had my head stuck in a book that I fell in love with when I was very young. I've been reading Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. I seem to have had a strange fascination with the story ever since I first saw the Disney version, then several television versions, and then when I was about 13 I read the book.
Looking back, I can't remember a time when I wasn't going to the library, reading aloud or even making up stories to entertain myself, but I can't quite remember if it was something I was encouraged to do or if it was purely a natural instinct. Hmm. If i think hard about it then i would say that my mum encouraged me when I was very young and then when was older I took it upon myself to read books, ones that were probably far too advanced for my age.
When I was about 10, I remember my brother studying Animal Farm. The cover was cartoony and I picked it up thinking it would be a nice story about animals that lived on a farm. Instantly hooked, I didn't really understand the book until 5 years later when I began to read it again for my own studies. Then at 11, I read 20 000 Leagues Under the Sea, Jane Eyre at about 13, and I went on and on for years reading books that shocked others to see me reading, but I enjoyed them. At some point I stopped and I have no idea why. I remember loving GCSE English and studying several plays. After that I stopped reading. Even during my degree, Creative Writing with English Literature, I resented having to read books. I didn't enjoy them at all any more. Since then I find it difficult to pick up any book and read it, but i picked up Alice yesterday and I love it all over again.
xoxo
PS. can't wait for the Tim Burton film to come out... March 5th 2010! I'll be counting down the days! :D
Hi Katherine! I too am a fan of Alice in Wonderland (and love Johnny Depp to pieces so can't wait for the movie as well). I downloaded Alice in Wonderland to my Sony Reader over the summer and am now thinking that this long holiday weekend coming up will be the perfect time to visit Alice and friends. Thanks for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteGlad you've rediscovered reading :-) Hope the love for it returns.... Alice is such a fab book! And I recognise all the others on your list as dear old friends too :-)
ReplyDeleteOh Katherine! That sounds so sad! I can't imagine living without books - just the thought is bringing me out in a cold sweat.
ReplyDeleteI was a little like you and read books that might have been a little 'old' for me, but it's certainly helped my own writing style and meant that I've always spelt quite well. (Except when typing!)
You need to get back into reading. Big time. There's no better escape from the world than jumping into another one x
I love to read so much too when I was young you could always find me with a book. I need to rediscover reading again too.
ReplyDeleteTim Burton and Alice and Wonderland really!?! I have a got to check this out!
Carrie
I love this post!! I don't know if you get it there, but the SYFY channel is doing something on the new Alice in Wonderland sometime very soon...Its not normally a channel I tune in to, but I'm going to have to dvr this little event :)
ReplyDeleteDear fellow nerd and book lover, I'm happy to meet you! I know that feeling very well. I used to devour books I didn't really understand at a rather young age . I used to take their word and try to apply it one-to-one to life. And of course that made a terrible mess, and it got to the point where I couldn't read any more, it was too painful. Now I'm slowly recovering... :)
ReplyDelete-Mirabelle
PS: I'm happy if you stop by my blog: quicksilversoul.blogspot.com.