My Own Approach to Literature
By Julia A. Keirns
Ever since I can remember I have wanted to be a writer. The feel of the pen in my hand, taking thoughts out of my head, writing them down, and the sound of the words I have written being read out loud are part of what drives me. I write something every single day of my life. Over the years I have had a few things published in magazines and on the internet. Most recently, in local newspapers. I especially enjoy interviewing people, hearing their stories and then writing about them. When it comes to reading books and novels, I enjoy classic literature and non-fiction true life stories. I especially enjoy novels about nature and history, such as World War I and II. When I do read a book, I am always interested in the introductions written by someone other than the author. I like knowing who the author was, what they went through in their life, and what was going on in their world at the time they were writing it.
Maybe that has something to do with the writer in me. I do believe it is easier to write about what we know. If I don’t understand something I am reading, I will look it up or I will read commentaries about the book written by others. Sometimes I will just simply read it again. I like to get several different opinions on what others think the novel is about, and then form my own opinion on what I think it is about. One example would be The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. I shied away from reading this book for a long time because I had overheard several negative comments about it from friends and family members. Even when I researched it online, many reviews gave me the impression that it was hard to read and hard to understand. I read it anyway and came away from it with a very positive opinion. To me, the book is mainly about a young man struggling with depression and not fitting in anywhere. Very relevant in today’s world. I loved reading it and stayed interested in it clear to the end.
I believe everyone will take away something different from a text according to what they are personally going through in their own lives, or even just from what they can get out of it. A specific part of a novel can have a profound impact on a person personally going through a specific time of their life, and not mean anything at all to another reader. Understanding the literature can definitely impact whether you will enjoy the book or not. I did not think I would at all understand Paradise Lost by John Milton, until I undertook the task of writing a final essay research paper on it. Once I attempted to truly understand it, I understood the magnitude of its significance in the literary world. Sometimes you just have to begin and read it aloud. And then read it again.
I will continue to read and learn as much as I can about literature, and authors, and what makes everyday people interested in reading something so much that the words of an author become famous.