The Pleasures of Reading
English Essay on "The Pleasures of Reading"
Reading is an excellent from of recreation. It is a pleasant hobby and offers diversion from the stresses and strains of daily life. Most cities have well-stocked libraries. Anyone can issue any book of his liking from there. Those who can afford to buy books build up theirs own private collection. The quantity and variety of reading material is economies. Reading does not merely give pleasure. It informs, educates and enlightens. In deed pleasures of reading should not be missed by any educated person.
Reading is a very rewarding leisure time activity, it is to the mind what food is to the body. It is a blessing for modern educated man who feels crushed under the pressures of daily life. Books provide an excellent means of diversion from the day-to-day tensions. There are books to suit every taste and temperament. The quantity and quality of reading material is so enormous that anybody who fond of reading is likely to find something that interests him and her.
There are books on all subjects. The variety and number of periodicals are equally amazing. Modern man who is hard pressed for time finds magazines and journals immensely useful He often complains that there is no time to read a book. But a magazine can be picked up and glanced through even if one has limited tithe.
Great books are a constant source of strength and inspiration. The Bible, the Gita, the Ramayana, the Koran, etc. are books which have enriched human soul: Anybody who spends a few minutes a day to read any of these books will confess to the amount of peace and joy he has derived from, them. Such books are perennial and contain the wisdom of wise men down the ages. A good book, a poem or a play opens a whole new world for the reader. It is not difficult to completely fall under the spell of an ingeniously woven and skill fully told story. The reader identifies himself with the hero or heroine or other characters in the novel. Of course, normally novels are not based on actual events or real persons. They are a creation of a writer’s mind who unconsciously draws from his experience of life. A great novel can be produced only by a master-mind that is capable of shrewd and sympathetic observation of the world, of man and the working of his min1. A sensitive reader gets so involved in the lives of the character that he becomes totally oblivious of time. English literature and Indian literature in Hindi and other regional languages are full of immortal novels. Dickens David Cooperfield, Kipling’s Kim, Premchand’s Godan, Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina are books which have stood the test of time and still provide as much pleasure to its readers today as they did when they were written.
If one has no time for reading novels, one can turn to the short stories of writers like O’Henry, Maupasant, Tagore and many others. There is something to suit every taste. Books of travel and exploration are full of adventure and give pleasure to the sender who has a wander-lust. Science fictions, humorous fictions are other types of books which entertain and amuse the reader. Poetry is must sublime of all writings. It is the purest form of literature. Its rhythm, melody and music gives it an additional charm. Description of nature in Wordsworth’s poem, lyrical intensity of Shelly, sensuousness of Keats, all enchant and enthral the readers. Drama is another source of great pleasure. The plays of Shakespeare, Bernard Shaw, O’ Neil and Oscar Wiled open a whole world of men and women who bear striking resemblance to real life people. Readers are profoundly moved by the characterisation in these great plays which contain pearls of wisdom.
Every educated man in these days is hungry for news of the latest development in the political sphere. Newspapers fulfil that need. They are an essential item with morning tea. People who are accustomed to reading newspapers feel out of sorts if they do not get it. Then there is a vast variety of magazines which cover almost every sphere of man’s interest and activity. This tremendous variety in reading material makes it possible for men and women of all tastes and temperaments to draw pleasure from it.
In view of the pleasures derived from reading, it should be encouraged right from childhood. Books stimulate the young minds. Parents should read aloud to the children they should keep a certain time in the day for story-reading. Habits incuIcated in childhood often last a life-time.
Public libraries fulfil a great need of book-lovers, who cannot afford to buy books. Nowadays in advanced countries, where reading is a popular pastime, various book clubs and lending libraries have been started. In India too, this trend is fast catching up with the reading public. People with limited funds can enrol themselves in any book club or lending library.
Indeed, the pleasure of reading should not be missed by any literate person. Everyone should be encouraged to cultivate the habit and discover the treasured wealth hidden in the books for himself. Reading enriches, enlightens and educates the mind. It even helps the serious minded in evolving an attitude a philosophy of life which guides them in their everyday existence.
A well-chosen book is certainly the best of companions. The person who derives pleasure from reading does not feel lonely and bored. He is quite content to be left alone with his favourite book and indulge in the luxury of enjoying it in solitude. A book love considers books his best friends and is generally possessive of them In fact, one can depend on a book as much as on a good friend. Reading is such a satisfying pastime that any person who has it as his hobby feels enriched and content. It stimulates the mind and nurtures the soul.
Reading is a very rewarding leisure time activity, it is to the mind what food is to the body. It is a blessing for modern educated man who feels crushed under the pressures of daily life. Books provide an excellent means of diversion from the day-to-day tensions. There are books to suit every taste and temperament. The quantity and quality of reading material is so enormous that anybody who fond of reading is likely to find something that interests him and her.
There are books on all subjects. The variety and number of periodicals are equally amazing. Modern man who is hard pressed for time finds magazines and journals immensely useful He often complains that there is no time to read a book. But a magazine can be picked up and glanced through even if one has limited tithe.
Great books are a constant source of strength and inspiration. The Bible, the Gita, the Ramayana, the Koran, etc. are books which have enriched human soul: Anybody who spends a few minutes a day to read any of these books will confess to the amount of peace and joy he has derived from, them. Such books are perennial and contain the wisdom of wise men down the ages. A good book, a poem or a play opens a whole new world for the reader. It is not difficult to completely fall under the spell of an ingeniously woven and skill fully told story. The reader identifies himself with the hero or heroine or other characters in the novel. Of course, normally novels are not based on actual events or real persons. They are a creation of a writer’s mind who unconsciously draws from his experience of life. A great novel can be produced only by a master-mind that is capable of shrewd and sympathetic observation of the world, of man and the working of his min1. A sensitive reader gets so involved in the lives of the character that he becomes totally oblivious of time. English literature and Indian literature in Hindi and other regional languages are full of immortal novels. Dickens David Cooperfield, Kipling’s Kim, Premchand’s Godan, Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina are books which have stood the test of time and still provide as much pleasure to its readers today as they did when they were written.
If one has no time for reading novels, one can turn to the short stories of writers like O’Henry, Maupasant, Tagore and many others. There is something to suit every taste. Books of travel and exploration are full of adventure and give pleasure to the sender who has a wander-lust. Science fictions, humorous fictions are other types of books which entertain and amuse the reader. Poetry is must sublime of all writings. It is the purest form of literature. Its rhythm, melody and music gives it an additional charm. Description of nature in Wordsworth’s poem, lyrical intensity of Shelly, sensuousness of Keats, all enchant and enthral the readers. Drama is another source of great pleasure. The plays of Shakespeare, Bernard Shaw, O’ Neil and Oscar Wiled open a whole world of men and women who bear striking resemblance to real life people. Readers are profoundly moved by the characterisation in these great plays which contain pearls of wisdom.
Every educated man in these days is hungry for news of the latest development in the political sphere. Newspapers fulfil that need. They are an essential item with morning tea. People who are accustomed to reading newspapers feel out of sorts if they do not get it. Then there is a vast variety of magazines which cover almost every sphere of man’s interest and activity. This tremendous variety in reading material makes it possible for men and women of all tastes and temperaments to draw pleasure from it.
In view of the pleasures derived from reading, it should be encouraged right from childhood. Books stimulate the young minds. Parents should read aloud to the children they should keep a certain time in the day for story-reading. Habits incuIcated in childhood often last a life-time.
Public libraries fulfil a great need of book-lovers, who cannot afford to buy books. Nowadays in advanced countries, where reading is a popular pastime, various book clubs and lending libraries have been started. In India too, this trend is fast catching up with the reading public. People with limited funds can enrol themselves in any book club or lending library.
Indeed, the pleasure of reading should not be missed by any literate person. Everyone should be encouraged to cultivate the habit and discover the treasured wealth hidden in the books for himself. Reading enriches, enlightens and educates the mind. It even helps the serious minded in evolving an attitude a philosophy of life which guides them in their everyday existence.
A well-chosen book is certainly the best of companions. The person who derives pleasure from reading does not feel lonely and bored. He is quite content to be left alone with his favourite book and indulge in the luxury of enjoying it in solitude. A book love considers books his best friends and is generally possessive of them In fact, one can depend on a book as much as on a good friend. Reading is such a satisfying pastime that any person who has it as his hobby feels enriched and content. It stimulates the mind and nurtures the soul.
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