Can people be judged by the books they read? | Teen Ink

Can people be judged by the books they read?

June 8, 2014
By Ashira SILVER, Dunscore, Dumfriesshire, Other
Ashira SILVER, Dunscore, Dumfriesshire, Other
5 articles 7 photos 2 comments

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If some one were to ask you what sort of book would you choose to live your life in, what would you choose? If you could step in to the pages of a book, what sort of book would you choose? If you were given a choice of Historical, Futuristic, Supernatural or Fantasy, which would you choose? For each answer that is given there can be certain things that could be deduced.

If a person chose to step in to a historical book then, what might one deduce about the person? From my point of view there are many different ways in which this answer may be related to the type of person who chose it. The person might want to relive a past time that they regret or were fond of. If a person has a regret in their past then they may want to relive that time and right a wrong that may have happened back then. If the person has a fond memory of past times and they are now living in a time where they aren’t as happy as they were, then that person may want to stay in that time. A person could also be said to be unsatisfied with the world the way it is and wants to return to a time of peace with out violence and the constant wars that rage. That person knows what is certain in the time he wishes to return to. He knows what is to come and what will be. It may give them a certain sense of security because they know the future in a way. Unfortunately the future is always changing there is no way to know what will happen for certain. So how long will that person be happy in the past when the future he thought he knew doesn’t happen? Will he be able to right the wrong he committed or how long will those happy memories remain joyous? A person who wishes to right a wrong, a person who wishes to return to happy times or a person who seeks security, if you choose historical which are you?

Some may see Supernatural and Fantasy as the same or similar things, I am splitting them in to two. For supernatural, I mean demons, werewolves, vampires and anything else that may be related to them. Although there are supernatural books that are about romance with vampire, werewolves and other supernatural creatures, the sort of book that I am thinking about contains no romance but a violent book that harbours absolutely no love for any one in it. The sort of supernatural book that has humans fighting the supernatural creatures, if that is the sort of book you choose to step in to then which side would you be on? The supernatural or the human side, which would you choose? A person that chooses join the supernatural side may be said to have a darkness lingering around them. A constant nagging of an urge to do something that they know is wrong or some sort of hatred that they keep tucked away. They may also have a sinister past that lurks in the crevices of their heart that tugs on them constantly. Each supernatural creature that I can think of ends up getting consumed by the darkness that lingers around them. On the other hand a person who chooses the human side could be said to be getting rid of the plaguing darkness that surrounds them. They are trying to move forward by fighting back against any darkness that they may have inside themselves. Although fighting on the human side may appear to be the weaker side, they have the greater strength than those who chose the supernatural side. This is because they chose to fight the darkness and not give into it so easily. So which side are you on, those who chose to step in to the world of supernatural beings? Do you stand and fight the darkness or will you give in and let it consume you?

As for those that choose to step in to the pages of a fantasy book, I would say you were a dreamer. One who always tries to see better than what is really in front of them. A person who chooses fantasy is one who dreams of a world better than what it really is. They imagine a world where there is no violence and people live their lives happily with no conflict. The person seeks a world of peace where possibly their troubled mind may finally be at rest. A dreamer dreams of what may be and what could be. It is a safe haven to escape the reality of what is happening every day in the real world. A utopia for those who choose to ignore the suffering that happens around them or to themselves. A fantasy book is an escape to a world with magical things where anything is possible. The person who chooses fantasy is running from what occurs around them or to them. On the other hand a person who chooses fantasy could dream of change and wants to make a difference in the world around them. They strive to make the world around them a better place and the peaceful world contained within the pages of a fantasy book is what they struggle to make a reality. The person could want to help those around them or they could run from reality. Do you stay and help others to make their lives better or do turn and run the other way and not look back so long as you are ok? Are you one to help or abandon people?

At some point in their lives, everyone has stopped and wondered about what the future may hold for them. I certainly have done my fair share of dreaming about what will be in ten, twenty even a hundred years time. I dream of what developments the world will have made. Will we have gone to ruin, will we be living on another planet by then or will we still be here on earth. There are many different sorts of people who have dreamed of the future and all that it may hold. There are those who strive for the future never looking back because they are scared of what they see in their own past. They run from a wrong that they have committed or they run from a bad memory that is be locked away. They run to escape their past and make amends in the future. It could also be said that the person isn’t running from the regret in the past but wishing to move forward and stay living in the past. There are those who wish to see the future because they wish to have an impact on the world. A person wishing to make an impact on the world could have good or bad intentions. This person may want to save or destroy the world; it is hard to tell. A person who wishes to see the future may be unsatisfied with the time that they live in and they seek adventure by going in to the unknown. They have ambition to seek what is uncertain and battle against the unfamiliar. The person could wish for the thrill of excitement that comes from discovering something for the first time. Do you then run, shrug off the past and move forward, wish to make a change or seek a thrill? If you choose futuristic, then what do you seek to gain?

I have made many assumptions for each category but I believe that they do hold true. If I had to choose myself I would probably choose to join the human side of the supernatural fight and also the thrill of the unknown that the future holds. I have a lingering regret that would grow daily if it weren’t for my constant battle with it. To say that I have only one regret would be a lie. To say that I only had one mistake would be a lie as well. I have always been told that we make mistakes so that we can learn from them. “If you don’t make mistakes, you aren’t really trying.” (Coleman Hawkins) Making mistakes is a part of live and I have accepted that but I still feel regret that I can’t shake but I can slowly push it back by fighting it. I don’t have to let it consume me. I am always testing myself, striving for the unknown. Looking forward to the future and not looking back at the battle that is going on with the regrets of my past. For every thrill I get from moving forward in to the uncertain future is a battle won against the regrets of the past. I move forward because I must but I stop and battle with each regret when it comes back again because that is the only way I know to keep moving.

So next time you pick up a book, think about the type of book that you are picking up. Does the sort of book you read reflect the sort of person you are or do the books shape you in to the sort of person you are? I have been told never to judge a book by its cover but can you judge a person by the books they read? I think that it is possible to form an idea of a person’s character by the books they read but when you see the sort of books they read, it is impossible to tell. Each genre of book holds its own meaning to the person that reads it. If two people shared the same taste in books and read the same book, then I am sure that they both would view the book differently from each other. One may have enjoyed a werewolf killing a human but the other may have hated that part. So in reality people can’t be judged by the sort of books that they read because in the end, everyone is different and the books hold different meaning depending on the person reading it. You can’t judge a person by the books they read just like you can’t judge a book by its cover because it holds a different value for each person.


The author's comments:
I wrote this because I got so annoyed with people telling me to read a different genre of book. I enjoy what I read and I read it because I can some times see myself as one of the characters or in a situation similar to theirs.

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