Booking Through Literature

* When somebody mentions “literature,” what’s the first thing you think of? (Dickens? Tolstoy? Shakespeare?)
* Do you read “literature” (however you define it) for pleasure? Or is it something that you read only when you must?

"Literature" means classics, in most cases. Those books which are timeless and are full of substance. Most tend to think of literature as heavy reading. Not necessarily so. Lewis Caroll's Alice in Wonderland qualifies as a classic and IS a great piece of literature. And no one can call it as serious! I do not think classics are difficult to read unless one gets the gist of those. They do tell us about an era otherwise forgotten. Isn't that what literature is supposed to do?

Among the modern poets, Robert Frost, Sylvia Plath and Mary Oliver, to name a few, these come fall under the category of literature. Then Steinbeck, Marquez, Pamuk, Atwood are not easy reads. Who said it has to be easy? I can read comics as well the most difficult of books. American Gods by Neil Gaiman is no piece of literature and it WAS a difficult read! And I still enjoyed it very much!

One should know how to balance the more heavy literature with the lighter ones! That is what reading is all about. My love for literature came about after reading Chaucer and then, Robert Browning.

And yes, I do enjoy reading Dickens.....his characterization are simply great, Shakespeare.....I love his sonnets, and Tolstoy.....he happens to be my favourite Russian author!