Read! Read! Read!

Essay-a-Week Challenge - Week 5

"June 3rd: One Book Everyone Should Read"

We all have a handful of books we just can’t stop talking about. Pick one and tell the world why you love it and what you think other people will get out of it.

Topics from, A Bookful Blockhead.

Also one of my favourite beards.

If there is a book that everyone should read, that book needs to be good, and not just in the literary sense. Good books are those that can affect your life or the way you see the world, those that enhance your mind and your thoughts, and those that bring you peace, catharsis.

Plenty of titles come to mind. One of my favourite books is Fifth Business, a novel by Canadian author Robertson Davies, chosen for our Grade 12 English class. The narrative focussed on the theme of finding one's place in the world, providing new perspectives in a time of decision-making. On another note, I would credit Charles Darwin and his famous publication, On The Origin of Species, for enhancing the way I think and study as I admire Darwin's ability to experience the world around him and beautifully translate his ideas into the founding ideas of natural selection. For finding peace, I enjoy reading the picture books and novels I grew up with, I suppose connecting with a younger self of a simpler time, re-exploring the deep themes of Lois Lowry's The Giver or enjoying the simple themes of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle.

mmm... Google.

For me, there is one book that satisfies all three - affecting my life, my thoughts, and giving me peace - and that book would be the Bible. The Bible can be many things: a source of stories and parables to learn from, a record of the events in the lives of Jesus, prophets, and historical figures, and passages that inspire reflect on the themes and questions that have been with humankind forever.

But for this essay, I will not choose the Bible, partially because religion and spiritually should not be forced on individuals. I do believe, however, that the Bible contains a lot of interesting and useful passages, and as the most published book and a text that is found in many religious and cultural studies, people should be exposed, at the very least, to parts of the Bible as one experiments with their own spirituality and philosophy, as they explore one of the core elements of humanity. Also, the Bible is rather long, and in a society driven by tweets, making the Bible a book everyone should read is not very realistic.

On the plus side, the Bible is very accessible - they are often given out for free, it's available online and for many different reading levels, and is the world's most translated book. Since the Bible is also a collection of many books, by various authors, written at different times, I will instead choose one of these - short, enough to be accessible and readable by everyone, and relevant, something we can all reflect on. While one of the Gospels might seem like the obvious choice, I will go with a personal favourite, the book of Ecclesiastes (link to full text).

There is debate over the author of the relatively short twelve chapters (perhaps shorter than the Wikipedia page describing the book), who describes himself as "the preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem" (English Standard Version). Some point to the wise King Solomon, who is common credited for the preceding Book of Proverbs, but others say otherwise. It does not matter much though, all is vanity under the sun.

I like the book of Ecclesiastes because it resonates with a lot of philosophical discussion, and it is less of a historical account and more of an anecdote or narrative that many people can relate to. The first few chapters describe life as 'useless', 'futile', and 'meaningless', writing: "All is vanity. What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever." (Ecc. 1:2-4). The passage goes on to describe the "Vanity of Wisdom", similar to the phrase, "ignorance is bliss", as the writer says "for in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow." (Ecc. 1:18).

After detailing the vanities of self-indulgence, living wisely, and toil, Ecclesiastes takes a lighter spin into its most famous passage, "A Time for Everything". The eight verses are featured in the song, "Turn! Turn! Turn!" by the Byrds, and is embedded below.

The book goes on to describe a balance of fear, happiness, and work that should be incorporated into one's life, a part of the neverending debate between the Stoics and the Epicureans. The author poses the same questions that many ask today: "All are from the dust, and to dust all return. Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth?" (Ecc. 3:20-21).

The cry of vanity simmers down as the end of the book approaches, though it never fully goes away. A few morals enter, as the writer ultimately defends wisdom: "The words of the wise heard in quiet are betting than the shouting of a ruler among fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good." (Ecc. 9:17-18). The last few chapters describe one's relationship with the king and with the Lord, in a world of vanity and toil, helping to establish a sense of balance in life.

I really like the Book of Ecclesiastes - the flowing language, the questions, and its message. I will not go into any more detail, because it is really what you make of it, but even if you do not agree with its message, I hope that you will have enjoyed its poetic verses and that some of the verses can get you thinking. And now to go look up all the wonderful books that the other essay-a-week challengers are suggesting...