I have always been what you might call a “bookworm.” In fact, I’ll go even further: I actually enjoyed devouring every single school reading assignment, even the most boring ones. Whether it was Stones on the Rampart, Janko the Musician, or finally The Teutonic Knights – it made no difference to me. I read everything, always and everywhere. The saying “a thick book means a boring book” has never applied to me. Of course, that doesn’t mean I like everything I read. Like everyone else, I have my favorite titles and genres, as well as those I enjoy less. What do I reach for most often? Crime novels (I’ve read Agatha Christie so many times that I probably know every book by heart), thrillers, suspense novels, but also nonfiction.
Meanwhile, the reading situation in Poland is not exactly cheerful. According to surveys I recently came across, in 2014, 58% of respondents had not read a single book, while 47% had not read any text longer than three pages of typescript. As many as 19% had not read any written text at all! Only 11% of the population had read more than seven books. Sixteen percent of Poles do not have any books in their households. One-third of people over the age of 60 are completely outside the culture of the written word. The report by the National Library is terrifying, especially when combined with the information above.
I have read that things are supposedly better in other countries. In the United States, the group of non-readers accounts for only one-quarter of the population, which is still considered alarmingly large. In Sweden, 90% of the population reads, while in the Netherlands, the figure is 86%. The average Czech reads about 17 books a year. Among EU countries, only Romania, Greece, and Portugal fare worse than Poland. On the other hand, alongside Sweden and the Netherlands, the countries with the highest reading rates include Denmark, the United Kingdom, and Germany. These figures confirm that a society’s level of literacy and reading has a direct impact on its prosperity.
Instead of frightening you with the rest of the alarming statistics, however, I would rather focus on the reasons why reading is worth our time and what we can do to make ourselves reach for a good book even more eagerly than we reach for a good movie.
Why is reading good for you?
Leaving aside the measurable benefits of reading, such as improving your language skills, making it easier to formulate your thoughts, helping you express yourself more concisely, and improving your grammar and spelling, there is simply no better way to switch off from everyday problems than by getting lost in a captivating novel. Good literature can pull our attention away from mundane matters for hours at a time.
Literature teaches us abstract thinking. Well-read citizens have more knowledge and think more innovatively, which directly affects workplace productivity and the development of new technologies, without which there can be no talk of societies becoming more prosperous. Abstract thinking also makes it easier to solve everyday, economic, and civilizational problems.
Reading not only increases emotional intelligence, but also improves our language skills and, consequently, the way we speak and write. Of course, we also gain knowledge directly from books.
Reading also has a direct impact on our health, particularly our mental health. People who read regularly are 2.5 times less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease later in life. Reading also reduces stress (by as much as 68%), improves concentration, and enhances the quality of sleep.
Every book we read expands the range of emotions we are able to experience and increases our knowledge of the world. Canadian psychologist Keith Oatley even argues that reading develops our social skills. Literature makes us more empathetic because identifying with fictional characters helps us understand the inner worlds and experiences of other people. For some of us, literary characters can become a kind of source of support, reassuring us that it is possible to find ourselves in serious trouble and also to find a way out of it later. You have to admit that it can be uplifting to realize that even a young wizard attending Hogwarts goes through problems and dilemmas that, at their core, are not so different from our own.
How can you learn to enjoy reading?
Everyone has to find “their” book. There is no universal novel or algorithm that can assign each person the perfect book. I can assure you, though, that once you allow yourself to get drawn into the world of your imagination, it will become easier and easier to immerse yourself in the next book.
I have two “literary hooks” that have never let me down. To any man who was put off reading by Bolesław Prus’s The Doll (which, in my opinion, is of course a brilliant novel, I was even fascinated by Wokulski’s psychological portrait), I recommend Harlan Coben’s Tell No One. I completely understand that The Doll could have been an impossible trauma for an 18-year-old boy, but Coben’s crime novel is simply devilishly gripping.
To readers who are not convinced by books, I recommend giving Isabelle Lafleche’s novels a try. My favorite book by her is I Love Paris. It is a truly light, enjoyable, and by no means silly story about a woman whom many of us can relate to. Her other books are also worth recommending. The first book in the trilogy, I Love New York, is another great choice. I am now starting the final installment, I Love Rome, and I am convinced I will not be disappointed.
If you are not drawn to novels at all, I suggest beginning your reading adventure with popular science books or practical guides. Remember: every book is a good book!
What if you like reading but don’t do it often enough?
I can confidently count myself among this group. I love reading, yet I do it so rarely. Perhaps these days, the pace of life and the sheer number of things we have to do make it increasingly difficult to find the time and space for reading. At home, overwhelmed by everyday responsibilities, we would rather relax in front of the television, where we can also iron clothes and help our children with their homework at the same time. Reading, on the other hand, requires concentration.
So we are left with those situations when we have nothing else to do: commuting to work by bus or train, vacations, or breaks between classes. Logistically, however, this can be rather complicated. After all, it is not easy to carry an entire library around with you. The weight of books may seem like a trivial disadvantage, but it is a very real one, literally. Especially in a woman’s handbag, where for some time now, in addition to my wallet, I have also been carrying a laptop, a camera, a tripod, and a lens that I switch out depending on what I need. So it is hardly surprising that, in such circumstances, even a packet of tissues seems like unnecessary extra weight, let alone some hefty “tome.”
Some time ago, my mother decided to “go with the times” and sent me my first e-reader. I admit that I wasn’t convinced at first. Something seemed to be missing: the smell of books, their weight, the rustle of turning pages. However, I gradually began to warm to it, also for a very simple reason: books in Polish are not readily available in California. So far, it has fulfilled its purpose 100%. First of all, I can have several (or even several dozen) books on it at the same time which is particularly important in the age of budget airlines. I no longer have to give up reading because of limited suitcase space. Secondly, it weighs practically nothing, so I can easily carry it with me all day. After using an e-reader for some time, I decided to take it one step further and invested in a Kindle Fire HD. I have to admit that it was definitely one of my most successful purchases in recent years. Lightweight, easy to use, with plenty of storage, and capable of reading various book formats (PDF, EPUB), it does its job perfectly.
I’ll write more about Kindle and other e-readers in my next article. Stay tuned!
