Whilst reading part 1 of Combray, I found myself re-reading lines and passages over and over again. I’m not too sure if this is because I wasn’t paying attention the first time round or if what I was reading was so engaging I wanted to read it again. At times I could recognise my passive reading style other times I couldn’t. I agree with most people when they say ‘reading is fundamentally essential’. It allows us to further develop our brain and is an alternative to harmful escapism habits. Everyone is glued to their phone these days. Everyone seems to be reading so much and yet so little. I’m guilty of this, so I’m not pointing fingers! Instead, of scrolling for hours on end on my phone, I spent time reading a text ‘heavy’ piece. I felt accomplished. I felt like, ‘finally’ I spent my time productively!
Oftentimes, when you begin a new book, a million thoughts run through your mind. Will this book be good? Will I be able to finish? Will it live up to my expectations? Will I be bored, will it relieve my anxiety or heighten it? Even though reading new books is fun and exciting, it can also cause some anxiety and stress like all new experiences can. Whilst re-reading, I felt like I was giving my brain a little break from said anxiety. The unknown became known, so I was able to engage with the story better. I knew the story, the characters and more. This made it simple, easy, and stress-free
At the end of the day, when you are lying in bed thinking about how you have spent your day, the feeling that you haven’t wasted it on your phone is extremely refreshing. Reading Proust allowed me to question, how much of our time is spent on our phones? Whether we are checking up on the news, reading our emails or replying back to a friend. A lot of our time is spent consuming. I believe our consumption matters to our development. What we consume is often a reflection of our character. Personally, I believe that our consumption of social media is detrimental when it isn’t balanced with thought-provoking reflection. Reading novels and text ‘heavy’ pieces like Combray gave me that chance. For example, when I was reading Proust’s passage about the nostalgia he felt drinking tea. It reminded me of the nostalgic feeling I get when I smell a certain perfume or kind of food. It reminds me of home and a safe space. It allowed me to develop a closeness to the narrator. This makes us wonder does reading need to be thought-provoking for it to be engaging?
Thank you for reading!
My favourite cartoon that reminds of my childhood: Adventure time! Fav character, Marceline, OBVI.