Lost a bit of sleep reading the past 2 days. Reading Da Vinci Code is like reading Umberto Eco in a sense. But I like Cco a lot more -- his wording more fluid, his stories more muscular, his characters more engaging. Dan Brown is a lot more readable though. On the other hand, the story, while fast-paced, seems very contrived. The situations are very convenient to be believable. So did it shake or test my faith? Nah. For years, so many authors tried this crap already to earn their bucks. And at this stage of my life, after seeing so many things, who am I to deny God and Jesus their place? So many scholars will say this and that and they too, will pass away, but Jesus' teachings will endure. faith is not about finding hidden codes to unlock mysteries.
Anyway, I'm just too glad to be back to reading again. Next stop, another of Coehlo's books. Maybe Veronica Decides to Die or Eleven Minutes. Maybe David Baldacci. The only other thing I don't like is the prohibitive cost of books. 500 bucks will buy you just one or two paperbacks nowadays. God bless 2nd hand shops like Booksale and Books for Less.
One thing I miss sorely is the presence of public libraries. It's about time we bring back the reading habit and make it accessible especially to the young people out there. Instead of mere role-playing, seated in front of a computer all day, why not teach them to read and explore?
I'm not exactly anti-gadgets but I've tried reading an e-book on my Mac at the office and guess what? I just got tired before I can even really enjoy the experience. Tried it one other time when I wasn't doing much and same thing happened. There's a lot more things going for reading a physical book, the feel of the pages rustling, the romance of turning to a new page, pausing to a part and rereading it, that no e-book will ever replace. Browsing through a book, coffee mug in one hand is one of life's sweetest, simple joys.
Here's to more books, more time to reading. In the meantime, am looking forward to going out of town for the weekend. To breathe fresher air, see more greens, see more of my friends.
