Reiner 3

"We Read to Know We're Not Alone"
Alex Reiner
Entry 3 - 2/12

While I do not read a lot of C.S. Lewis, or really read a lot in general, I can appreciate this quote because I believe that it rings true.  We all live in a reality constructed by our thoughts, beliefs, society's norms and taboos, and so many other factors, but reading is an experience entirely unique between the reader and the book.  Like visual art, I would argue, an author writes a book with a certain motivation or meaning and it is significantly up to the viewer (or reader) to create their own interpretation, related to or different from, the creator's intended meaning.  While I don't think people pick up a book and read solely to alleviate some sort of loneliness they're feeling, I do believe that their motivation in reading is to learn from and in a way relate to characters in the book.  People become immersed in the worlds created by authors because it allows the individual to escape their physical reality, which is sometimes filled with loneliness or other things they would like to be different.  My favorite book to escape into are the Harry Potter series because while they are about a fantastical world of witches and wizards, the characters possess personality characteristics that are very easy to relate to.  By related to their characteristics I experience a sense of belonging or companionship that can be had curled up on a sofa with a cup of tea.