Now That Books Mean Nothing
many library fines later, I wholeheartedly agree
by Nell Boeschenstein:
It’s not easy or appropriate to tell people who love you and who are trying to help you that what they are doing is not helping, that books are not what you want or need, that what you want and need right now are flowers, letters—notes, even—stupid movies, something that might help you feel pretty, emails that contain funny anecdotes from the outside world. That what you want is quiet company, conversation, to talk about you or him or her or whatever, who cares, that the last thing you want is to be left alone either with your thoughts or with a book chock full of someone else’s thoughts and into which your own encroach all too easily. Minds can become Frankensteins, and you’ve gotten gun-shy of yours and the noises it makes in the night. Of course, I don’t say any of this to those who hand me a book they say is lovely and that they hope I’ll enjoy. Instead, I say, “Thank you. I can’t wait to read it,” because that’s closer to what I hope I’ll mean in the end.
This is truly one of the best personal essays I’ve read in a while. Books are more like a relationship that most of us care to admit. There are times when it is better to say to the library, “No, I can’t right now. Give me some space and I’ll be back when I’m ready.” Then one day, you return.
