Sunday, April 17, 2011
minds and reading
Schopenhauer says that when the reader reads they are reading the thoughts of the person who wrote the book, and if we read too much we will forget how to think for ourselves, and that we should reserve reading for only good books. I think he is on the right track i have never picked up a book that i wasn't interested in because like Schopenhauer was discussing life is too short to waste time on a bad book, but what qualifies a "bad book" besides opinion, experience, and others opinion's on the book in question. for me most of the time if someone has told me not to waste my time on the book unless i really wanted to read that book I' m not going to read it. I do think the idea of reading the other persons thoughts in there books is interesting because it is a reflection on what the person was doing at the time and that can brought to another level of interpretation when the visual arts is brought in because the artist can create an image or images to match up with the thought process and actions of the author. Besides it is always good to have the visual with the literal, if it is a good interpretation of what Schopenhauer says is a good book.
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indeed. what does define a good book? i think it's probably the same as art, no? sure, there are technicalities, but really it's up to the reader, like you said about opinion. though i do find it interesting that you wouldn't bother with a book if you were told it wasn't good. if a good book is based on an individual point of view, why would you trust anothers opinion before first forming your own? i suppose it's easy to let another decide for you if you're not really interested in reading the book in the first place.
ReplyDeletei must say i agree with Schopenhaur, for there are times when i read about a certain hilosophy, and i'm totally with them! and then i read a completely different philosophy altogether, and i'm totally with them! but i do disagree in the sense that i don't forget myself when i read anothers thoughts. i simply ponder their thoughts and add them to my knowledge banks. who's to say we can only think one thing at a time?
ah yes, the subject of interpretations! my favorite is seeing an interpretation of an interpretation of an interpretaion...and i always wonder how many interpretations does it take before it becomes your own.