I still read a lot of children's literature. No, I'm not embarrassed by it, I do this proudly. Sure there would be some out there who might point and laugh if I tell them that I recently read 'Heroes of Olympus: The Son of Neptune', but you know what, I really am a proud reader.
It's something to do with the fact that I don't like growing up. Let me tell you this, growing up is a pain in the ass. I don't want responsibilities, I don't want to deal with the pressures of life and I definitely don't feel like making a mark or something like that. There's something oddly liberating about reading a book meant for kids. I like to relive the days when the best moments were reading Harry Potter, and the worst ones, believe it or not, were when I wasn't allowed to waste my time reading the same novel for the tenth time as I had exams. We've all been there haven't we? And all children's books are so much fun to read. The crazy plots, the good old fashioned clean humour, and all the hopeful characters. And no matter what, the best ones always manage to put a smile on your face. It's something that very few adult books manage to do. There's always a tinge of cynicism, and all those realistic settings, while more believable, definitely don't give one as much joy as exploring a chocolate factory or diagon alley.
You know what, I actually think I know why a lot of adults wouldn't read a book meant for kids. All those fantastical elements seem 'kiddish' to them. But that's where they are wrong. I think that when you're a kid, you can believe in the magical, the fantastical. And as adults, its kind of hard to believe in the same. I really think most people tend to lose a lot when they grow up, but more so than anything else, they loose their imagination. And when you feel nostalgic about your childhood, its because you miss the simple joys of life, you miss the time when you could believe just about anything in the world.
But more than anything else, I love reading children's books is because I know that no matter how bad things get, no matter the pain and the suffering, there's always gonna be a happy ending. That's something no adult novel can promise you of, but in a kids book you just know everything's gonna be alright again. I want my life to be like a children's book, I want to be assured of a happy endings.
It's something to do with the fact that I don't like growing up. Let me tell you this, growing up is a pain in the ass. I don't want responsibilities, I don't want to deal with the pressures of life and I definitely don't feel like making a mark or something like that. There's something oddly liberating about reading a book meant for kids. I like to relive the days when the best moments were reading Harry Potter, and the worst ones, believe it or not, were when I wasn't allowed to waste my time reading the same novel for the tenth time as I had exams. We've all been there haven't we? And all children's books are so much fun to read. The crazy plots, the good old fashioned clean humour, and all the hopeful characters. And no matter what, the best ones always manage to put a smile on your face. It's something that very few adult books manage to do. There's always a tinge of cynicism, and all those realistic settings, while more believable, definitely don't give one as much joy as exploring a chocolate factory or diagon alley.
You know what, I actually think I know why a lot of adults wouldn't read a book meant for kids. All those fantastical elements seem 'kiddish' to them. But that's where they are wrong. I think that when you're a kid, you can believe in the magical, the fantastical. And as adults, its kind of hard to believe in the same. I really think most people tend to lose a lot when they grow up, but more so than anything else, they loose their imagination. And when you feel nostalgic about your childhood, its because you miss the simple joys of life, you miss the time when you could believe just about anything in the world.
But more than anything else, I love reading children's books is because I know that no matter how bad things get, no matter the pain and the suffering, there's always gonna be a happy ending. That's something no adult novel can promise you of, but in a kids book you just know everything's gonna be alright again. I want my life to be like a children's book, I want to be assured of a happy endings.
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