As a child, I had what seemed like thousands of books that lined the bookshelves of my home and generously filled the nooks and crannies of my room. Yet, looking back, it is hard for me to remember myself reading any more than necessary; school assignments marked the beginning and end of my literary exploration. Granted I certainly enjoyed Margaret Wise Brown's Goodnight Moon far longer than the normal age "cut-off." I did not spend that much time watching the television either, so what I actually did in my free time before the age of ten is a small mystery to me. It is amazing what our memory choses to remember and, consequently, forget.
Now, during the busiest summer of my life by far, it seems that reading--and books, for that matter-- has become quotidien. The children's books have since been replaced with a growing collection of French literature, the works of David Sedaris, Alain de Botton, and Truman Capote, the inevitable summer reading texts of my high school years, and a generous supply of foreign language textbooks, workbooks, and dictionaries. Perhaps I am just preparing for the years I plan to spend as a professor, or perhaps I have just reached a point in my life when I a) have large amounts of time I can dedicate to reading, b) have a desire to fill my still-developing brain with information (though I read mostly fictional, essays, and self-help-esque works), or c) am searching for something else that is missing within myself.
Before beginning university two years ago, I was faced with the difficult task of choosing a select few of the contents of my personal library to accompany me on my journey. Now, as I am preparing for my year abroad in France, I am faced with a similar mission, though this time, I need to downsize.
I remember packing most of my David Sedaris books along with Sartre's Les Jeux Sont Faits, Sempé-Goscinny's Le Petit Nicholas, Capote's In Cold Blood, several works by Bernhard Schlink, The Great Gatsby, The Scarlet Letter, Candide, and Harold S. Kushner's When Bad Things Happen to Good People. As to be expected, throughout the year I frequently added to my collection (special thanks to the Harvard COOP!)-- Françoise Sagan's Bonjour Tristesse, Plath's The Bell Jar, Edward Said's Orientalism, Freud's The Interpretation of Dreams, Zeynep Celik's Empire, Architecture, and the City: French-Ottoman Encounters, 1830-1914, Alain de Botton's The Architecture of Happiness (courtesy of Juliette) and many, many others. By the time the year had ended and it was time to pack up for my return home, I had to dedicate an entire box to my books-- a slight embarrassment, though no surprise to my family and friends.
My relationship with books has turned into a sort of addiction; something overwhelms me when I enter a bookstore, and I have no willpower whatsoever. I am now facing the need to get rid of my shelves, which have developed the appearance of a jigsaw puzzle, and exchange them with a legitimate bookcase. I have probably purchased about ten books this summer, which is about one book per week. This may not seem too out of control, but when you consider the average twenty year-old and his/her more normal activities, reading is typically not high up on that list, not necessarily because we lack the motivation, but probably because there are so many "better" things to do than sit down and read a short story anthology, for example.
In anticipation of the multitude of books I will inevitably purchase while abroad, I plan to limit my "traveling collection" to five books* (*not including two of my French dictionaries):
1. How Proust Can Change Your Life- Alain de Botton
No explanation necessary, right? By now, you all know how much I love this book, so I shall refrain from being redundant.
2. Me Talk Pretty One Day- David Sedaris
I am always shocked when I find someone who hasn't heard of, hasn't read any books by, and/or does not like David Sedaris. I perfer his audiobooks (his voice really makes the stories come to life), but I'll take his works in any form. I remember purchasing Me Talk Pretty Day early on in high school and falling in love with his masterly abilities to make me laugh--and eventually cry--without, it seemed, much effort. The book comprises of stories of Sedaris' upbringing in Raleigh, North Carolina, time spent in New York City, and move to Normandy, France where he started a new life with boyfriend, now partner, Hugh Hamrick. My favorite stories in the collection include "The Youth in Asia," "Me Talk Pretty One Day," and "Picka Pocketoni." Other works of Sedaris are: Barrel Fever, Naked, Holidays on Ice, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, and When You Are Engulfed in Flames. While at one of his readings, I purchased a record titled "David Sedaris: Live for Your Listening Pleasure," which consists of five of his more recent stories with the same humor and flawless delivery I have always admired. I cannot say enough about David Sedaris; in addition to being an amazing writer and humorist, he is also a genuine and friendly person whose humor is just as evident outside of his works. In short, if you haven't read anything by Sedaris, do yourself a favor and buy one, if not all, of his books.
3. Sarrasine- Honoré de Balzac
I read this oeuvre for the first time this past semester in Introduction to French Literature II, a required two-part literature series for all French majors at my university. In the novel, the narrator recounts the story of Sarrasine, a French artist who falls in love with the perfect woman, La Zambinella, an Italian opera singer. The reader is offered an intimate look into Sarrasine's passion and desire and the tragic events that result from his discovery of La Zambinella's true identity.
I love the way Balzac wrote, the way he crafted his story; it is the perfect mix of Romanticism and Realism. Balzac's attention to details and careful word choice made reading this book a unique and inspiring experience. So few authors write this way. Sarrasine was, by far, my favorite work of the semester as well as the literature series (followed by Sartre's Huis Clos and Marguerite Duras Moderato Cantabile). I am not yet sure how to explain it, but my love of Sarrasine somehow changed the way I read and appreciate literature.
4. The History of Western Philosophy- Bertrand Russell
After completing my current read, The Consolations of Philosophy (Alain de Botton), I plan to start this book, which, hopefully, will not prove to be too overwhelming. Whether or not I begin this work before leaving for Paris, it will certainly serve me well during any philosophy courses I will take at my university in Paris.
5. A Week at the Airport- Alain de Botton
Yes, another Alain de Botton book, you are not mistaken. While it has already been released in the UK, it's U.S. release is not until August 28th, two days before I leave for Paris. What better place to begin this read than a pair of airports! Writer and philosopher Alain de Botton was asked to be the first writer-in-residence at Heathrow airport in London where he met people (travelers, airport employees, and executives) and recorded his experiences into a work that discusses daily life and where travel fits into it.
I know that one of my first buys in Paris will be a book; in fact, I am almost certain of it. After getting a bank account and cell phone, arranging my electricity and internet, and, perhaps, settling in, I will be in search of a librairie, ready to buy works by Marcel Proust, Guy de Maupassant, and whatever else may catch my eye. I have some time until David Sedaris' next collection of stories is released, Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary (September 28th), which I am very anxious to read after listening to Sedaris himself read some of the stories a few months ago on one of his tour stops in Austin, Texas. Although I may not have quite as much time to read as I will hopefully be meeting people, running around Paris, and traveling, the time I spend perusing the quaint bookshops of Paris (and Europe) will not be stifled.
While you certainly do not need to read any of the books I have recommended, I maintain that it is important to read anything. One discovers so much not only about what one is reading but also about oneself; it is the best path to self-discovery (along with writing). That is one lesson I have learned this summer, among many others, and one that is sure to hold true for the rest of my life.
"Every reader finds himself. The writer's work is merely a kind of optical instrument that makes it possible for the reader to discern what, without this book, he would perhaps never have seen in himself." - (you guessed it) Marcel Proust
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