R is for READ

I have a confession to make, though it's hardly earth-shattering. This is not my confession but I'm on my way to making it before I finish. When I was at school, my favourite subject was probably English, though that was probably because it was my best subject at the time. I wasn't a keen reader at all, in fact I found some of the stuff we had to read at school positively boring and uninteresting. Anyway, I found the grammar and spelling end fairly straight forward but when it came to some of the literature we had thrown at us, I can't say I found it very stimulating. I'm sure if you're reading this you can probably identify with your own experience. Anyway, we used to study poems, which I always found quite interesting, but could never understand how one person's interpretation of another's writing had to be the only correct one. Often I felt that the teacher and indeed the commentators used to read into things in poems that probably the author had never intended but you were always too afraid too offer such an opinion because corporal punishment was still in existence! Anyway, like everyone else I read Wordsworth, Keats, Shelley, Yeats and all the other 'greats' and also studied Shakespeare, where the language was even more difficult to understand than the Bible. And I coped with it all. But when it came to the novels, well too many were just a complete turnoff and I put up with the daily drudgery of reading chapters that provided no interest. By the time I had reached fifth year and the dreaded O levels, I was totally into factual books and had little time for any form of fiction which, unfortunately, happened to form a sizeable chunk of my course. One book in particular had to be read because it was certain to be part of the exam. It was a book titled 'Bitter Lemons' by Lawrence Durrell and all about the conflict between the Turkish and Greek communities on the island of Cyprus, or so I'm reliably informed. Maybe you're getting the drift already. I did make a start, but for a fifteen year old boy, it didn't really make the sort of inspirational bedtime reading that I had hoped for and long before the end of the first chapter I had given up all hope. And here's the confession. I knew I had to read it for my exam but I never got round to it, except for one chapter in the middle of the book that the teacher had suggested might be a strong possibility for a question. And that's exactly what happened. You may think I was lucky or even downright stupid, you might even think it was a risk too far but I went into that exam having only read the one chapter and came out having only needed to. I passed the exam but I always felt that I short changed my teacher and the examiner. So some day I plan to read the whole book just to see what it was all about, for I have great respect for its author.

I suppose that's the beauty of books. Everyone is drawn to a different style of writing and there is enough variety out there for all to enjoy, even though two people's opinions about the same book may be vastly different. Over the past ten years I've bought a lot of novels for my pupils and often, there is no one more discerning than a child, for if they don't like a book, they will tell you. A few years ago an inspector recommended a book he felt I simply must get for my class, saying how wonderfully it was written, how it had become a classic and what a brilliant story it was form start to finish, just the sort of book that was perfect for developing their love of reading. So I bought a set of six for the room but soon discovered that an adult's view of a good read and that of a child are two completely different entities and for the past few years, the set has been gathering dust in my reading cupboard. Even when I try to encourage my best readers to try it, within a couple of days, the copy is back on my desk with a plea to try something else.

Today, I'm still not a fiction reader, though I dabble occasionally, preferring to mull over an autobiography or a book full of facts. I think that's why I find the Bible so appealing for it's full of history, packed with autobiographies and real life experiences and the poetry is outstanding. But the greatest thing about it is that it was inspired by the greatest author ever, the Author of Life itself and within its pages we are constantly directed towards His love for us and the provision He has made for us to be with Him. Bu God not only writes what He wants us to read , He also reads what He writes. In Revelation 20v15 I am reminded that 'If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.' Will God read your name there. Remember He deals in fact not fiction!