Vargas Llosa's Seven Reasons for Reading

He has said in this regard: My feelings and my understanding of life and people have given me the impression that life is not only this limited existence with other human beings, but that there is another life as well, one created by great writers. In his recent speech at De La Salle University in the Philippines, which awarded him an honorary doctorate, he offered the following seven reasons for reading: 1. Good books stimulate human ambition. Learning to read was the most important event of my life, and my vocation for storytelling was born of this very skill. There is no obvious reason for bringing a good novel to completion, but literature always leaves its mark on the reader; this may take the form of a sense of satisfaction or a turn toward the good. Whatever the feeling, people's lives are enriched by reading books. 2. By reading good books, we arrive at a sense of closeness with a culture in the most hidden aspects of our human personality. Just as instincts, passions, emotions, and behaviors define us, reading enriches our psychology. 3. Literature is the best weapon against prejudice. In my view, good books are the best defense against the distorted ideas of people of different languages, beliefs, and customs. Despite all these differences, what commonly governs all women and men from different backgrounds is more important than anything else; because we are all human and we are all challenged by similar problems and obstacles; problems we must overcome in order to survive and to live. 4. Literature is the natural enemy of all dictatorships. Literature cultivates discontent in the world, and reading creates a sense of hope and a desire for a better society within citizens; a place where people can freely pursue their dreams. When a person reads, they develop a critical approach to bring reality closer to the world of books. Literature awakens the inner desire to change things and to stand against the domination that tries to control us from cradle to grave. Reading good books is a way to equip oneself amid beliefs and to confront whatever is false in the world we live in. A way through which we can strive to change the world and bring it closer to the world of imagination we have created despite our shortcomings and limitations. 5. Reading is the best form of entertainment. Even when words combine, they take on a magical hue and become a window for living other experiences... 6. Reading is the foundation for educating free human beings. In free societies, there is a notion that reading is a pastime and a pleasure that can be removed from the overall experience of people's lives. In my opinion, this is a great mistake; the absence of freedom in material, spiritual, and cultural dimensions tears apart the lives of individuals and the whole of society. I think good books promote the hope of changing life and the hope that societies will one day overcome all these limitations and create more just societies. Societies will emerge that are closer to our imaginary worlds. Real objects spring forth from within good books and take on the color and texture of reality. 7. Reading good books makes us better people. We must convince our children that reading is certainly an extraordinary pleasure but at the same time the best way to become better. Reading is a way to be better prepared to face the challenges that are present throughout our entire lives. "Mario Vargas Llosa," born in 1936, is considered one of the most prominent figures in Latin American literature. Over the past five decades, he has created works such as "The Feast of the Goat," "The Green House," "Conversation in the Cathedral," and "The Time of the Hero." This author is also skilled in the fields of politics, playwriting, and essay writing, and his works are published in prestigious Spanish-language newspapers. Llosa's fame began with his first novel—"The Time of the Hero." This Peruvian storyteller won the Nobel Prize in Literature on October 7, 2010. His name had been among the candidates for the prize for about 20 years. This was the first time since 1982 that a writer from Latin America had won the Nobel Prize in Literature. Llosa was elected as a member of the Spanish Academy in 1994 and has taught at many universities in the United States, South America, and Europe in past years. «Vargas Llosa» won the «Cervantes» Prize, the most important literary award for Spanish-language writers, in 1995, and also won the German Peace Prize in 1996. .

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Vargas Llosa's Seven Reasons for Reading

Source: ISNA

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