Across the globe, citizens, especially in well-developed countries, often utilize their spare time for reading.
By Hu Wo (Cuckoo’s Song)
There is one thing that almost everybody can do without costing a fortune. This is nothing else but just reading. Truly, reading may not only be the first step towards learners’ study on the subject matter but also be beloved by nearly all from every corner of the globe. It will often be seen that citizens in well-developed countries throughout the world usually make good use of their spare time reading. As we know, U Thant, an architect of global peace, once stated that a reading nationality gets advanced, and an advanced nationality likes to read as well. When reading is said to be a big matter, non-living but essential things called books might never be missed out for sure. In the interest of people’s convenience to obtain all-round knowledge, reading has been going through ages in concert with books for donkey’s years. On the one hand, some in the new world take screen time to do reading, but on the other hand, most still have a great affection for a book read. Thus, a good question should arise as to how much effect in the world books exerts on reading.
Allegorically speaking, books are an island of treasure for any learner who takes up different major subjects. Doctors, engineers, teachers, or whoever specializes in the field of study must have books to hand at first by the time they pursue their studies. This is because those persons can manage to get facts and figures connected with their study fields from books at will; that comes easily to them. Doctors have got to read for their respective fields of study besides carrying out practicals, and so has an engineer or a teacher. If the truth is known, books ought to be far beyond fixed prices – to be said better, books cannot but be priceless when they have even had real-life influences on people about the application of their theory and practice until today. As a Myanmar saying goes, `A hundred spoken words are equal to only one written word’ (hnotetaya-satalone). This saying seems to spotlight the importance of books regarding their validity, reliability, and long-standingness over the written word. In addition, learners could bring books with them here and there for their liking, and the books would not cost a packet more than their absolute cost-worthy value, too.
As far as I can see, most writers find it impossible to publish a book with ease because this costs a bomb, even though they will be able to write the entire book out. The writers have to, consequently, rely on a possible publisher, or only if they do that by themselves must they think about whether to be quids in or come full circle in reference to sale prices before one book is distributed. Nevertheless, it is perhaps every writer’s dream in which he wishes to issue his described pieces of writing as a book. The book is, figuratively speaking, similar to one year of a writer’s expected lifetime. The more books the writer has left in the world of literature until his death, the better it is off for him. Even some writers’ excellent works of literature are brought out many times, or more specifically, at least ten times, thanks to readers’ demand. Writers frequently say that they do enjoy seeing their books put in apple-pie order on others’ bookshelves. Furthermore, writers sometimes want to be given some literary award for a book of theirs. That is why they had to probably fall over themselves on all sides from afar in the past to win such an award.
Both young learners and advanced students are mostly readers with a reading fever and a passion for books. Strangely enough, most readers are from the middle class, and they cannot afford a high or even reasonable price for books. As always, they should lead a frugal life so as to buy as many books as best they can by spending money on food, drinks, and clothes. Readers are also those who take great care of books; they look at upside-down books that they will buy for certain in order to find out how neat and tidy they are, especially their covers and colours. For some readers who are inclined to adore pretty books, the book’s front or back covers might be by far more important than their inside pages, even if the covers cannot decide the value of the books. Adult readers ache to collect and keep books systematically in their private libraries rather than on bookcases. Bookworms devote themselves to their reading, possibly with a bookmark. A book-lover may become a bookseller but probably not a lender or borrower of books. Nonetheless, they willingly get their beloved person books for presents.
As my teacher U Hla Kyi said, starter readers are scared to death of a big book, yet they lose a small one, too. They are inclined to the view that big books may be of an advanced level, and such books give readers aged a short-lived span of reading bored stiff merely at first glance. Small books appropriate to their literacy skills seem as easy as anything to read for beginner readers. The thickness, cover, and price of a book do not directly relate to whether it is good or bad. More importantly, a reader will need to pick and choose books suitable for his reading skills. Some thick books eminently attract readers’ attention till the end of the books, as large as they are in size. Although small, some little books hold real literary value for readers. Maybe the cover of a book can tell its subject matter entry. Perhaps it cannot.
What is more, it does not matter to readers how nice the book’s cover is. Not every expensive book is grand in a very similar way. A number of readers take pleasure in reading solely their favourite writers’ books one after another, which allows them to get hold of the writers’ writing styles. Indeed, I think these readers do not necessarily take a liking to all of the only writer’s books.
Subsequently, it would be better for readers to read up on great books, for example, worldwide classics. If so, what the most remarkable books turn out to be is the critical question that is absolutely worth asking readers. The main traits of a great book are, to my knowledge, depending upon universal truths, following the colourful life of most folks from various parts of the world, creating interpersonal-intrapersonal peace globally, idealizing its written language as modelled writing for modern writers, and standing a best-seller through ages. Also, such books can turn a person’s life situations from low to high and even change the whole world towards a better condition.
Accordingly, great works of literature – particularly novels, poems, and plays – are living but old; these works act long on modern literature somehow or other. Several readers and writers assume that literature is outdated, dead even. In actual fact, literature is an absolute must for all lovers of books. Unless a writer has read any literature yet, he will potentially lose face among their contemporaries who are famous in the field of literature. Indeed, literature is the writer’s life, and literature profoundly influences the language he uses.
Books are either the apple of my eye or dead living friends of mine according to the statement `Books for All’. As a devotee of books, I cannot help buying at least one or two books whenever I arrive at bookshops. Seikku Cho Cho, Sarpaylawka, Innwa, and Yar Pyae from Hledan, Yangon, Myanmar, were the bookshops where I always used to go and buy books. The book first beckons most at my heartstrings among inanimate objects of interest, as if a boy had seen his childhood sweetheart by chance. While I went to university, the library was a bank of knowledge for me, where I could read rare books above and beyond free Wi-Fi use. I spent most of my own time in the library, so I allowed myself the luxury of reading in full measure on weekdays as a university student to the core. Holding books in hand produces a sort of taste for university students, which taste says is looking good or taking pride in the university. Just by glancing at the book that a person is reading, good readers would be able to assess his educational level with their eyes shut. As the reading age is getting longer and longer, the fact that a reader will ably formulate his personal standards of picking and choosing books is a foregone conclusion.
