Surviving Reality

For some, books are the escape, escape from reality. New York Times writer Charles Blow can attest in one of his recent columns.

  

"It is no exaggeration to say that those books saved me: from a life of poverty, stress, depression and isolation," Blow wrote.

  

Personally, as a book-lover myself, I say true too. From a young age I've been an avid reader. There was and still is always a book with me. No matter where I went. It could be the pocket sized Maximum Ride or a 700 page Harry Potter. It didn't matter.

 

My favorite place to read would be during family events. I could get lost in a whole new world and not care. Forget about the chattering relatives, most respect my decision to educate myself in a world of fantasy.

 

Or as Blow would say, books shaped him to be the person he is today.

 

I believe whole-heartedly in shaping your personal character. There is fantasy in my particular enjoyment of reading, but the underling realistic qualities of strength and caring but staying aloof on your toes that have allowed me to become, as Mr. Conner would call me, the flower child (a reference to the 1960 as a young person rejecting conventional society and advocating love, peace, and simple, idealistic values.)

 

I couldn't see life without reading, but sadly for the majority of the population -- now including me -- time is passing too quickly. And according to Blow, the number of non-book-readers has nearly tripled since 1978.

 

It's not that I'm neglecting myself. I just have trouble finding time just as everyone else. Because once the pages of a new book are opened there's no stopping until the last word is read. And in all honesty, I don't have time. All my time nowadays is spent on homework and maintaining grades.

 

But for me that's were music comes in. It's been my savior. I can listen to music while I work on homework, work on cleaning the house, work on the impending college search. Whereas reading, my full attention has to be attributed to the activity, sometimes white noise is good to block my distracting thoughts.

 

"There is no intellectual equivalent to allowing oneself the time and space to get lost in another person’s mind, because in so doing we find ourselves," Blow said.

 

And I couldn't agree more. Sometimes giving into the desire to read is all it takes to be thrown into another reality. Escape.

 

 

To read Charles Blow's full Column:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/23/opinion/blow-reading-books-is-fundamental.html?ref=charlesmblow&_r=0



The Influence

I honestly don’t have time to pleasure read. Or let me rephrase that. I don’t make time to pleasure read. Many other activities consume my free time. But I couldn’t resist Divergent when it was placed on the dinner table.

Now, truth be told, I’ve owned the book quite a while, actually. But it hasn’t been in my room. My sister had it on her bookshelf. How it got downstairs, I will never know. I can say though, it was much appreciated.

I zoomed through the book, in three days total. Well it helped that one was a snow day. I could never just read one chapter. It was always one more. One more before I begin my homework again. One more before I eat dinner. One more before I go to bed.

Veronica Roth’s writing style is simplistic but engaging. Toss in emotional characters and events that hit you in the heart. The utopian or dystopian society, whatever you want to call the setting—it has characteristics of both cultures (as well as Roth explaining her views between utopia and dystopia but she never comes to a conclusion of what society she has created)—forms itself in your head. I’m not sure how this couldn’t be realistic in your head. Maybe, though, my imagination is vivid enough to establish a convincing character. I don’t know.

But what I am positive of; Roth is influenced by her music choices. Roth has an exclusive edition in the back of Divergent, one portion being on the “Divergent Playlist”.

After listening through her song list, it is evident that Flyleaf had the biggest impact not only on Beatrice, rather known as Tris, but imprinted on the book as a whole.

Each small synopsis shines light on a unique aspect either of Tris or a significant occurring event.

The playlist is as follows:

"Starts with One” by Shiny Toy Guns

“Chasm” by Flyleaf

“Come Alive” by Foo Fighters

“Again” by Flyleaf

“Help I’m Alive” by Metric

“We Die Young” by The Showdown

“Canvas” by Imogen Heap

“Running up that Hill” by Placebo

“Sweet Sacrifice” by Evanescence

“Arise” by Flyleaf

 

As a fan of Flyleaf, it is noticeable that more than just these songs influenced Roth’s writing. There are so many others I could name, but for now, listen to those she has acknowledged. It will give insight and characterization either if you’ve read, or are planning to read Divergent.