Okay . . . picture this (really) worst-case scenario: It’s cold and raining, your boyfriend/girlfriend has just dumped you, you’ve just been fired, the pile of unpaid bills is sky-high, your beloved pet has recently died, and you think you’re coming down with a cold. All you want to do (other than hiding under the covers) is to curl up with a good book, something warm and comforting that will make you feel better.
What do you read?
That's so easy for me to answer. I pick up Persuasion, by Jane Austen. My really ratty copy that I've read about a thousand times. And I curl up in my bed and get lost in it. And if for some reason I can't find Persuasion, I grab Pride and Prejudice. I love Jane Austen's wit, and her keen observation of the society around her. Any Jane Austen is my comfort read.
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23 comments:
hi! love this question. mine is theophilus north by thornton wilder, probably because i read it first when i was really young and loved the gentle pace of it.
hi jen! I've never read Theophilus North, but I saw the movie they made out of it. I bet I'd like it--must buy it for my "comfort" shelf :)
Either books about books or a book of book lists are my comfort reads.
stefanie--I've been enjoying books about books lately--it's a whole new genre of book for me, and I can understand the comfort factor :)
I too love Jane Austen, particularly Pride and Prejudice.
booksplease--P and P has always been a favorite, and it's definitely one of my comfort reads. Something about Austen calms me!
My comfort novel is Jane Eyre. I read when I was about 12 and reread it at least 5 times a year until I was 20 years old. Any time someone says something bad about me in front of me, I always quote in my head, "Well might I dislike Aunt Reed!" The words are so now well worn in the tracks of my mind, reading the book is like a old worn comfy blanket. Athena
What a great question! I would pick up a book called "Living Magically" by Gill Edwards...it teaches you to live creatively and when I'm feeling down it helps to be reminded that I need not live life by default but that I can find a more creative way of being. I have always found that book to be a great comforter.
My comfort books are still the ones I loved as a kid, like The Little Prince.
athena--I love Jane Eyre, too, and I love your quote. I think I have to adopt it! (Especially since I never think of what to say to those people who say mean things until hours later!)
lotus--Living Magically sounds like a great comfort book--living creatively is a great goal!
jeane--I think the greatest comfort books are the ones that comforted me as a child. I love The Little Prince, too.
That's a great answer! Persuasion is actually the only Jane Austen book I have ever read, I'm embarassed to say. One of these days, I'll actually get to the more popular ones. I really did like it!
Great question, I really like your answer. I will have to think on this one awhile before I decide.
* Check out big announcement on my blog.
stephanie--I used to like Pride and Prejudice best, and still have a soft spot for it, but Persuasion appeals to me more as I get older...
myutopia--intriguing, I'm heading over to your blog now :)
My comfort read are usually The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco and The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
I know it sounds morbid, but on a gloomy day I would find myself reading Chekov and Poe.
I decided that mine is going to be the Wild Rose by Dorris Mortman.
matt--good ones! And I understand the gloomy thing--sometimes it's cathartic to read something gloomy on a gloomy day :)
myutopia--that's one I haven't heard of, will have to check it out!
My comfort book would be the nearest available Trollope, say Barchester Towers, not because he is cozy (vile calumny!) but because his storytelling is beautiful.
fay--I love Trollope's storytelling, too! I think losing yourself in a story is very comforting!
I don't really have one but I am reading "Emma" for the first time, which is all I wanted to share. It's very easy to sink into an Austen novel, I find. The cadence just carries me along.
imani--I agree, which may be why Austen's novels are comforting to me. It's the sinking into them that works for me!
Good question. Hmm. Probably Dickens; first because they're really long -- easy to get lost in, and second because there's always someone worse off than you in Dickens!
melanie--hee hee! You're right, when you're down in the dumps, it's always good to read about someone worse off than you! And Dickens is great for that :)
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