By Ian A. Wooldridge–
Would you like to know of a rather disturbing statistic when it comes to reading? Well, then here you are: according to a Jenkins Group survey, 42 percent of college graduates will never read another book. To be more specific, those 42 percent will never read any of the classics, as most young people are shown to be only reading the bestsellers printed in the past 10 years. It is quite a horrible statistic because of what is being missed out on when it comes to these timeless masterpieces. While diving into these literary worlds can easily allow you to access mere pleasure, many skills and benefits can be obtained through reading. Let’s take a look at some of these many benefits and why this stat is, quite frankly, saddening.
It was F. Scott Fitzgerald who once said, “That is part of the beauty of literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you’re not isolated anymore. You belong.” I love this statement, and not just because Fitzgerald is my favorite writer and author of the novel in which I hold the utmost endearment for: “The Great Gatsby”; but more so because what he states here is true. Great literature—the more that you read and grow from it—can help you to shape and understand the world around you. In a sense, it can give you a feeling of security and belonging, as you will quickly come to learn that the intriguing and often complex characters that you read about are not that much different than the folks that you come across daily—including your own self. Oh, and this opportunity is not just limited to the characters, either. The themes, places and the many twists and turns within each and every page can lend themselves to a universal and higher meaning. A great understanding of how the world can be seen and understood through universal ideas is most certainly an advantage that all college graduates can take into their careers.
The universality that can be gained is really what reading has to offer on the deepest of levels. But, on the surface, whether you realize it or not, so many other small benefits and enrichments can be gained from reading—especially from reading the classics—besides just experiencing mere pleasure. While you are reading the classics, you will quickly come to realize that the words you are reading are hardly used at all anymore in today’s language. Not only that, but you will be coming across so many words that you would never use in conversation. The same can be said for the reading of modern selections as well, but my primary focus is on the classics, as they are the most overlooked by that 42 percent. In this way, by simply reading, you are greatly enhancing your vocabulary and conversational skills. As a post-graduate, this will set you apart. Moreover, the beautiful aspect to this is that you do not have to have had read every book in the world to see changes in your speaking and vocabulary skills. Simply by reading one novel or any other work of considerable length, you will already begin to see elevated language flow from you. I have come to experience this first hand. Speaking skills are a vital necessity for you to own.
It doesn’t stop there either, my friends. Reading—especially by the reading of the classics—is the greatest way to enhance and improve your writing ability. Writing is one of the most important attributes that you will carry with you, wherever you may go. As you learn from the writing techniques and from the unique styles of the masters themselves; Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Austen and so on, you will soon begin to find that your own voice will surface, and in turn you will have your own writing styles and techniques brought forth. Whether you want to be a novelist or a greeting card writer, having your own writing style and voice is what will set you apart from the rest, in whatever field you may be working in. Whether you are a “writer” or not, in almost every field you will almost always have an exigency to write something, at some point.
Reading is the best way to become a better thinker, as well. The classics present a wealth of ideas, knowledge and historical perspective that can only cause you to acquire fresh new outlooks. An acquiring of these timeless ideas allows you to have a perspective of the world and of the human condition that not many others like yourself will have. You can then bask in your newfound advantage over other post-graduates in a competitive world, where intellectualism and sophistication can truly come in handy. Reading is extremely powerful, and can truly enrich your life in ways that you wouldn’t believe. So I challenge you to dive in, and I challenge you even more so to dive into the wonderful works that are the classics.
Now, this is not an attack on all of the great literature that is out there today, of which a lot of young people are reading. The best way to go about your reading would be to combine the wisdoms and ideas of the past (there is a reason why they are dubbed “classics” and are referred to as timeless) with the innovations of the future, that are made present in a lot of the modern-day selections. The primary aim, however, is on the classics, as they are being overlooked now by 42 percent of college graduates. This stat must decrease.
Whether it is the reading of a novel, a short story, a newspaper or even a comic, it truly doesn’t matter. Reading can enrich your life and enhance your skill set more than any other intellectual endeavor. This craft should not be viewed as a chore, but rather as an adventure into a world waiting to be discovered. That 42 percent must decrease.
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Photo: Nathan Douglas/The Louisville Cardinal
