Reading with Mandy

This week I’m going off on a bit of a side tangent that is still wholly related to reading but might not seem that way at first glance. I want to talk about vocabulary and the importance of actually understanding what the author was saying as a means of getting to the depth and complexity of a text. Apologies if this sounds like high school English that somewhat made you dislike reading for a time (I feel like we’ve all been there). The meaning of words is important not just in their dictionary definition but also in their definition in terms of history and language of origin. My favorite example of this is from Latin. It is a language I love dearly and have always desired to learn more languages to read texts in their origins (yes I’m the kind of nerd that thinks being able to read the Odyssey in the original Greek would be a bucket list life achievement). The Latin word pietas which often gets translated as piety is so much more than mere devotion. It is the full giving up of oneself for a higher ideal/cause which to the Romans was Rome itself. They went a little overboard with this devotion and there is something a little noble and insane about it. Also, there needs to be a depth of understanding of the culture that you are reading about as well because words have cultural connotations and meanings (like pietas). It also helps to understand why things are assigned certain names (like Kamikazee for Japanese suicide bombers when the word gets translated in English more as “divine wind”) and given different connotations. There is a rich depth of history contained in books that have been read for decades, centuries or millennia (looking at you “Gilgamesh”). This is why scholars can make their careers off of being experts in one literary movement or even one artist. There is so much nuance and depth watching to be plumbed. I still remember starting to learn more about the Christian Bible and suddenly allusions that had gone straight over my head suddenly made sense. The three collections of works in Western Literature that are alluded to the most are the Christian bible, Classical mythology, and Shakespeare. For anyone who really wants to enjoy depth and nuance these three things are a must for your libraries. And it does create dimension and depth. This isn’t to say you can’t enjoy reading without paying attention to all of these little nuggets. Some books really are straightforward and easily digestible. But sometimes it’s good to stretch yourself just a little bit (breaks are for sure allowed). Just open yourself up to the possibilities of really embracing another culture, country, or way of thinking. Sometimes what you find alters you and that’s a worthwhile endeavor. Happy Reading!