In case you haven't already guessed because I hide it so well, I am a fantasy geek. Every now and then I'll slip some sci-fi or children's lit in there to spice things up, but I am primarily addicted to swordplay, horses, and vaguely British accents. When I was younger, all my reading had convinced me that I could find a portal to another world, so of course I spent hours clawing at thin air to break through. Nothing happened.
I then surmised that it was something I would have to be patient for, something that would come to me on victorious wings of salvation when I had proved myself worthy. In the meantime, I would have to learn the ins and outs of fantasy world life so that I would be prepared. This meant not only digesting the classics, like Lord of the Rings and the Chronicles of Narnia, but also looking for those insignificant details in other fantasy novels that would SURELY BE USEFUL AT SOME POINT. (Note that I am deliberately not including at what age I came to these conclusions.)
This meant memorizing that the magic of a halfblood is stronger than the magic of either the elven or human parent (according to The Halfblood Chronicles, of course), or that the trouble usually comes from the East. Adventure lies to the North, don't be surprised if an animal starts speaking to you, and if you must undertake an epic journey, you're gonna need the right sword--but don't worry, it'll come to you in some form or another.
A certain friend of mine might advise me at this point to "keep the geek contained," but I prefer to give it some air. After all, at some point we all must embrace our true identity--how else would Aragorn have become King of Gondor???
I admit that I still read fantasy novels religiously, but more out of an appreciation for the imaginative genre and less out of a certainty that I am studying for my future. Just to switch it up, though, I recently decided to read a real book (and by "real," I mean one that could feasibly take place in the real world as it exists, without the added benefit of dragons or whatever). Now that I've graduated college, best get with the program and start paying more regular visits to Responsibility Town, right?
I chose to read "One Day" by David Nicholls, a book that had already passed through the eager clutches of my sister and mother. Though my sister had prepared me for a certain amount of identification with the main character, I was not expecting to feel like this:
Since reading this one book, I have gained a lot of insight into my habits and the personalities of other people in my life. Not to say that I am a generally clueless person who has never read another book, but it got me thinking about the importance of balance.
To put it in Star Wars terms, I realized you must bring balance to the Force. If you are your own personal galaxy (and believe me, some of the people I know fully subscribe to that notion), you must allow both Jedi and Sith to exist. Otherwise there wouldn't be a never-ending franchise. Feed your passions but also subject yourself to some situations you don't typically enjoy: practice your lightsaber technique and be there to cradle your dying mother in your arms. The tension of opposites can produce quite inspiring results (unless you're Anakin).
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This meant memorizing that the magic of a halfblood is stronger than the magic of either the elven or human parent (according to The Halfblood Chronicles, of course), or that the trouble usually comes from the East. Adventure lies to the North, don't be surprised if an animal starts speaking to you, and if you must undertake an epic journey, you're gonna need the right sword--but don't worry, it'll come to you in some form or another.
A certain friend of mine might advise me at this point to "keep the geek contained," but I prefer to give it some air. After all, at some point we all must embrace our true identity--how else would Aragorn have become King of Gondor???
I admit that I still read fantasy novels religiously, but more out of an appreciation for the imaginative genre and less out of a certainty that I am studying for my future. Just to switch it up, though, I recently decided to read a real book (and by "real," I mean one that could feasibly take place in the real world as it exists, without the added benefit of dragons or whatever). Now that I've graduated college, best get with the program and start paying more regular visits to Responsibility Town, right?
I chose to read "One Day" by David Nicholls, a book that had already passed through the eager clutches of my sister and mother. Though my sister had prepared me for a certain amount of identification with the main character, I was not expecting to feel like this:
To put it in Star Wars terms, I realized you must bring balance to the Force. If you are your own personal galaxy (and believe me, some of the people I know fully subscribe to that notion), you must allow both Jedi and Sith to exist. Otherwise there wouldn't be a never-ending franchise. Feed your passions but also subject yourself to some situations you don't typically enjoy: practice your lightsaber technique and be there to cradle your dying mother in your arms. The tension of opposites can produce quite inspiring results (unless you're Anakin).
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>:C
Moral of the story: don't be Anakin. He's a punk. Either go whole-hog Vader or don't even bother.
Even Darth Vader reads his Jane Austen.
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