the art of books

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as for me, i am currently C.S. Lewis obsessed.

that inspired man inspires me.

and in his own words:

“Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become.” -c.s. lewis

kind of going on with thoughts from yesterday, today i read:

“But progress means getting nearer to the place that you want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turning, then to go forward does not get you any nearer. If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; and in that case the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive man.” – C.S. Lewis Mere Christianity

“If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.” – C.S. Lewis

and, so lovely…

“You don’t have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body.” – C.S. Lewis

george bernard shaw said that “without art, the crudeness of reality would make the world unbearable.” and, i believe, that books are indeed works of art. keeping that in mind…”nature and books belong to the eyes that see them” (ralph waldo emerson, another genius mind)

now it would only be appropriate to quote Holden Caulfield, the greatest character in one of my all-time favorite books, “What really knocks me out is a book that, when you’re all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it.” (The Catcher In The Rye)

…though i’d have to add that after finishing a good book, my heart aches and i mope around feeling like i lost a loved one. so i guess they are bitter-sweet, good books.

love, whit