Today, we will be looking at the benefits of reading old books, though the book, “The Virtues We Need Again:21 Life Lessons from the Great Books of the West.” by Mitchell Kalpakgian.  We will be looking at chapter two of the book, “On Reading Old Books.”

It is a sad reality that today, many people do not enjoy reading old books for the sake of learning and acquiring knowledge.  This is especially true of many youths, as they prefer to watch movies, rather than reading the book. In their opinion, reading requires too much effort, and watching a movie about the work is simpler and easier.  But in doing this, many lack the real experience of stimulating the imagination and encourages curiosity.

Also, this lack of reading dampens the appreciation of old values and morals. As the author put it, “Without the counterpoise of old people, old books, and old-fashioned manners and morals, the young will learn to live only for instant gratification and the excitement of sensation. No one is born appreciating the importance of serenity and the value of contemplation, qualities that apprehend the eternal and the universal. “(pg. 12).

I love how the author gives the illustration from Robert’s Frost’s poem  “The Mountain”  in which a young traveler encounters an old man in the path of reaching the mountain top. The young traveler is delighted to learn about the scenic view from the top of the mountain from the older man. However, he questions the older man, as he has lived all his life in Luneburg, yet had not reach the mountain top, how he could have such knowledge and information.  And here is the crucial point, the older man has this knowledge because his desire is not to get to the top the quickest, but to penetrate the hidden, mysterious places.  The aim is not to get to the top because it is the fastest way, but to truly understand and value the process.  This is what reading old books provides, not some quick entertainment and pleasure, but the ability to discover and contemplate and appreciate the power, beauty, and eloquence in the art of words.

So I hope after this review that you will pick up an old book and start reading an old book.

 

Until next time,

Alyssa