Books

Hi, invisible readers!

Today I feel like talking about books. Yes, those things full of letters that sometimes bore you but sometimes can take you straight to heaven. Ok, very few times, but that’s why I’ve said SOMETIMES. The truth is that you can’t enjoy a book when you’re thinking about the exam or the review you’ll have to do about it later. It’s a shame how a lot of young people think that reading is boring just because they haven’t read anything else apart from the school books. Instead of promoting reading, it seems the only thing that teachers get with this educational system is to discourage students and make them loathe books. But I won’t waste lines criticizing the educational system. It’s depressing, and I don’t want to depress you. Maybe another day.

Today I’ll be writing more specifically about novels, which are long prose narratives that describe fictional characters and events. And yes, even if the novel is a historical one, it’s still fiction, at least at some parts. If there isn’t any fictional part, it isn’t a novel; it might be a textbook or something like that.

Personally, I love reading but I have to say that I’m very strict about books. I know what I like to read and everything that differs from these features isn’t of my liking. It’s as simple as that.

And what do I like reading? I just can’t help liking fantasy mixed with romance. And now you may be thinking: Twilight. Well, I won’t lie, I do like Twilight, but it’s not my favorite book. It isn’t enough fantastic for me, I think. I prefer a story that isn’t set in this world; maybe in a place that could be this world but it isn’t, or half set in this world and half in another one.

I don’t understand very well why people prefer realistic novels, such as thrillers and things like that, but what I don’t STAND at all is their believing that realistic stories are more addressed to adults, and fantastic ones are for teenagers or children. Well, if that’s the case, if my imagination is the price to become an adult, hey, I’ll stay as a child forever. And also, why would you want to read about things that you see or hear every day? I mean, what’s the point to read a book just to experiment the same things that you’ve got here in your reality? When I read is to get away from here somehow, to “experiment” wonderful and beautiful things that normally are out of my reach.

For me, the best books are Laura Gallego’s ones. She’s my favorite writer and, as happens with Adam Young from Owl City, I’m very indebted with her. I’m sorry for English speakers because her best book for me, Memorias de Idhún, isn’t translated to English. I really feel like a pain in my heart when I think that someone won’t find Memorias de Idhún (Memoirs of Idhun) just because it isn’t translated to their language. If you like fantasy, you can’t even imagine what you’re missing. And if you don’t like fantasy, I’m sure Memorias de Idhún would change your mind. But, as I’m studying Translation and Interpretation at university, I hope I'll be able to fix that problem somehow in the future. I’ll ask Laura in person permission to translate it if it’s necessary. The reason is simple: I can’t conceive my life without that trilogy, and I assure you that I’m not overstating. So, if it had been written in another language, I would have been grateful from the bottom of my heart to the person who would have translated it. Languages shouldn’t be a barrier, they should enrich us. Now, I have just told you one of my dreams: translating Memorias de Idhún to English and Japanese (that’s for another story).

I don’t have more time but next week I’ll write more about Memorias de Idhún and Laura Gallego.

See you! (Well, in fact not).