Fostering Reading Culture

Bini Dahal

Just recently, I visited a bookstore after a long time. While holding conversations with people around me, I realised I was completely unaware of the different kinds of books that were available in the market. So, this time I made a purchase that was quite unlike me. With a simple yet good-looking cover, Haruki Murakami’s ‘Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman’ drew my attention and I was recommended to give it a try. 

The whole experience of browsing through the bookstore and looking through the books was very thrilling. But once I left the bookstore, I remembered all the books I had either not touched or left in between, stacked in my bookshelf. 

A pang of guilt rushed through me. And I tried relieving it by explaining to myself that those books were motivational and could help me find motivation at my lowest. So, now I have a whole lot of untouched books at home, which kind of seems like guilty purchases.

Apparently, there is a term in the Japanese language called ‘tsundoku’ that befits the whole scenario. 

The word is made up of ‘tsunde-oku’ (to let things pile up) and dokusho (to read books). So, in literal meaning, it refers to acquiring a lot of reading materials and letting them pile up without reading them. But the terminology does not call the whole process bad, rather refers to it as a trait of a bookworm.

When I searched about it, I could not help but laugh. Because not just me, everyone goes through the same situation at least once. While reading could be a hobby for some, simply collecting books could define as a hobby for others. This way, we are welcomed with piles and piles of books. We do not want to give away the books and hope to read them sometime in the future.

But what I strongly regret is the inability to take advantage of the books that I own. I sometimes cannot help but feel that maybe I would have at least become a tad bit genius had I consistently worked on reading as many books as I could.  

Studies have shown that reading books is a beneficial hobby for human beings. Firstly, it is healthy for us - both physically as well as mentally. Secondly, it strengthens our vocabulary base and overall control over any language. 

Thirdly, it enriches us with a level of knowledge that can contribute a lot academically, work-wise and even socially. Likewise, reading is highly prescribed for people with anxiety and depression. Reading is a food for the brain. Overall, it is said to contribute to a longer life among human beings. 

In an era where digital media has such a stronghold on people’s lives, reading is a practice that can truly unwind the human brain from too much screen time, eye strain and ‘text neck’. 

Promoting reading culture seems to be truly essential in this age. Keeping all of these benefits in mind and respecting the heavy investment and effort put in, I am motivating myself to at least practise reading several pages a day. I really need some nourishment for the brain- so now back to reading some more of Murakami!