The Reading Game

In my previous post, "Reading the Game", I waxed on about the brilliance of Chelsea centreback John Terry, drawing an anology between football and books.

Today I would like to add a further dimension to that discussion by refering to an article on a newspaper website, thestar.com. The article, "Nick Hornby, reader with a mission" is about the famous football writer, his new book Polysyllabic Spree and his addiction to reading.

Many of you will be familiar with his book Fever Pitch which was about his addiction to Arsenal Football Club.

I recently finished reading a collection of football writing Hornby edited, My Favourite Year. I really enjoyed that book and the spirits of it's writers. Fun and fervent. Horby's group of football writing comrades love and understand the Beautiful Game in their own, unique, loving, self-deprecating, self-mutilating, way.

It was a nice coincidence to read that article so soon after reading the book and blogging that post. As you can see below, one of my thoughts was that just as with playing before, my writing pursuit now is about "reading". More important I said it was about "intellect".

And that is why hearing Hornby talk about his reading habits makes me smile.

Star writer Philip Marchand humorously puts into our heads the image of stacks of unread books in Hornby's home. He also wonderfully gives us a dilemna to ponder: should we re-read or read once only--so that we can read as much as possible to satisfy our hunger.

You can imagine my response.

I am with Marchand.

Marchand endearingly refers to one of my favourite writers, the Russian, Nabokov: "The only thing that helps (Hornby) keep within hailing distance of the unread books in his house is his tendency not to re-read, which at least increases time available for reading new books. Here I part company with Hornby. I believe with Nabokov that reading is re-reading."

But Hornby is hungry for books in the same way that he was hungry for Arsenal in Fever Pitch.

Interesting.

And so what is this reading all about?

Some read to learn, others to be entertained.

Can it be instructional for your life if you do not take the time to re-read and therefore reflect on ideas?

Conversely can reading remain pleasant, entertaining in your life and worth going back to if it seems repetitive and boring?

Personally, it's about both for me: edification and entertainment. Much like the game. I played to both improve myself and to smile.

For instance, I found that reading Hornby's book, My Favourite Year, taught me about the fans' perspective and about smaller clubs in English football and gave me many opportunities to enjoy some humour, wit and insight. And all that made me smile; often-times smile like a boy. There was a bit of wonder and fun in the book. A good book then. Perhaps a book worth re-reading.

Being a successful, strong writer, Horby is quite adept at playing the reading game.

According to Marchand, he prefers lively writing: "The truth is, there's nothing very utilitarian about fiction or its creation, and I suspect that people are desperate to make it sound like manly, back-breaking labour because it's such a wussy thing to do in the
first place. The obsession with austerity is an attempt to compensate, to make writing resemble a real job, like farming, or logging ... Go on, young writers — treat yourself to a joke, or an adverb!
Spoil yourself! Readers won't mind! Have you ever looked at the size of books in an airport bookstall? The truth is that people like superfluity."

You have to smile at Hornby's humour.

Humour it is, yes, humour with a message.

It's quite noble, actually, what Horby is trying to say, to ask for. He is asking for writing that is real and lively and human and at the end of the day full of art.

That's the kind of writing I like.

It's also why I like blogging. Blogging is going to be great for my writing.

I also enjoy reading blogs because you get exposed to fresh ideas and good discussions. I find that people are more honest in the blog world than they would be in other arenas.

And so I encourage you to play the reading game in the blog world and everywhere. Play also its sequel: the re-reading game.

Something can be beautiful once but perhaps the true measure of beauty comes the second time around.

Sadly, for Hornby, this would mean fewer new books to read. A hard habit to break.

But for me re-reading is a game well worth playing.