November 7, 2014

Why do you read? Do you read because you are looking for moral values and lessons? Do you read because you want to pass time? Or do you read to be entertained?

I have a Goodreads account. And you should have one, too. It is there where I keep track of books that I have already read, will read and currently reading. It is also there where I check the reviews of the stories I wanted to give a try. And I noticed there was difference between a review made by the Filipinos and non-Filipinos.  For instance, a non-Filipino would review the story by inlcuding points about the grammar, the plot, depth, tone and mood of the story. A Filipino, who’s reviewing a Filipino book, would point out the grammar as well. But for most part they would be looking for the moral of the story. Kung ano ang matututunan ng reader sa istorya. Now I am not sure about this; this is what I have observed so far so you can correct me if I’m wrong. And I mean no offense to both parties.

So this led me to think. What exactly do we Filipinos looked for in a story? For me, really, books are there to entertain me during my off days, or to drive away my boredom and depression. If I wanted to read something spiritual, I read the bible. My favorite would be the book of Psalms. If I wanted something inspirational or devotional, it depends. I hit Charles Swindoll’s books or I re-read A Purpose Driven Life. Then there are the books of Paulo Coelho. And if I wanted tear-jerker books, I would seek Nicholas Spark. But if I wanted to be entertained, I read whatever there is in my ebook reader.

Now I have come across an article in which it was stated there what a Filipino reader looks for in a story (and it is so bad of me because I totally forgot where I got this): A story should embodies our culture, involves our families and would also include something about religion. And here I was, thinking that all I ever wanted was a love story or be entertained. Most of the times, I encounter people in Goodreads where they review a book and say things like “ano matututunan ng mga kabataan dito?” or “love story na naman?” or “wala na bang iba, yung realidad naman hindi puro pantasya” and “puro kalandian na lang, gangster, nerd, cassanova, arrange marriage –wala ba yung may moral lesson?”

I did not make this up. And sue me for saying those. And they are the readers, it’s their opinion. But they do have a point. But there are always two sides in a story. Let me place myself in a reader’s shoes. As a reader, I only wanted to be entertained. When I read Stephen King’s IT, I was not looking for the moral lessons –I wanted a good book to scare me and give me nightmares afterwards. But then again, isn’t it quite alarming that there are Filipino novels out there that portray a teen having sex at the age of sixteen? Or a battered wife who would not even lift a finger to defend herself? So I guess teen sex is still a taboo here in our society because of our culture. And we wouldn’t want to give the wrong idea to our teens that casual, unprotected sex at a very young age is OKAY. So yes, I was very alarmed when I read a story like that. Because we wouldn’t want the readers to think that domestic abuse, violence and teen-sex is the norm.

Now I will try to see it in an author’s point of view. Most stories really do have moral lessons and other lessons. Some is not that obvious because it is a writer’s way to let the readers realize and analyze the story. A battered wife, who at first did nothing to defend her self, later on realized her self worth then left her husband. A teen, who was misguided by her parents, had unprotected, casual sex, got pregnant and is now struggling to be a young mother. Two people forced into marriage later realized the value of love and sacrament of marriage. There are moral lessons and values in every story if you know how to find it. Sometimes, the real message is hidden because some authors don’t want the readers to be lazy –they don’t want to spoon-feed their readers. Those I mentioned depict reality and the bitter consequences of some of the characters actions. In the end, the protagonists will learn from their mistakes. Even in fantasy stories there are lessons to be learned. A boy who lacked self-esteem was tasked to slay dragons and was destined to do great things and along the way he developed his confidence.

Lessons can also be in a form of grammar. What do I mean? I read English novels because I want to hone my vocabulary and grammar. I read and observe how an author writes her novels. Is it written in past tense or present tense narration? Which is better, first person or third person point of view? How would the author change the point of views? Can the point of view of the protagonist’s cat be even included in the story? If a book is well written, readers can learn a lot with regards to the grammars and vocabulary.

To wrap it up, I think an author should be responsible enough not to create misconceptions through his/her written story to the readers especially to the young ones. On another note, a reader should know the difference between right and wrong (mainly because our primary teachers are our parents, and the next are our teachers and we should have already learn all of those at home and school); a reader should know how to delve for that hidden message because that could help us be a critical thinker and not just depend on what message is being handed to us so easily; and a reader should know what books he/she wanted to read. If you really want to read something with moral lessons and values, then do not grab the copy of a gangster novel and later on berate that “wala ka namang natutunan”. Did you know that C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia is actually a Christian book? Some of his passages in that book are included in A Purpose Driven Life. See what I mean? You can learn moral lessons, values and such even by reading fantasy novels.

My favorite short story is The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Anderson. I remember reading that story every Christmas. The story made me cry. Another favorite of mine is Joseph and his Brothers from the book of Genesis. Every time I tell that story to my little brother, I made him cry. And yes, I infected my little brother with my weirdness. These are some of the stories I go for when I wanted something with moral and spiritual lessons. But if I only wanted to be entertained, I go for other books. If I wanted to read about steamy, hot sex then I would pick… HAHAHA!

Pinkangel here saying “choose your books wisely”, Over and Out.