The Love of Books

“There is no friend as loyal as a book.” Ernest Hemingway 

I came across this quote earlier today whilst I was stumbling around the web in search of inspiration for many things but namely that thing I do called writing and it got me thinking. Do I agree with it or not?

Now anyone who knows me at all, knows I have a small obsession with books….(I can see you all rolling around laughing)…oh alright a big obsession. But is it a loyal friend? I suppose in some ways it is. It is always there, sitting on the shelf just waiting for me to pick it up and thumb through the pages but then again it’s not like it is going to superglue it’s pages together if anyone else dares look at it.

It is great to escape with a good book, tuck myself up in bed of curl up on the sofa, to lose myself even if it is for just a few minutes. So it is a bit like having a best friend who you pop into have a cuppa with when you need to see a friendly face.

Now here is the bit I have the problem with (sorry Ernest) it’s the “no friend bit” Can anyone honestly say that they have friends who aren’t more loyal than any book? I think it would be rather sad if I said that about any of my friends. How would you like it if I walked up to you and said “Any of my books at home are more loyal than you”. Yes exactly, it doesn’t quite work and if you think that a work of fiction or non-fiction is just that and that Ernest is right in what he said then you definitely need new friends!

Another thing this quote got me thinking about (again), is the fact that I over analyse stuff a lot. Yes the fact that I have written the last 327 words based on my brain over analysing a quote that caught my eye for all of 2 minutes should make you agree with me on that one!

This is an area I need to tweak a smidge… (okay a lot)  if I am ever to get further in my writing. I spend so much time over analysing everything that I feel like I have my hands physically wrapped around my muse’s throat strangling the inspiration out of it, just in case it’s spouting rubbish.

Perhaps I should take more notice of another Ernest Hemingway quote:

“We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master”

In other words, stop worrying about mastering this writing craft and over analysing every word you write and just enjoy it, and then maybe, just maybe some of it will be great, anything else is a learning curve. If you really don’t think it is worth showing to anyone else just think of it as being part of your own private collection. (like a fancy art collector- something just for you, I quite like that).

Whilst I am on the subject of books, what is your favourite? If you are reading this as one of my Facebook friends then let’s fill it with books, write your favourite book as your status for an hour and tag me in it, think of it as feeding my book obsession quietly, I’d love to read them all someday. Think of it as introducing me to your loyal friend 🙂