A Good Book Can Change, But It Cannot Be Changed

You know that you have done something incredible when it is talked about for years. Obviously, this happens a lot with literature, the classics are the classics for a reason right? And what I think is best about those kinds of books is that people are constantly analyzing, finding new meanings, and fantasizing alternate endings so that the book is always relevant. A good book is not static, it changes.

To me, there is no better example of this type of writing than the entire Harry Potter series. Yes, I may be very biased as I literally grew up with Harry Potter. We hit milestones at the same time. I was in that generation that started reading the books around age 9-11 when they came out and I continued to grow with them until the final book was released July 21, 2007; almost exactly one month after I graduated from high school. I left high school at 18 as Harry left Hogwarts.

To me, it feels like I was reading those books just yesterday for the first time, so I'm always surprised when I'm reminded of how "old" they really are. The first Harry Potter book was published in 1997! And not until 1998 in the US. And yet, if you were to go on Buzzfeed right now, in 2015, I would almost be willing to bet money that there is an article on the main page that SOMEHOW relates to the Harry Potter franchise. And that shows the complexity, the fluidity, and the impact that those seven books had on millions of people starting over twenty five years ago. That is truly an accomplishment.

I consider myself a very committed fan to Harry Potter and the queen J.K. Rowling, but even I will admit that sometimes I am surprised or amazed reading what other people have interpreted from the books. It helps that living in a society basically driven by the internet, we are privy to pretty much everyone and their mother's opinions about anything whenever we want, but I also think it speaks to the strength of the story and the intellect it took to piece that together. Fans keep finding new interpretations or things hidden within the main story, because J.K. Rowling wrote with so much detail and awareness that it would probably be impossible to catch everything on a first read. That type of attention to detail, the level of dedication to her story, is astonishing to me. You have to be so intelligent in order to create something like that. Honestly when I start thinking about it, it blows my mind. That is why, forever and always my answer to the generic "If you had to sit down and have dinner with ANYONE living or dead who would it be?" will be J.K. Rowling.

The point is, to create something relevant and interesting is difficult. To create something that has the power to last and still be relevant, is rare. Every time I see a different post about Harry Potter show up on the internet, I get excited. And it reminds me that it doesn't matter that the book came out 18 years ago (ohmygod I just died a little because that made me realize how old i am!!!!), because everyone will read it differently and find a new way to change the story that has become so well known by people all over the world. And the best part is that no matter what new theory pops up, in the end we still all love the same story.

Such an intelligent woman. 

Let's Start Small

I was all excited about writing this, and I was going to write about like three different books and I got way too enthusiastic and then I started overwhelming myself and I had too many thoughts in my brain going on and that's when I was like, "ummm dial it down Kelly. Calm yourself."

So instead of being an insane person, I will briefly mention one book I read recently and hopefully it will end up being a little bit coherent.

I just finished reading "One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories" by BJ Novak and it was hilarious.  Shocking right? I bet most people could have guessed that, or assumed it would be, I mean not going to lie I did. I opened that up and without even realizing it I thought, "Ok man, this better be funny." Talk about a little pressure. So my apologies to BJ Novak, if you felt the collective pressure of the English speaking world as you wrote this book, excellent job rising above and getting the job done in spite of that.

But it wasn't just funny. It was really smart. The title of one of the stories is now something I literally cannot stop thinking about. "Regret is just perfectionism plus time." I said that to someone, and we both just sat there for a few minutes and thought about that. You know something is powerful when it stands in silence like that. I still keep thinking about it and marvel about how spot on that is, why has no one said that before? Why haven't I realized that? It's perfect.

Novak balances a more obvious humor with subtle (or not so subtle) underlying jokes throughout his stories. I definitely laughed out loud to myself (in public, casual) reading this book and at then a few chapters later I'd be just thinking about how cleverly worded the story was. What I found particularly amazing about this book, is that they are all short stories but when I reflect on the book that is not how I think about it. Someone asked me to to give them an example of a story from the book for a "preview" of the kinds of stories he tells. I couldn't answer that question, because I realized I really hadn't been thinking of them as completely separate. I mean yes, I consciously was aware of the differences between stories, it was clear when a new one began and ended, but I still think of "One More Thing" as a cohesive book, not a collection of short stories. I can't really explain why, but I think it's pretty cool that Novak is able to do that and connect everything by some invisible thread that just makes sense. This is why I could never write fiction! Writers are much more clever than we give them credit for. Thank you writers, for continusously blowing my mind but also making me feel like a bit of a dumbass at the same time. Amen.

So what should I read next? I can't decide, I don't really have any certain preference right now which is making it very hard to choose since the options are everything. Hm.

Team Read EVERYTHING EVER.

Ready to Review

 I have a lot of thoughts and opinions about things that very few people actually care about. And it drives me slightly crazy that I can't share my (probably too intense) feelings on the last book I read or movie I saw because no one shares my passion. Basically, no one else is enough of a cool loser nerd like me. So if I can't talk to anyone and without any other option than to keep everything bottled inside my head, I have decided to write to myself. Because then at least it is out there. I've done my part. And maybe I'll find some awesome people along the way who enjoy the thrill of being swallowed by blankets in a big chair with a captivating book and a cup of tea, as much as I do. Maybe. I won't get my hopes up.

My reviews are in no way professional or profound. Usually when I write reviews on books for the library (Did I mention how cool I am?) they are three sentences that basically say "I couldn't put it down!" in a variety of ways. I'm not a critical literary genius or professional broadway theatergoer (I WISH!), I am simply a late 20 - something who still has no idea what to do with their life, and retreats into books to escape a very uninteresting reality. I'm average at best, bordering on invisible, no one worth writing home about, but I entertain myself and I guess that's good enough for now. Yeah I guess I will have to work on the real life stuff at some point, but for now I'm happy continuing to hid behind anything that doesn't involve actually going out into the world and talking to people.

Sad, but true story.

An anonymous person from the internet.