I am going to cheat, because I don't think I will be able to choose exactly 15 books, so I will have a note in which I will explain what I like to read, and why... Is this fair?
1. Harry Potter - all 7 books. I started out with the first 3 movies, much later than the rest of the world, because I remember watching it on DVD that my sister had at home. I started my reading adventure with book 4, devoured book 5 and then went back to read book 1, 2, 3. By then I finally caught up with the rest of the world and awaited eagerly for book 6 and 7. I have read all the book countless times, my favorite ones from the series being book 1 and 7. I have also watched the movies multiple times and now have started listening to the audiobooks, which I will surely repeat multiple times in the years to come. By now you should know my reading pattern. Being impatient as I am, I can rarely wait until the end of a book, so except for when I read Agatha Christie, would read one third of the beginning of the book, then move on to the last 2 chapters to destroy all the suspension and then go back to the rest of the book. So I have no problem reading the same books over and over again, providing I enjoy it. And there is something about fantasy, and building a new world parallel to ours that makes me happy, very very happy when I read, and watch and listen again and again about my friend Harry
2. Agatha Christie - my traveling companion. I blame this obsession on my brother in law who gave me the first Agatha Christie book as a gift. Murder on the Orient Express. With Ms Christie, I bite my teeth and remain patient, and read and guess only to find myself wrong time after time. It has become a ritual. Every time I leave Poland to go to wherever i go my brother in law would give me one or two for my journey. And every time I come back I would take those book and bring them back to him. In the meantime, despite my sister's protest he would have bought some more, so I would spend my first few days reading her at night in the living room, unable to sleep. I have created for myself an image of Mr. Poirot, an egg with a big mustache, whose appearance is as peculiar as his sense of justice. And on all those flights, and train rides and during my sleepless nights I learn to understand that truth has many faces and that knowing does not bring peace of mind.
3. The four great classics of Chinese literature: Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Water Margin (or Outlaw of the marsh), Journey to the West and Dream of the Red Chamber. I think it is ironic that the four classics of Chinese literature is what helped me stay fluent in Vietnamese. Whenever I think back of my time in Vietnam, I always remember our book case on which Journey to the West and Water Margin occupy a whole shelf. I started with the first one, many books on really yellow paper in big print. I have read them multiple times before the show came on TV and drove everybody nuts, including me. I really don't mind cinematic interpretations of books that I like. Of course some turn out wrong because they are simply bad movies or shows, but with a show where the actors remain haunted by the roles for years and in certain cases until they die, the only emotion you can have is love and the only desire that comes out is the desire to read the books again.
Then came Water Margin, which I think I only read 2 times. Again, many books on very yellow paper in big print. I was in awe for a very long time after I read it for the first time and needed a break before going back again. I remember, for a while after I have left Vietnam, I would lay at night dreaming up worlds on my own, which somehow always involved a marshland and little boats disappearing. I no longer remember the names of all the 108 heroes, and I no longer remember the specific stories about why they joined the side of rebels, but when I think of the book, I think about how heroism should feel like. To lift your head high and do what you feel is right. I have always found the ending disappointing. I wish the small boats would always be able to outrun the big dragon ships, and the heroes would remain forever in the marshland, always outlawed, always on the run, yet always free.
The Romance of the Three Kindoms I have read only once, which in this case, I think, is not much different from not having read it at all. But then, being Vietnamese I know all about the stories and the main characters already. After all, Vietnam has been colonized by China for so long it's culture is much influenced by the culture of its bigger neighbor. So when I embarked on this journey during my second visit to Vietnam (three big books this time, on not too yellow paper and in very fine print), I finally understand some of the sayings that I use on daily basis and did not really understand why. I plan to go back to it sometimes in the future. Note to self: get own copy when going back to Vietnam this summer!
The last one of the four, Dream of the Red Chamber I only read recently. One big book on very white paper in normal print. I was confused after reading the book. So all of these emotions to understand the fleetingness of life? Too much pain, to many tears to much of everything. The book is so packed with emotions I could not get through it too fast. I needed to rest. And reading the ending did not help this time. What remains is the lonely death of a girl and the lack of happiness of the one who indirectly caused the death. The stone will go back to being a stone. What about the mess he leaves behind? And then you go back to the girl who died again and shed some more tears. When the heart abandons its guard, there is nothing we can do to prevent it from being stabbed. Except to pray.
To be continued...
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