Saturday, November 19, 2011

THE JOY OF READING, PART 2

Big Bore and I are avid "Jeopardy" fans, shouting out answers--sometimes triumphantly right, sometimes way off the mark. Earlier this week the Final Jeopardy poser was something like: "This author's allegorical fable won a retrospective Hugo Award 50 years after its publication." Before Alex Trebek had a chance to finish speaking, I waved my hands and shouted, "I know this! I taught the book for 15 years! George Orwell! Animal Farm!" What a revolting smarty pants.

"What's an allegorical fable?" Big Bore asked.

"A story that has animals representing real people and a lesson is taught."

Now, I just should have left it at that. But, nooooooo. I had to go over to the book shelf, pull out my special 50th anniversary edition of ANIMAL FARM, and wave it in front of Big Bore's eyes.

"It's such an interesting book! Really different!" I bubbled over. "You gotta read it!"

A frown consumed his face. "You sound just like one of my old teachers trying to force me to read something at school that I didn't want to read," he grumbled.

I backed off. "Well, I didn't mean to sound like you HAVE to read it, but is IS good, and it's not very long, and, look, it has really cool pictures. I think you'd like it. It has a really good message about how leaders mistreat the followers."

I should have put the book back on its shelf, but I placed it next to him on the sofa thinking that maybe, just maybe, he'd crack it open, give it a try, fall in love with it, and then profusely thank me for turning him on to such an insightful book. Well, it's remained on the sofa all week, unopened. In fact, right now it's lost beneath a stack of newspapers.

Since he moved into Casa de la Flaming Bore over five years ago, I've only known Big Bore to read a single novel--FLY BOYS. He couldn't keep his nose out of it and he's recommended it to others, so I've hoped he might venture into reading a bit more and would share my love of books like he shares my love of gardening and hiking. But he doesn't. Newspapers and magazines, yes. Books, no.

So.......let me tell you a little about ANIMAL FARM since Big Bore doesn't want to hear me out. It's quite thought provoking. There's a character named Boxer, a horse, who is illiterate--and he goes to his death because he can't read the words printed on the slaughterhouse van in which he's being transported. All the dumb animals are mistreated because they don't have the intelligence to stand up for themselves. The piggy ol' pigs, who can read and write, get all the perks around the farm.

You see, there is power in words, my friends, as well as the pure joy of reading. I hope that some day Big Bore will discover what he's been missing out on. Until then, ANIMAL FARM will be lurking in the living room, waiting to be opened. "All animals are equal! But some are more equal than others!"

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