Traditionally, it is incumbent on the author of forewords such as these to explain at length to the reader why it is somehow essential that they read the work in question. Usually, these arguments devolve into an appeal to canonical insecurities, the unspoken assertion that any serious student of literature cannot afford a knowledge gap in the shape of this text. And, in truth, such an argument is easy to make for a collection as foundational as One Thousand and One Nights.
But that’s such a joyless reason to read these stories.
—Omar El Akkad, from “The Annotated Arabian Nights” translated by Yasmine Seale
We bring as much joy out of anything as we put into it. I have read books simply for the reason he speaks of (“the unspoken assertion that any serious student of literature cannot afford a knowledge gap in the shape of this text”). Both Anna Karenina and Madame Bovary come to mind, and 2026’s project (which was supposed to be 2025’s and 2024’s) is to read the entire set of Proust’s In Search of Lost Time. Yes, the whole thing, not just the first volume like most people who even try to attempt it do. All 4211 pages of this monster edition, which has been sitting patiently on my bookshelf since Christmas 2023.
But with Tolstoy and Flaubert (and soon to be Proust), I wasn’t only reading them to fill a gap through self-imposed homework, but to experience why so many people have enjoyed them. By doing so, I found pleasure in them myself. Even with assigned reading, I’ve found pleasure in places I wouldn’t have expected. For example, last semester I read Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri and loved it, even though it was homework. Never read joylessly.
(Note: if you purchase something through the links above, I get a small commission that I donate to charity according to my affiliate policy. However, I recommend going through bookshop.org instead in order to support indie booksellers.)
Last week: Uesugi Kenshin gets nostalgic.
Next week: Thomas Hardy embrowns the opening of a new novel.
See the index for what’s been posted and what’s to come.
I'd love to hear from you!