Reading a Book at the Right Time
I fully believe in the importance of reading a book at the right time. I have had experiences on both sides to back up my belief. For example, I'm sure I got much more out of The Catcher in the Rye when I was an angsty teen than I would right now as an adult. And I'm pretty sure the reason I didn't dig The Mermaid's Chair was just because I wasn't a middle-aged woman at the time when I read it. There are some books I feel I will never enjoy, like On the Road because I will never be a straight-out-of-school young man. And there are some books I hope I will always enjoy, like the Harry Potter series. There are some books you will love no matter when in your life you read them, and some that will speak to you and help you imagine the world more complexly any time you pick them up. But there are some that speak to emotions or situations that mean less to you if you haven't been going through them yourself. Sometimes the impact a book can have is lessened if you don't happen to read it at the right time in your life.
For at least a decade now, people have told me I must read Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. I honestly don't know why it took me so long to read it. It sounded kind of fun, and I have read a lot of Gaiman, most of which I loved. BookCrossers whose opinions about books I greatly respect recommended the book to me many times. I helped pass out copies during one World Book Day. I even have a copy of the book on Mt. TBR. But, for some reason, I just never felt the urge to read the book until this month.
Now that I have read it (side note: I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the book!), I realize that I read the book at the right time for me. Because now that I've seen Supernatural, I could imagine Mark Sheppard as Crowley and picture this face throughout the whole book:
I'm sure the book would have been enjoyable even without that mental picture, but it didn't hurt! ;-)
For at least a decade now, people have told me I must read Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. I honestly don't know why it took me so long to read it. It sounded kind of fun, and I have read a lot of Gaiman, most of which I loved. BookCrossers whose opinions about books I greatly respect recommended the book to me many times. I helped pass out copies during one World Book Day. I even have a copy of the book on Mt. TBR. But, for some reason, I just never felt the urge to read the book until this month.
Now that I have read it (side note: I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the book!), I realize that I read the book at the right time for me. Because now that I've seen Supernatural, I could imagine Mark Sheppard as Crowley and picture this face throughout the whole book:
I'm sure the book would have been enjoyable even without that mental picture, but it didn't hurt! ;-)