What kind of Reader am I?

What do you do? That is, apart from being a student?

I’m a writer.

Oh nice, so you like…read a lot?

Yes.

What do you like to read?

Everything.

Everything, except, of course, instruction manuals (my goodness, the bore), but the truth is, I don’t read everything because I like to read everything, I read everything because I hate picking favorites. This was something I struggled with ever since I was a child: favorite food, color, number? There’d be a blank stare followed by a shake of the head. The reason behind this is quite foolish, if not completely senseless—I used to think inanimate objects had feelings, and in an attempt to save them from being hurt, I decided to not choose favorites—and of course I’m better with it now, but questions of the like still make me cringe. Naturally, I’m the same with books. Restricting myself to one literary genre is something isn’t something I enjoy, much like how I dislike ordering the same drink from Starbucks every time I crave caffeine. Of course, I’m likely to have a preference, but the way I view it, that preference is only a preference, it’s not something I can control, thus, it’s not something I am bound to. That’s why I make sure to add a little something new to my go-to drink. Sometimes I’ll ask the barista to surprise me, and lo and behold, a banana-maple-pecan latte can taste quite amazing.

That said, it shouldn’t be surprising that when I’m asked, “what type of reader are you?” I shrink into my imaginary collar and blend into the shadows. Am I the literary snob? The half-finished reader, the delayed reader, the literary show-off? Perhaps all? The good thing is, being less particular about what I like to read has helped me branch out and appreciate different works of fiction/non-fiction. With this method, I feel like I’m getting a little bit of everything, and it keeps me more tolerable, if not accepting, towards such genres. I’ll admit, my strange regard for many things that are associated with the unpleasant nature, as well as my never-ending curiosity, has led me to read and write a lot of dark fiction. I’ve always wanted my work to have depth, to speak to people, and when I read certain books from this genre, I begin to see those deep emotions bloom onto the page, almost as if the characters inky hearts are bleeding onto the white surfaces for me to witness with a language I understand. It is beautifully crafted, powerful in its meaning and purpose—these are the moments I urge myself to suspend disbelief, and travel through the pages of a novel with an open heart and mind.

This brings me to the topic of literary elements, and which ones elicit the most engaging response from me whilst reading. These would certainly have to be the “characters.” Although plot is important, I usually tend to enjoy character driven stories. Characters are the center of the story, and for me, they shape the development of the story. Everything rests upon the decisions they make—their actions, their words, their thoughts—and how they respond to certain ideas and events. I think character complexity and character development are the two main things I look for most in a novel. If I am not invested in the characters, then I am not invested in the story. The more complex a character is, the more realistic they are to me, and as readers, we want to identify with a character but we also want to be surprised with some aspect of them, some aspect that is unexpected or revealingly “fictional.” That is one of the reasons we read books, to experience that “difference.” Mixing the real with the unreal, or the unexpected, is something that captures are attention, because we see the natural as well as the foreign within it. Because a complex character is so well-rounded, we begin to understand their actions, their motivations, their psyches. Equally important, is character development. In order for me to be emotionally connected to a book, I must understand, sympathize, and connect with the character(s). If they remain stationary in their progression, and do not grow or evolve, then the story doesn’t move. The story fails to function as a story.

Apart from the usual dark novels sitting on my bed stand, the Young Adult genre—especially Young Adult Fantasy—has also become a category I am particularly fond of. People who have read my work have mentioned that my writing is somewhat whimsical and lyrical, and I believe it’s because of all the fantasy I read. There is something so remarkable about the “invented,” that it makes me appreciate the authors of that genre all the more. A few shout-outs you say? Sure! The Harry Potter series by J.K Rowling, Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas, The Winner’s Curse trilogy by Marie Rutkoski, The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer, The Infernal Devices trilogy by Cassandra Clare, and Shades of Magic by Victoria Scwab are only a few noteworthy series of admiration. As well as shaping my youth, they have embellished my creativity and enhanced my imagination. On the other side of the spectrum, I enjoy voyaging through the Classics. These books, too, have a magic in them that isn’t displayed through a literal sense, but instead a symbolic sense, naturally weaved in through its subtle eloquence and charm. The language is spectacular, the stories marvelous, engaging in their prose and plot, and even when I end up loathing a particular character or despising a certain ending, I remain smitten with its timeless beauty and powerful appeal as I shut the book. Jane Eyre, The Great Gatsby, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Of Mice and Men, Pride and Prejudice, Emma, The Turn of the Screw, Mrs. Dalloway, The Count of Monte Cristo are a few examples.

We could delve into horror and talk about Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne, but that would require a completely different post.

I should mention that it isn't just books that interest me when it comes to reading into things. My family and I have always had a great appreciation for the arts, all types of arts—writing, painting, singing, acting. Fascinated by its existence, we valued it as much as we valued the sciences because we saw them as blank canvases for human expression. Although literature holds a very special place in my heart, the allure of cinematic pictures has also encompassed me in its brilliance. Film, and television, is something that I am immensely inspired by. Films and television shows capture emotion and meaning through visual aesthetic. They are visual storytelling, allowing you to experience a different life by projecting you in situations that are not in your realm of normalcy. Filmmaking, to me, is similar to reading and writing. When I am reading, I am watching a film in my head. When I am writing, I am essentially directing a film in my head. Much like books, films are a form of escapism, a form of communication and connection. They offer telling glimpses of the human condition, and at times, they supply us with solutions to combat the issues we face, whether they be psychological or physical. Just as I enjoy character driven books, I also enjoy watching films and series that are focus on the intricacy and development of a character(s). The Walking Dead and Downton Abbey are two examples for my analysis. They are completely different in terms of plot, but hold similarities in terms of how much they focus on character complexity and development of certain characters. These shows focus solely on the characters’ lives—their struggles, their relationships, their hopes—and we subconsciously become invested in their stories, following them in their journeys, sharing their desire to fulfill their dreams, if not planning a way for it to happen. What we ultimately wish for them tells us a lot about our own characters, which I believe is just as interesting as the fictional characters we watch and read about.