Reading, and Other Girlie Pursuits.

So, I just read Pride and Prejudice. First time. I had never felt all that inspired to read it, since I was always told that the BBC version of the movie was pretty much word for word. So, in essence, I had already read it, right? And I have to be honest, and I know I am going to upset some of you, when I say that when I saw the movie the first time - I think I was a junior in college - I really didn't love it. I'm sorry! It is the truth! And this is the internet. It is sacred. I won't be the one to besmirch the integrity of the internets by lying to you. You deserve better.

Never fear though. Since that first time I have seen Pride and Prejudice a bunch of times (it is in Richard's family what Anne of Green Gables was in mine) and liked it just fine. It is pretty long though. You gotta admit it. Come on.

But the point is that I LOVED the book! Who saw that coming? Did any of you expect that plot twist? How thrilling! And even though the BBC version of the movie is as close to the book as you can get, it still doesn't compare. Why? Because, for one thing, there is a joy to reading that a movie cannot provide. When you are reading a book, and it gets very exciting, you can close the book for a minute so that you can bury your head in your pillow and squeal for a while in excitement and anticipation. You can reread whole passages and then kick your legs in suspense and only move on when you are absolutely ready to do so. A movie just continues on without you whether you are ready or not. And yes, of course you can pause and rewind a movie, (which I did several times when I watched the new version of Pride and Prejudice today; I really like Matthew Macfadyen as Mr. Darcy), but it still isn't the same.

And so, I guess what I want to say is that, despite what my title says (and despite the embarrassing way I just described my own reading methods) reading is not just for girls anymore! If you think that you don't really care much for reading, I would argue that that is only because you haven't found the right book. So don't give up! It's out there! Ok. That is enough with the exclamation marks. Just thinking in exclamation marks makes me kinda tired. Better go take a quick nap!