One of the best escapes I have from the clutches of reality is reading. Sitting down with a good book and a hot cup of tea or coffee can make any day go from horrendous to wonderful in just a few pages. I've been on many adventures while immersed in my favorite books, and have learned important life lessons from some of my favorite characters. It seems silly to some to be taking advice from fictional works and people, because they were obviously never real, right? Wrong. Being that they are fictional, these thoughts and ideas of characters have to come from someone who is tangible. That being said, here's a list of the most impacting lessons I've learned from authors and their characters.
1. "Happily ever after, or even just together ever after, is not cheesy. It's the noblest, like the most courageous thing two people can shoot for." - "Fangirl" by Rainbow Rowell.
Don't we all want to believe in the happily ever after we see in the Disney Princess movies? It's a long shot that you'll meet your prince frolicking around the woods while singing about true love, but it definitely is possible to be together ever after. Relationships are difficult and scary, there's no reason to sugar coat it. But that doesn't mean true love isn't possible, you just have to work at it.
2. "Whenever you feel like criticizing any one, just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages you've had." - "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
You never know what strangers have been through. You don't know the advantages and disadvantages that people have had in their lifetime. Be kind, and don't criticize the people whose stories you have yet to understand.
3. "They're certainly entitled to think that, and they're entitled to full respect for their opinions... But before I can live with other folks I've got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience." - "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee.
Sometimes I think Atticus Finch is the best role model in the history of ever. Everything he says in this book is worthy of this list, but this one really spoke with me. There are things many of us don't agree on with our friends, or family, or strangers. Having opinions is okay, but what isn't okay is making someone ashamed for the way they view life.
4. "Do not seek revenge and call it justice." - "Clockwork Princess" by Cassandra Clare.
Dictionaries define justice as fairness, just behavior or treatments. Revenge is defined as wanting to inflict hurt or harm on another for a wrong suffered at their hands. There is a clear difference in these two terms, don't forget that.
5. "Stuff your eyes with wonder, he said, live as if you'd drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It's more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories." - "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury.
For a novel about burning books, this one is one of my favorites. In such a real world that Bradbury creates with his words, he doesn't forget to remind his readers to get out and actually live life. To get out and live our lives to the fullest even though we have our faces stuffed in books half the time.
These are the most important lessons I've taken from some of my favorite books so far. There will be more to come, of course, as I continue to read and discover more and more books that I love. And my arsenal of literary lessons with continue to provide me with the knowledge I need in navigating the real world. So until then, I will survive on what I possess and eagerly await what comes.
