Connecting to the author helps connect to the book

I read a lot. And one of the things that puts me into the mood to classic literature is to learn about the author.

What were they thinking while writing this book?

Perhaps, the thing that I find myself pondering the most is how sad this writer was at the time of their writing.

Strange to think about but when I imagine how sad Marcel Proust was when writing À la recherche du temps perdu, even 100 years later, I can relate to the human experience.

Of coruse, that sadness isn’t the only emotion. When Edward Abbey wrote Monkey Wrench Gang, he was writing to preserve and defend the southwest ecology. I imagine the anger he must of felt watching the west turn into an amusement park.

The passing of knowledge to each generation, especially through books, is a responsibility each of us have. We are not really around long enough for a personal legacy. But the legacy of passing the torch from generation to generation is a privilage. Books are a way to remember the past, and light the future of possibility.