What about Pleasure Reading right now?

What About Pleasure Reading?

Reading has always been more than just a pastime for me—it’s a journey, a portal to discovery, and a means of finding meaning in the world’s complexities. My love for reading began in the first grade when I encountered Rudyard Kipling’s Kim in Miss Axelrod’s accelerated reading group. I was immediately drawn in by Kipling’s vivid descriptions of the bustling streets of Lahore and the towering Himalayas. But more than that, I was fascinated by Kim himself—a boy of Irish descent, raised as an orphan in the British Raj, who navigates the diverse cultural and religious landscape of India with effortless fluidity. The beauty of Kim is that the protagonist is not just a passive observer, but a living reflection of the subcontinent’s complex history.

Kim’s journey with the Buddhist monk Teshoo Lama across India transcends the espionage and political intrigue of the “Great Game.” It is a spiritual and cultural odyssey, one that allows us, as readers, to immerse ourselves in the intricacies of a world defined by a multitude of identities. Kipling, often criticized for colonial attitudes elsewhere, demonstrates an extraordinary sensitivity to India in this novel. The way he describes Kim’s relationship with the land and the people, such as in the passage where Kim lies against the earth and feels its healing energy, reveals a deep understanding of the subcontinent’s soul. For me, Kim became more than just a thrilling adventure—it was my first introduction to the power of literature to connect us with distant worlds and unfamiliar cultures, offering both knowledge and profound emotional resonance.

This idea of literature as a guide through life’s complexities is something I’ve continued to explore as an adult reader. Walker Percy’s Second Coming, for instance, provides a powerful meditation on the search for meaning in a world that feels increasingly disconnected. The novel’s protagonist, Will Barrett, is grappling with deep existential questions in the aftermath of his wife’s death, and his path toward self-understanding is both poignant and, at times, darkly comic. Percy’s Southern setting, combined with his sharp philosophical insights, creates a narrative that feels grounded yet expansive. Like Kim, Will Barrett is searching for something more, and through that search, we, as readers, are invited to reflect on our own place in the world.

Mona Simpson’s Anywhere But Here offers a different kind of journey—one that is deeply personal and profoundly shaped by the bonds of family. The novel follows Adele, a restless and larger-than-life dreamer, and her wise young daughter Ann as they navigate a tumultuous relationship defined by conflicting ambitions. At its core, Anywhere But Here is about the things we do for love, and how the desire for more—more freedom, more opportunity—can lead to both disorientation and discovery. Simpson explores the push and pull of familial ties with both tenderness and sharp insight, reminding us that the urge to keep moving is as much about running toward something as it is about escaping the past. It’s a book that resonates with anyone who has experienced the complexities of family life and the desire for self-reinvention.

These novels, like Kim, are not just about characters—they are about the journeys those characters take, both outward and inward. They remind us that pleasure reading isn’t just an escape into fictional worlds, but a way to explore the intricacies of our own. Whether it’s the spiritual exploration of Kim and Teshoo Lama, the existential quest of Will Barrett, or the emotional odyssey of Adele and Ann, each story invites us to reflect on what it means to be human—to grow, to search, and to connect with others, even in the face of profound disorientation.

Pleasure reading, then, is not merely about happiness, though joy often comes with the territory. It’s about engaging with the questions and experiences that shape our lives. It’s about seeing ourselves in the characters we meet along the way, and, in doing so, understanding our own journeys a little more deeply. So, what about pleasure reading? It’s a path not just to happiness, but to meaning. And that, I believe, is what makes it truly worth our time.

Some of my Favorite Authors:

Left to Right Top to bottom

Mona Simpson, Walker Percy

Thomas McGuane, Gita Mehta 

Michael Ondaatje, Don Delillo

James Salter,  V.S. Naipual 

Mona Simpson interview with Charlie Rose

Michael Ondaatje interview with Charlie Rose

James Salter interview with Charlie Rose

Thomas McGuane interview with Charlie Rose

V.S. Naipaul interview with Charlie Rose

Gita Mehta interview with Charlie Rose

Imbolo Mbue Reads “The Case for and Against Love Potions”