Animal Perspective Piece

It's an animal known for being sagely and wise, its prosperous living, and its endangerment; the tortoise is a subtly majestic creature. It shares the same family as some of the slimiest, scariest, and most dangerous creatures in the animal kingdom. Yet, it lives peacefully, travelling the lands gracefully, quietly, meditatively. Truly a marvel of the world we live in. 

What a pointless existence. The tortoise is a creature defined by its wisdom and experience, yet it does nothing but slowly pace itself across the small area in which it lives. It doesn't contribute anything to its ecosystems or its peers in the animal kingdom. Truly, a waste of space.

Who I am as a Reader

Do I like/love to read? Has this always been the case? Why/why not?

I personally do not read as much as I used to. However, back in the days of 2009, I read quite a bit. These days other interests occupy my time.

What are my favourite/least favourite types of books?

Recently I have read the book Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino, which has become my favourite book, due to its breathtaking imagery and symbolism. I would love to delve more into the abstract side of literature. In contrast, my least favourite types of books are the books about pseudo-intellectual teenagers. John Green's The Fault in Our Stars is a prime example of how not to write teens. Their personalities are very flat, consisting of two emotions: smug self-importance and "muh feels." When writing a tragic story, filling it with 20 pounds of whimsy really lessens the impact. 

Do you favourite book of all time? What is it and why?

As I previously stated, Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino is my favourite book. It defies ordinary book structure and in a way, becomes its own type of mathematical ladder. While it may seem gimmicky in concept, it is executed very smoothly. In contrast, the story of Invisible Cities is very simple: Marco Polo and emperor Kublai Khan are lounging in Khan's palace, while Polo describes his world travels, which actually become reflections on Khan's crumbling empire. The described cities become less about the stories and more vignettes, each of them contributing to certain overarching themes. It's a carefully constructed centerpiece that deserves to be in any literature fan's collection. 

Do you have a favourite character? Who and why?

I currently do not have a favourite book character, because I have never found one that is very memorable. Most of the stories I have read focus more on their stories and entire casts rather than singular figures.

Do you have any books that you want to read? List them and/or tell why you want to read them.

I have quite a few books that I want to read, as they are considered "classics" and are worth reading for understanding their place in literature. Unfortunately, most of them won't be read for a while, considering my behemoth of an anime backlog. The list of titles includes: 

Albert Camus - The Stranger

Vladimir Nabokov - Lolita

Alexandre Dumas - The Count of Monte Cristo

Ayn Rand - Atlas Shrugged

Joseph Heller - Catch-22

Franz Kafka - Metamorphosis

George Orwell - 1984/Animal Farm

Yves Theriault - Agaguk

Ray Bradbury - Fahrenheit 451

Joseph Conrad - Heart of Darkness