Walking the Lit Path: Loving Literature and Its Fiction

When I was younger, I used to think that Literature is all about Shakespeare. Indeed, Shakespeare is an indelible personality in the subject of Literature. Ask anyone who studies Literature and he could probably come up with a few titles from Shakespeare like the classic love story Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, The Comedy of Errors, etc.

However, as I grew older(and probably wiser), I realized that Literature is not just about Shakespeare. It is a broad subject encompassing prose, novels, poetry, etc. After studying Literature in college, it really opened my mind to new perspectives, and how intriguing to find my mind seeking out new horizons! I got to learn that Literature is actually a subject so subjective, it could be almost anything. However, having a broad concept also means that there are more tunnels to explore, more discoveries to be made in this field of the language. In my opinion, if you say that English is the mother of all languages, Literature must be the father then.

You see. Literature is a subject that cannot be defined. If you say Literature is a language, it is not just a language. It is something beyond language. Literature is a subject that transcends all languages. It is more like a study of the human behaviour, of nature, of our surrounding, of anything you can think of in this world, or even beyond this world. It is an expression of thoughts, of reflections, of morals, of feelings, of emotions. It is a discovery of self, of environment, of living. Basically, if you really have to define Literature, the list is endless.

Personally, I enjoy reading Literature novels. Whenever I visit a bookstore, my first move(literally and figuratively) would be towards the Literature fiction section. Literature fiction is similar to normal fiction books in the sense that they also consist of plots, characters, settings, etc. However, if you were to delve deeper, there are more than meets the eye in a good Literature fiction book. A lot of times, you need to look between the lines to unearth "treasures" that can be subtle. The thing is, many Literature books tend not to go straight-to-the-point. For example, in expressing an emotion like happiness, instead of "I feel happy", it may be written as "A figurative burst of champagne bubbles that course through my inner mind, providing me with an escalating ecstacy I can hardly describe.." Hence, if you are someone who likes to dwell on words and savour them more, Literature fiction provides a plausible knock on your reading door.

Of course, different writers have different writing styles. You should always take your time when browsing through the Literature fiction bookshelves. Seated on them are rows of multifaceted powerful writings that are there for you to pick on. Always read the blurbs at the back of the books to have a rough knowledge on what the book is about. And if something catches your eye or pulls at your heartstrings, you might want to give it a try.

For me, I read quite a bit so I have a few good authors that I would like to recommend. Chuck Palahniuk is the author of the bestseller novel that was made into a movie - "Fight Club". It was his debut novel and that book simply "kicked ass"! The thing about Palahniuk is that he has this idiosyncractic line of thoughts that are often out-of-this-world and many a time proved to be very provocative. In short, clever writing with dark humour. Other books by him include "Choke", "Lullaby", "Survivor" and "Rant". If you have a liking for deep yet somehow grotesque stuff, this is the writer to look for.

Another of my favourites is Jonathan Safran Foer. Till date, he only published two novels, namely "Everything is Illuminated" and "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close". Both were outstanding novels with beautiful descriptions and again, original thoughts and writings. Everytime I go to the Literature fiction section, I would bound to check out on his column, only to find that he has not written any new books.

Above are just 2 of my favourite Literature authors that I would like to share. I could go on with more of other authors but I would rather you as the reader do some exploration by yourself. Honestly, to each his or her taste. In Literature fiction, many, if not all of the normal genres and themes still apply, just that with a more polished and intricate touch. Of course, having said that, you should not just confine yourself to Literature books. Normal fiction books can entertain you on the go, on a good summer by the pool, or when you need a bedtime companion. Basically, they serve one purpose - to entertain. Hence, it would be better to have the best from both worlds, right?

On a contrary note, there really isn't a clear line drawn between Literature fiction and normal fiction. What exists between the grey area is probably the embellishment of the words and probably a more finer approach in the thought process. Other than that, Literature fiction is easily drawn to be on par with any other novel. It takes an avid reader to really pick on a good Literature novel.

If you are new to Literature, it is never too late to start out with the novels, which are actually a more effective way to absorb new ideas and insights. Pick up a book today and you might just find that missing puzzle of satisfaction you have been looking for.