Comfort books
Tuesday, January 28, 2020 at 07:17AM Comfort food: food prepared in a traditional style having a usually nostalgic or sentimental appeal Meriam-Webster.com
Most of us have some "comfort" foods that we just need psychologically now and again. Mine are meatloaf, macaroni and cheese, ice cream, chicken-noodle soup, and caramel rolls. But these dishes are specific to each person and often reflect the stuff one loved eating as a kid.
Every now and then, I also find I need "comfort" books* - books that I've read before and can relax in the re-reading of, knowing the plot and the characters.
Among my comfort books are Clavell's Shogun. The Godfather, The Hobbit, Michener's historical fiction, John D. McDonald's mysteries, and Renault's The King Must Die. I would add to this list McMurtry's Lonesome Dove series, Harry Bosch mysteries, and Dan Simon's science fiction. All are familiar old friends I revisit when I need to retreat from the new, the unknown, the challenging. Or just want to relax. Now in retirement, I find these even more enjoyable.
Just as each of us has unique comfort foods, I suspect we each have our own comfort reading materials. Religious texts, Shakespeare, comic books, children's literature or Mad magazine, it doesn't make much difference. We love them for the security they provide.
Those of us who have dealt with technology, educational change, and just a rapid pace of life in general need never apologize for seeking comfort experiences, be they food, literature, movies, video games, or vacation spots.
John Naisbitt in his old book Megatrends from the early 90s, suggested that the more technology one experienced, the greater one's need for human interactions. I wonder if the same theory holds for change: the greater the change we experience, the greater our need for the comfortable, the familiar, the old and loved?
What are your comfort books?
*In searching this term to see if was unique, I found that GoodReads actually has a category called "Comfort Books." So I am not alone.
Reader Comments (3)
All of the books in the Chronicles of Narnia series (in fact, I need to start reading them again...)
Mine are:
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
The Shell Seekers - Rosamunde Pilcher
Coming Home - Rosamunde Pilcher
The Irish Country Doctor Series - Patrick Taylor
And hopefully I will find some new ones!
Hi Kenn,
Never in to the Naria books myself, but many people mention them. Thanks for the comment.
Doug
Hi Mary,
Isn't it interesting what people choose to re-read? I wonder how much of it is the mood we were in when we read the book the first time? For some reason, re-reading books in retirement does not seem like a waste of energy!
Doug