The habit of reading can bring one a lot of pleasure and happiness and if one is sensible in one’s choice, no real harm. Great books bring before us experiences of great intensity and depth, ideas of life at various levels and sensations we cannot normally have in daily life. “A good book”, said Milton, “is the life-blood of a master spirit”. If one cultivates the habit of reading masterpieces, one’s life feels enriched and one often, at the end of the book, is wiser and more thoughtful. Books can inspire us to thought, move us to tears and tickle us into laughter. But, if one chooses books indiscriminately, one could end up reading trash which would have an adverse effect. If the habit of reading is to be both pleasurable and useful, then what we need is a taste for reading with a sense of discrimination and understanding.
