We are asking members of staff to share ‘the books that made’ them, beginning with Mr Addis from the English Department.
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“Writing is one of the most enjoyable forms of release and escape. In a time where we are all experiencing a form of confinement, writing allows us to travel farther and experience so much more than our situation permits. My most recent novel is called The World Within. Set in a fantasy world, a young boy finds himself caught up in a mission to rescue a sailor who disappeared mysteriously in the deadly waters of the Central Sea. It deals with themes of friendship, growing up but most of all adventure and exploration. At a time like this, being able to enter a different world and go on an adventure feels like a real privilege. Both reading and writing can be an incredible way of processing all that’s going on in the world right now, if only to escape from it for a time.
The book I am currently reading…
Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder is half mystery novel, half philosophy text book. It takes the entire history of Western thought and condenses it into an accessible and engaging dialogue between 14-year old Sophie Amundsen and her mentor Albert Knox. I read it when I was a teenager but reading it again I find I am still learning from the complex and interesting ideas it divulges. You should also try The Solitaire Mystery by Gaarder which is much easier to read but still competes its atmosphere of mystery and fun.
My favourite book as a child…
I remember getting Mossflower the second book in Brian Jacques’ Redwall series for my birthday and running out of patience for my parents to read it with me. At that moment I became a true reader and I took the book and read it till I fell asleep on the pages and had to have it dislodged from under my cheek when my parents came to see why my light was still on at midnight.
The last book that made me cry…
Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea brought me pretty close. It’s frustrating presentation of futility and disappointment is incredibly moving in a very different way to more ‘emotional’ books. Hemingway’s language is sparse and emotionless which somehow makes the whole experience that much more tragic.
The last book that made me laugh...
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller presents the off-beat world of war. This is the book that has influenced me most making me realise it’s okay to think differently and to not think the way everyone else does (usually because it’s wrong!). The story goes from laugh out loud, hilarious to painfully sad in a heartbeat (around at about chapter 39) and it emphasises both the ridiculous and pointless nature of war.
My comfort read…
I always go back to the Discworld series which dragged me into the world of fantasy through the backdoor and introduced me to satire in the best way. The crowning triumph of the series, for me, is The Night Watch. Definitely worth checking out although might be worth starting nearer the beginning of Terry Pratchett’s incredible world.
The one book I think everyone should read is…
Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie (probably when you’re a bit older though). It draws on two different cultures, two different literary traditions. It encompasses humour, beauty, philosophy, creativity and challenges a range of different worldviews. Definitely one to aspire to. For teenagers, I think To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a crucial read both to understand a key time in world history but also as a coming-of-age story.”
Many of the books Mr Addis has mentioned are available to borrow from the EPHS Library.
The World Within by Mr Addis
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