I finished the audio book of The City of God a few weeks ago. I was glad to be done, since some portions were a real slog. But then I found myself sad it was over and longing to hear Augustine's clear rhetoric again like a cool breeze, so I promptly started listening again from the beginning.
That led on to a desire to actually see and hold the text. I wanted to highlight certain quotes and track the argument with my eyes and fingers. So I purchased the tome. Now I am listening some, then reading some, listening to more, reading more.
I see that I am venturing into a different sort of reading these days, content to stay in the same books and linger over the same poems. For years, I just devoured content, taking what I could get quickly and moving on, saying to myself and others, "I've read that." But I am not sure that's reading. I would go so fast I often forgot what was said.
I'm dissatisfied with that sort of reading anymore, so I'm taking my time with this book. It may take a while, but I suspect it'll be worth it. At this pace, what I carry forward will be with me forever, literally.
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