Reading Is a Portable Refuge (Guomai Classic)

I have read everything recommended, "Cultivating the habit of reading is to build a refuge for you, allowing you to escape from almost all pain and misfortune in the world." In the book, Maugham introduces the lives and masterpieces of 13 great writers in an in-depth and simple way. The language is pungent, the content is rich, and the gossips emerge one after another, making their images from paper idols in textbooks become vivid and become real people. Reading is a pleasure! People should read for happiness, and who can guarantee that a book that brings pleasure to one person will definitely please another person? Maugham believed that reading should be an enjoyable and personal thing. If a book does not make you enjoy reading, then there is no need to continue reading, except of course for exams and books for making a living. At the same time, he suggested that you do not need to read only one book at a time, but you can read different books according to the difference in the state of the day; you do not need to read every word and chapter, you can skip reading appropriately. He believes that good excerpts can bring better reading experience and effects. Pleasure does not have to be superficial or sensual. The excitement of thoughts, the resonance of emotions, and the infiltration of aesthetics are all high-level pleasures. Reading is an exercise for the mind and soul, and its joy can be deep and lasting. When love fades and fate is uncertain, reading provides a transcendent comfort. It doesn't solve the problem directly, but it reshapes the way we see pain—in the stories of others, we learn to understand our own tragedies. "The greatest tragedy in life is the loss of the ability to love" precisely reveals the redemptive significance of reading: through the vast human experience in the book, we can reconnect with emotions and understand human nature, thereby repairing the perception of love in reality. Maugham is similar to Dostoyevsky's Ivan - rational, sober, and ambitious, but always maintaining a cold gaze on the pain of the world. The reason why Maugham's literary criticism is sharp and mean is that he refuses to deify writers and reveals the vanity, contradictions and human weaknesses behind genius. This kind of "disenchantment" makes literature approachable, and great works are born from fresh and complex hearts. The real refuge is not between the pages of a book, but in the more resilient and free self awakened through reading.

After reading this book, I learned about the life experiences and writing backgrounds of many authors of classic works, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of their works. Only after reading this book can I know how to write a good novel, what techniques and methods are there, and what the ideological connotation and style of the novel are. I used to like reading classic works very much and could not analyze the advantages and disadvantages of them. Reading this book made me understand that classics also have shortcomings and imperfections. The author helped us analyze many classic works from a higher dimension, broadening our horizons and thinking, and I benefited a lot! Worth reading!

I especially liked his comments on some famous books and the reading skills he shared, which made me feel that reading is indeed a portable refuge. His writing is simple and easy to understand, just like chatting with friends, and you can also learn a lot of gossip about famous people! Recommended to you!

It's very effective and very pertinent.

Interesting, discovering different perspectives

Great, very colloquial, very normal, just like people nowadays

Explain clearly and transparently

Some philosophical thoughts are profound and powerful

It's so true. I have all the problems the author mentioned. I seem to know why I was no longer interested in reading books. I feel like reading this book has reignited my interest in reading, hahaha

It's good-looking, very good-looking. Many of the author's reading habits and views are very similar to mine. It feels like I've found a replacement.

The words are sincere, the analysis is in place, and the knowledge is refreshed.