Been There, Done That

30 Jul, 2019

MUSIC Information:

• Wonders of Music
• Bb Major/G Minor
• 48 Measures
• Cello and Piano
• 3:42 min
• 4 Pages

“A great book should leave you with many experiences, and slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading.” ― William Styron, Conversations with William Styron

HOW MANY IS TO MANY

Talking about books is a far-reaching and complex topic that requires time and energy to define and understand. One thing we can probably all agreed on is that most books are conserved, stored, and ultimately shared. Whether a book's purpose is to inform, educate, or merely entertain depends on the individual reading it and the content itself.

How many books have been published in the world?, It is a curious question that's been in my mind for a while. Of course, knowing the exact number is impossible, since new books are being published all the time, and many others have been lost or destroyed over the years.

What is a book?. There are so many things to consider when trying to define the word in a truly satisfying way_ something I won't even attempt here. But for me, a book is like a secret weapon that protects me. It's also like a friend, one that comforts me in difficult times.

IMAGINARY WORLDS

Today, with this letter, I'd like to make a list of the fictional works I have read over the years. These books have entertained me endlessly, and each one holds a special place in my life. They continue to inspire me and draw me into imaginary worlds a little too real. They've allowed me to travel through time and space. And while I know any such list could never be complete or entirely fair, it still tells the story of where I've been and what I've done as a reader.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte: It is a dark, mysterious, violent story — basically a storm of human misery that somehow feels wildly alive. And I enjoyed every paragraph.

The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno by Ellen Bryson: A novel set in late-19th century New York. A story about visibility vs. invisibility with an unexpected end that makes me think that being watched by everyone doesn't mean being seen by anyone.

The House At Riverton by Kate Morton: Silence, denial, and secrets everyone suspects but all ignored. Sounds like most people's lives. Except at Riverton, the tragedy takes on a certain elegance and once it's dressed in velvet and good manners, the suffering becomes strangely acceptable.

La Ley del Amor by Laura Esquivel: In a universe governed by reincarnation, cosmic justice, and spiritual technology, the characters of the novel still manage to struggle with the same familiar problems: jealousy, obsession, and questionable romantic decisions. Apparently, reincarnation does little to improve anyone's judgment.

The Alienist by Caleb Carr: The novel's central idea is that violent behavior often grows out of buried childhood memories and traumas. In this chilling story, the past is the only way to understand the present.

Love In The Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez: A story that left me wondering whether enduring love is proof of its power, or simply a form of stubbornness. Nevertheless, the novel follows its characters through all the drama humans are capable of displaying.

PERSONAL INVITATION

These authors have made me love, within their books, what I have overlooked in life. Through their writing, they've strangely made me remember places I have been, though I never have. They have gently admonished me for the careless things I have said, when I've never spoken a word. And they've vindicated me promptly for the terrible things I've done, even when I myself haven't done anything wrong.

With the turning of each page, authors extended a personal invitation into their innermost thoughts. Whenever I have accepted the invitation, I have risked becoming vulnerable to pain and despair. But at the same time, they have allowed me to step away from reality, at least for as long as the quest lasted. Along the way, laughter and happiness have always been within reach. Reading, simply for the sake of reading, remains an activity that continues to change my life for the better.

FORBIDDEN IDEAS

Of course, we live in a world where the message of a book might be seen as offensive to someone, or to a certain group of people. Authorities all over the globe have, at one point or another, banned books _ often in spite of the numerous attempts to uphold freedom of speech. Yet the question remains: where do we draw the line? For we all know that written words carry great power.

And so, I went in search of books that had been banned, and it was quiet an eye-opener. The reasons given for the prohibition were like a rainbow of excuses _ some legit, while others not so much, depending on the country and the era in which the ban was issued.

Martin Luther's theses in the 16th Century remain, even to this day, a well- known and controversial piece of writing. Once the hypocrisy, corruption, and lies were exposed, the Church felt compelled to ban Luther's analysis.

The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie, a fictional novel, has also been banned, much like Luther's theses were to the Catholic Church, this book was seen as an offensive message of blasphemy and apostasy to the Muslim world _ or at least, that is how it was received.

  These are just two examples, but the list goes on and on. Once again, we all know that written words are powerful and, therefor, can be dangerous weapons of destruction. The works of Luther and Rushdie _ and every SINGLE book that has ever been banned, whether it deals with religion or not_ represent a direct attack on the legitimacy of whomever is in power. As Oscar Wilde once said, “The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame.”

BOOKS VS MUSIC

I apologize if I've gone a little off track, but there are things that needed to be said. Such is the extend of the subject of books _ it always seems to reach further than expected. All the literature in the world could easily rival all the music we have access to today _ or perhaps is the other way around, who can really tell? Books and music are both inseparable parts of humanity, showing up in every corner of the earth.

I wrote this piece of music to celebrate authors and their books_ to honor the effort they've made to help us see the world and to give us the chance to say "Been there, and done that" through their pages. So here's to all the authors: Thank you for sharing your humor, your ideas and ideologies, your experiences, and imaginary tales with people everywhere.