Essay on “Pleasures of Reading” Complete Essay for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

Pleasures of Reading

Or

Books as Friends

Essay No. 01

A book is always a source of pleasures.  It is constant companion to man in weal or woe.  It is a source of knowledge as  well as entertainment.  Books contain the best of the thoughts of their authors. Robert Southey, a well- known lover of books, wrote:

                “My never-failing friends are they,

                With whom I converse day by day.

                With them I take delight in weal,

                And seek relief in woe.”

                Everybody wants recreation after hard work.  It is a biological necessity.  Books are a ‘great source of entertainment and recreation.’  They share the readers’ joys and sorrows.  A lover of books comes back home a very relaxed man after a visit to the library.  For him, the library is a temple of learning and a source of pleasures.  With its excellent academic, peaceful and educative atmosphere, a library is a place of peace, quiet and serenity.  J.B. Macaulay once said,” I would rather be a poor man in a place garret with plenty of books than a king who did not love reading.” Henry David Thoreau rightly remarked, “Books are the treasured wealth of the world, the fit inheritance of generations and nations.

                Reading books can introduce a new charm in life.  A book is the precious life blood of a master mind.  Books bring us in contact with the greatest scholars of the past and the present. As we get into the spirit of a book our entire attitude is changed.  Books share our joys and sorrows.  When we are in a happy mood, we share our pleasures in the company of books.  In our sadder moments, books act as our nurses or guardians and provide us with words of encouragement and consolation.  Books are, therefore, the best of friends.  Our human friends may desert us, but books do not desert us in any circumstances.  They stand by us through thick and thin.

                Books entertain and delight their readers.  Reading is a thrilling and an enchanting experience.  Books are the pearls of wisdom.  The best of human knowledge and thought is condensed in them.  They act as beacon lights to illumine our path on the dark and vast ocean of life.  Just as they relieve the boredom of journey in trains or buses, they also act as a stay and a support in the long journey of our life in his world.

                Bacon felt: “Reading maketh a full man.”  In fact, reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.  Realising the immense value of reading.  Gibbon once asserted,” My early and invincible love of reading I would not exchange with the treasures of India.”

                As far as possible, our endeavour should  be read the well-known and famed literature only.  But falling into the habit of reading cheap and inferior books, reading can become a curse as well.  It will poison the stream of our thought and make our mind a haunt of devilish ideas.  Choice of books is of first and foremost importance.  It is again, more useful to read wisely than to read carelessly and hurriedly.

                The great masterpieces, famous novels, biographies, books of philosophy and history have their own importance in human life.  A proper and health pleasure comes from understanding properly what we read.  No doubt, it requires a hard training and disciplining of our mind.  But once this art is learnt, there is no end to the satisfaction and deep contentment which we can derive from this art.  Milton has rightly said: “A good books is the precious life-blood of a master-spirit, embalmed and treasured up on purpose for a life beyond.”

Essay No. 02

Reading for Pleasure

Reading gives unique pleasure. The pleasures of reading are many. They differ from reader to reader. Sober and intellectual people prefer reading history books, philosophical treatises or books of serious nature. To an emotional reader, books of drama, poetry, travel, fiction and essays give great delight. While many others like to read stories, jokes, comics, detective material and such other books. But there cannot be any doubt that the pleasure of reading is the best. One can spend ones leisure in other pleasure pursuits as well, but reading has no equal. Reading has so many additional advantages which no other hobby or leisure time pursuit can give. The ability to read and relish books is really a boon. Reading provides delight, experience, entertainment and skills in various fields of life.

According to Francis Bacon, “Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested, that is, some books are to be read only in parts, others to be read but not curiously, and some few to be read wholly, and with deligence and attention. Some books also may be read by depth and extract made of them by others”. Again he says, “Reading makes a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man”. Bacon has write on all aspects of study and reading of various subjects. He further says, “Histories make men wise; poetry witty; the mathematics subtle; natural philosophy deep; moral grave; logic and rhetoric able to contend”

To get pleasure out of reading, one has to cultivate the habit of reading. Reading requires intelligence, quick comprehension, patience, love of solitude and certain language skills. One might be well educated, but it does not mean that one can surely drive pleasure from. reading or that one can engage himself in reading. It needs a special aptitude, but it can be easily acquired and developed. Unfortunately most of the students read for getting through the examination only. They read neither for pleasure, nor for culture and knowledge. It is really a matter of pity that modern young men and women waste their time in playing-cards, viewing films, television programmes or in gossiping for relaxation and pleasure. Books are really a treasure-house of pleasure, knowledge, experience, intellectual food and refreshment. They are the best friends, which would never leave you in the lurch. You can read a book at your pleasure and convenience, in a corner of your room, in bed, while travelling, while taking tea and breakfast. One can read in the libraries, classrooms, waiting halls at airports, railway and bus stations. The relief, relaxation, refreshment and mental food provided by reading is matchless. The experience gained through reading ever stands in good stead with the reader.

Modern age is the age of information. We can keep our-selves well informed about various topics and things by reading books, magazines, newspapers, bulletins, etc. There are books of fiction, stories, biographies, travels, adventures, philosophies, histories, phantasm, poetry, drama, one act plays, humor, etc. There is no end to the variety reading and books offer us. You can choose any topic and subject to suit your aptitude, leisure, duration, pocket and occasion. While travelling you can enjoy a fiction, a collection of short stories, poems, a magazine or a newspaper. Before going to bed one can again enjoy some light and instructive reading. Most of the light type of reading does not demand any appreciable mental application and exercise on the part of a reader.

Most of the novels, short stories, magazines come under this category. Besides giving pleasure, they enrich our experience, knowledge, broaden our outlook and stimulate thinking. Moreover, it is not a costly hobby. You can borrow books from friends and libraries. You can buy books according to your pocket. Cheap and second hand books can also be bought to our great advantage. The money spent on books is really a sound investment. For reading you do not depend on others, as you would do if you play cards, chess, football, etc.

Books are called the life-blood of master spirits. We can become intimate with Shakespeare, Kalidas, Tulsidas, Prem Chand and Rabindra Nath Tagore by reading their works. Thus, we can share their experiences, joys, sorrows, emotion, thoughts and feelings. Books can move us to tears both of delight and sorrow. There is a complete identity between a reader and the characters of a novel, story or a play. The magic and charm of reading defies description. Through reading we establish bonds of close relationship with various authors. Their creations, etc., which is far more intimate and last in a then that of an intimate friend. The pleasures of reading can be recreated time and again. It can be imparted to others. Reading is a sure protection against boredom, loneliness, pain, suffering, frustration and various complexes. In the words of Thomas Carlyle, “All that mankind has done, thought, gained, or been; it is Lying as in magic preservation in the pages of books. They are the chosen possession of men.” To a cultivated and educated person, books provide the finest of pleasures. But we must choose our reading material with care and caution. There are many cheap and substandard books which can poison young minds and mislead them on paths undesirable. In the selection of books you can consult your teachers, elders, librarians, etc. Then there are book-reviews to guide you to better reading materials. Avoid cheap, sensational, sexy, obscene and trash reading material. We must be judicious in our reading. We should gradually make our own small library of choicest books. Books which can encourage, inspire, guide and entertain should be treasured.

Essay No. 03

Pleasures of Reading

Rightly did Francis Bacon say, “Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man, and writing an exact man.” Reading is the first step to attaining richness of personality and full development. Happy is the person who acquires the habit of reading when he is young. He has secured a lifelong source of pleasure, instruction and inspiration. So long as he is in the company of his beloved books, he need never feel lonely. He always has a pleasant occupation in his moments of leisure. He can never fell bored or frustrated. Ruskin called books “Kings’ Treasures”—treasures filled, not with gold and silver and precious stones, but with riches more valuable than these—knowledge, noble thoughts and high ideals. Poor, indeed is the man who does not read, and empty is his life.

Reading is of different kinds. First, there is light reading, which means the reading of newspapers, periodicals, journals, etc., Newspapers and journals are storehouses of information about current events. Through them we come to know about all that is happening in every part of the world. The modern age is such that we can ill-afford to miss at least this type of light reading. We will be like a frog in a well without newspapers. Therefore, such reading, as is both delightful and instructive, cannot be ignored.

 Next we come to the books on travel and adventure. Man wants to escape from the dull realities of everyday life, the spirit of adventure is in the very blood of man. Books of travel and adventure infuse into us the same spirit of adventure and fearlessness as was displayed by the travelers themselves. The reading of novels is a pleasant pastime and nothing is more entertaining than to spend some time reading a novel in the afternoon or in a train. The reader forgets his own personality and existence. For a short time, he identifies himself with one of the characters. This identification of the reader with the hero or heroine, though unconscious, is a source of endless pleasure to him.

Then there are books of serious reading. They include works of literature, history, philosophy, etc., which may be called books of all times. Such books are intended for sober and thoughtful minds. A student of literature comes in contact with the master minds of all ages and finds a good deal of food for his thought. They give him an insight into the spiritual values of life. He can thus make his life noble and sublime. His outlook is widened and the field of human sympathy broadened.

Now we come to the most important question, viz., how to read books ? Bacon has said, “Some books are to be tasted, others are to be swallowed and some few to be chewed and digested”. To treat a book as a textbook has the sense of compulsion. This compulsion may be useful, but it kills all interest. Nobody can appreciate such a temporary love of books. A real lover of books enjoys their company all the time.

We should be very careful in the choice of books. If bad books come into the hands of the young, their minds are infected with their evil influence. Many promising youths have been ruined because of the taste for bad books. Good books, on the other hand, are purifying. They enlarge and enrich the mind and mould our character. Therefore, it is necessary that the youth should seek advice from those who are competent to give it.

The habit of reading is a sign of culture. It is a great source of enjoyment and the best means of utilising leisure. Books are a treasure richer than any king’s treasure. They are the gold mines of art, literature, science and information. They are our constant companions. We must value them.