A book is an empathy machine. When you turn to the first pages you are agreeing to see the world through the eyes of another. Reading is not passive. You cannot passively read. Your eye moves from line to line, your fingers turn the page, your mind absorbs the thoughts and images conjured by another mind, expressing their life experiences and the knowledge of their heart, and merely by being subject to this you are stepping out into another world and witnessing their pain, and pleasure and awkwardness and desire and heartache and excitement. And once you begin that process it’s too late to stop. Reading is an act of empathy. Writing is an act of empathy. You cannot stand back and observe a book, or casually listen to a book like it’s elevator music. You cannot read a book whilst scrolling on your phone. Unlike the enjoyment of nearly every other artform, reading is a creative pursuit. It’s a contract between you and the author. She provides the puzzle, you as the reader piece it together into a whole, and in doing so become another person.
