I'm well known as a book fiend among my friends – I'll read pretty much anything. I also love it when other people read, which is why I'm a fan of almost any book.
That said, it pains me to see people limiting themselves in their book choices. When people ignore a book solely because it contradicts their long-held beliefs, they could be depriving themselves of both a new favorite and a learning experience.
For instance, I loved the His Dark Materials trilogy. Many people have spoken out against it, especially the third book, The Amber Spyglass, for being antireligious. I have to say that although I consider myself to be spiritual, the only problem I had with the book was that it was a bit too slow at times.
I would never have known how the trilogy ended - which would have driven me crazy - if I had immediately put it down because of its atheistic content. If I had passed over all three books just to avoid this, I would never have gotten to read The Golden Compass, which is now a favorite of mine.
I also learned a lot about my own beliefs. By reading these books with their atheistic point of view, I was able to confirm that this view is not one that I share. Yes, this was something I already knew about myself, but that's because I've read other books like this. If I never read anything that contradicted my own beliefs, I would never know why I hold them.
Reading things contrary to my point of view gives me a chance to think about why I believe certain things. If I can't think of a good enough reason why someone's opinion is wrong, I have to reevaluate what I believe in. To me, that's a good thing.
It always makes me sad to meet people who refuse to broaden their horizons. I can understand refusing to read a book you're 98 percent sure you won't enjoy – I'm not saying people should be masochistic about this. If you hate mysteries, then don't read them.
But if you're thinking about reading a book that sounds good, but then put it back because it contradicts your religious, political or other deeply held views, you're missing out. Good books make you think about the world and about yourself.
If you're secure in those beliefs and know why you hold them, you should be able to disregard the things you disagree with. If you don't know why you believe something and you're actually reading with an open mind, hopefully something you read will change you – either by giving you a solid reason or by changing your viewpoint.
The extreme end to this spectrum is book banners and burners – people who hate books with opposite viewpoints so much that they don't even want other people to read them. Reasonable people understand that this is irrational, harmful behavior. Most people make their book choices for themselves only and don't care what other people want to read. But it shows one of the extreme consequences of not having an open mind.
Reading opinions that are the opposite of what you believe can lead to not only understanding yourself better, but also understanding someone else better. The tagline of the Opposing Viewpoints series says it best: 'Those who do not know their opponent's arguments do not completely understand their own.'
E-mail: jennifer.lombardo@ubspectrum.com
