ADSactly Literature - Wisdom From Another World
soruce
Nobody said this life was going to be easy, did they? Chances are wherever you're living right now, whatever you're going through, you could probably use a word of advice. Oh, not from me, I wouldn't presume that my advice is worth anything. At least, not to you, since we don't really know each other. But as with other posts I've written for ADSactly, I encourage you to give it a look and take what you need. Who knows, maybe you find something worthwhile on here...
Personally, I've always drawn comfort from the books I've surrounded myself with. I read to know I am not alone in the Universe. And besides, even when you're facing something sad or just awful, it's nice to see someone else went through something similar and was able to make something so beautiful out of it. There's beauty everywhere and to me, that's a really redeeming quality for this world.
But enough of that, here's the plan. Since I don't know you and can't really know what would be best for you at the moment, I figured I'd share with you some quotes of wisdom by various fiction authors. The only catch? They have to at least be related to a different Universe. It can't be something from Sophie's Choice, for example, because that takes place here, on Earth. So, anything other than Earth (and preferably not the obvious Mars or what have you).
1. J.R.R. Tolkien
It's easy to see why so many people, across so many generations, take pleasure in the Tolkien classic, The Hobbit, or indeed, the famous trilogy The Lord of The Rings. Funny that Wikipedia lists The Hobbit as a children's fantasy novel, which I suppose is in the end true. But all the people who had a soft spot for it were adults. Many read it as children, it's a staple of several childhoods, but what is interesting to me is that they've kept their love of it even now, when they are much, much older. I suppose it just goes to show what a truly remarkable book can do for a child.
There are so many gems of wisdom packed inside The Hobbit alone that it's hard to choose just one, but I think we'll have to limit ourselves to no more than 2 or 3 quotes for each author, otherwise this post will drone on and on.
Something truly amazing about Tolkien's books is that it did what every book sets out to do, but very few manage to. It inspired people to go on an adventure, it showed readers that really, there's no point in hiding in your little home, afraid of everything out there. Sure, awful things can and probably will happen, but if you don't set out for adventure, you'll miss out on so many great ones and those aren't worth missing for fear of a few scraps, are they?
2. JK Rowling
It seems only natural that I would follow up the incredible Tolkien with another much-loved children's classic, the author of the great Harry Potter series. Like with The Hobbit, I've come across loads of grown people who are crazy about Harry Potter, dressing up as characters, collecting trivia and readily giving out their Hogwarts house to whoever asks. Now, how cool is that?
Again, few books that make quite such an impact and I think they should be honored in any way possible.
Like The Hobbit and the LOTR trilogy, the Harry Potter series is a tale of adventure, of unsuspected courage and of pulling through, even though at times, it seems impossible. The fact that Harry starts out an orphan, although terribly sad, is also a very interesting part of the story. To me. It shows that you can survive really adverse conditions and you can live, those bad things that happened don't really have to define you.
I think that's why people like this series so much, because it teaches them they can survive. And imagine being told that as a child, the message is a lot more powerful to a child and I honestly believe that if a child grows up on a good, steady diet of adventure books, they'll be more inclined to pull through later in life.
3. Terry Pratchett
Now, this might not be a children's classic, but I know a lot of adults whose lives have been impacted by the great Discworld series nonetheless. I recently read a story about a woman who found the strength to leave an abusive relationship in Sir Terry Pratchett's words. Again, how amazing is that?
Spanning over 40 novels, the Discworld series is one of the lengthiest fantasy sagas out there. Touching upon everything from death to religion, to magic and to potatoes, the series does not focus on one particular protagonist, but rather has several, most notably perhaps Rincewind, the unlucky (or lucky, depending how you look at it) so-called wizard who has a knack for getting himself into trouble, but also for getting out of it.
In case you're not familiar with it already, I highly encourage you to get to it ASAP, not just because it's a phenomenally well-written series, but also because it mirrors the society we live in and will undoubtedly show you a few things about your own life and Universe.
A few honorable mentions
While the worlds out there are many and all of them impressive (and, for the right people, utterly life-changing), I don't think it would do to dwell on each, but I will dwell on some. First, among our honorable mentions is a quote from the incredible A Song of Ice and Fire series by George RR Martin (aka Game of Thrones).
Don't you just love how many on these quotes are about courage? As well as about fear. Seems to me that, before love and before death and before anything else, courage is the theme that has most fascinated writers throughout the history of the world.
The next shoutout goes to Neil Gaiman's masterful children's book, Coraline, a story about a little girl ignored by her parents who finds her way into a mirror world, which turns out to be much much darker than it seems. A great read, both for children and grown-ups alike, Coraline's plight will undoubtedly resonate with many.
There are many worthwhile fantasy worlds out there.
What's your favorite? Do share with us in the comments! And what's your favorite fantasy quote?
Authored by: @honeydue
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I'm one of those people who finds refuge in books, light, solutions. In some moments I have felt that some books speak to me and point out to me paths that I would never have imagined. I have taken the habit, for example, of opening books of poetry at random and seeing what some poem tells me. I am almost convinced that many times these poems have encouraged me to continue. As is the case with a poem by Mario Benedetti that says:
Don't give up, please don't give in,
Even if the cold burns,
Even if fear bites,
Even if the sun goes down,
And let the wind be silent,
There's still fire in your soul
There's still life in your dreams.
As for book quotations, whether narrative or essay, I'm a collector. I have a notebook full of quotations that at some point I have used as inspiration for writing or I have simply used them as an epigraph. Books have souls, the souls of all those who read them. As Carlos Ruiz Zafón says in his brilliant novel The Shadow of the Wind: Every book, every volume you see here, has a soul. The soul of the person who wrote it and of those who read it, lived and dreamed about it. Every time a book changes hands, every time someone lowers their eyes to the pages, their spirit grows and strengthens.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful post, @honeydue and @adsactly for publishing it.
Good job
It truly inspires when we read the story that is always awaited. When adults read stories for children, they will follow the path as children read. And the most interesting thing is that when we read we can take moral values that are very useful in life. just look at the Hobbit story that should be read by children we can make a guide in life when reading quotes full of wisdom.
Because basically the writer wants to teach moral values to us since children. It is only possible when our children still cannot absorb all moral teachings and now we can understand more about the intentions of the authors.
I love the quotations from the stories that you present, especially the hobbits
Thank you @honeydue
thank you @adsactly
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Warm regard from Indonesia
It's a very productive, stimulating and beautiful article, @honeydue. Books, especially literary ones, which are animated by imagination, are full of ideas and propositions that touch us, even mark our lives. Those who review and quote are books of great beauty and creativity. Three quotes from your post I particularly liked: the one that recognizes the smallness of man, and the ones that value failure and fear. I don't know them all, not even in depth; Tolkien has been the closest. I admit that I have been a reader of earlier, older fantastic literature. Among them I stand out:
Journey to the center of the earth, by Jules Verne; from there I extract the quote: "There is nothing that intoxicates as much as the attraction of the abyss," said the character narrator, Axel.
Alice in Wonderland and Alice through the Mirror, by Lewis Carroll; I find it difficult to take a brief quote from them; I find the expressions of the Cheshire cat (chapter 6 of the first) and Humpty-Dumpty (also chapter of the second) cool.
The Little Prince, by Antoine Saint Exupéry; of him that famous quote: "Only with the heart one can see well; the essential is invisible to the eyes", that the fox says to the Little Prince.
The never-ending story, by Michael Ende; hence, for example, what was gathered in the brief dialogue: "I wish it were always like this," he said. It's always just a moment," she replied.
Thank you for your post, @honeydue, and @adsactly for spreading it.
Interesting read and to be honest I have always been more in to real life documentaries and educational books etc, but I have also recently come to understand that most of the greatest fantasy stories are not only good entertainment but are usually based on real life and can also teach us things about real life too. I don't have any favorite quotes or anything but you have inspired me with the post. Thank you.
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