Reading out loud needs a comeback. If there were no televisions, no computers screens, if we were stranded on a deserted island with no entertainment; if there was no Wi-Fi or cellular service; if all we had to entertain ourselves was, well, ourselves, what would we do?
How about tell each other stories? It’s what our ancestors did, it’s what people have done since the beginning of time: tell each other stories. This was a form of entertainment, it passed the time joyfully and allowed an escape into a more exciting world. It was also a way of connecting to each other.
What is a story? Well, many people would point first to plot. “A story is a narrative in which something happens. It tells of an event or events.” Yes, there is plot in a story. Others might say something like, “A story is the telling of something that happens to a character, and how they react to events.” Character is very important, as well, yes. But apart from character action and plot, a story will have an emotional plot, an arc that the character experiences that the reader understands and can on some level sympathize with.
Telling a story, then, is describing emotions as they are experienced by characters who are often very much like us. Stories are a method of communication. They are an outlet of expression. They are a reflection of human emotion and a figment of the human psyche. Stories bring us together through the sharing of emotions.
Often booklovers’ favorite part of reading books is their feeling of connection to the story and the characters. They empathize with and they identify with the characters, and these become their friends. But in reading alone, one stays alone with one’s book. The circle remains strong but small.
The power of stories is that of connection. They connect us to our own emotional world but they also have the potential to connect us to other people. Sharing of anything will forge some type of connection, but sharing stories, sharing something you love with another person – just think how much that will add to your relationship.
I like reading on my own, I’ve been doing it ever since I learned how to read. But I have a newfound joy: reading out loud to people I care about. Acting out the action, reading through the character, adding in accents, manners of speech, maybe even gestures –– it brings the book to life. Seeing the smiles on the faces of those I’m reading to as I do it, feeling that they’re travelling with me on this journey is a beautiful feeling.
The fact that I’m a writer is also relevant. I care about giving life and assigning value to books. I like to do the work justice by giving it a live voice, allowing the story to unfold beyond the page and take form not only in front of our eyes, but our ears. Engaging more senses into the story will make it feel more tangible, more real, and therefore it will touch us deeper.
It’s a beautiful thing to read with another person, to share the same emotions, to discover the world of the story together, and to navigate it in unison. It’s like discovering a new path for your relationship, creating a new memory.
So, if you want to start reading more books; if you find yourself not gaining as much satisfaction as you expected from television; if you’re in your house one lazy morning, afternoon or evening and are wondering what to do, why don’t you grab a book and grab a friend, and give a dramatic reading? I swear it will be worth staying in.