A Word or Two about Literature

 

A Word or Two about Literature

 

                                                         By Lee Hyon-soo

 

What is literature? Literature commonly refers to creative writings in prose or verse that express ideas of permanent or universal interest and have superior and lasting artistic merit. The creation of literature is a uniquely human activity, born of man’s timeless desire to understand, express and share experiences.

 

From time to time I come across otherwise intelligent men and women who say that they do not read  literature, claiming that reading fiction is a waste of time. I pity them. If you don’t read literature, you don’t know what you are missing out on.

 

I am an avid reader of literature. Having read a wide array of literary works, I cannot resist the temptation to say a word or two about literature when the opportunity presents itself – for what it is worth.

 

That said, it is to share the wonder of literature with as many people as possible that I have been writing a series of articles on literature in a newspaper since 2011.

 

As I am not well versed in poetry, I  focus on novels and scripts for theatrical dramas (i.e., stage plays) in my articles.  I touch on the contents of selected works by world-famous novelists and playwrights, many of them being Nobel laureates. I also provide a biographical sketch on each of the authors.

 

The breadth and depth of novels and theatrical dramas are unlimited. Anything that can happen in real life or human imagination happens in novels and dramas.  Their themes vary, but the common thread is the human situation involving challenge, success, failure, perseverance, love, conflict, etc.  By seeing how the stories unfold in novels and dramas, we catch a glimpse of many deeply entrenched features and characteristics of human life and search for the meaning of life on planet Earth.

 

What’s more, literature often detaches us from time and place and transports us to some imaginary world that we otherwise would never know, thereby allowing us to escape the problems and responsibilities of our everyday lives and to participate, however briefly, in experiences that differ radically from our own.

 

Literature can also be read for the sheer aesthetic pleasure that we take in good craftsmanship of any kind. What distinguishes literature from other forms of artistic ｅxpressions is its reliance on structure and style in language.

 

To write my articles, I select literary works from among those that I have already read. But I cannot put pen to paper solely based on my failing memory. So after I pick a novel or drama to write about, I read it again. I spend many hours in preparation for my articles, but it is fun to re-read the literary works that I have already read  - from a more mature perspective.   

 

So far I have touched on literary works by  writers of eleven different nationalities, namely, the U.S.A, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia, Canada, Ireland, Spain , Romania, Czech Republic, and Norway.

 

Writing on literature is my way of contributing to the society to which I belong. When I manage to write an article that turns out to be good, I have a sense of fulfillment. And nothing makes me happier than the favorable feedback that I receive from those who have taken the trouble to read my articles.