Reading Literature?

Kino is giving 20% discount. So this is the best time to acquire books for reading and upgrading skills. The title for this entry is "reading literature?" with a question mark! Why the question? Since I started reading seriously in Primary 4, I read widely. Almost every subject under the sun. Ok, I exaggerated! I read on science and scientists, occult, philosophy, Zen, Buddhism, engineering, astronomy, space exploration, etc, etc. However the books I avoid are under the shelves labelled Literature. I shunned literature because I think it is not reading for pleasure. There are too many serious analysis and thinking about what the author is trying to say or what is he thinking of when he writes the passages. Why can't we just read and enjoy the story? This is why I find literature distasteful. I have avoided literature since I learned my A-B-Cs.

The only subject I failed in my GCE "O" level is literature. I read Hamlet, a tragedy, Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy set in England 100 years ago and poems by Wordsworth. I have never been to England before in school and therefore it is hard to appreciate whatever that was described. Now, more than 30 years after passing out from Secondary School, I am starting on literature again. Why?

I read mostly business and related subjects such as management, leadership, branding, marketing and so on. Business gurus like Peter Drucker recommended that we must also learned other areas as the expertise acquired expand skill level in business. Or Charles Handy mentioned that after spending much time reading all the learned business publications, he realised everything in business politics and leadership is described in War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. Joseph Badaracco, leadership guru in Harvard University uses literature to guide his students who are Senior Executives of Fortune 500 companies to teach leadership program touching on ethics and decision making process.

Our Singapore Government is starting to recognise Liberal Arts Education in US is producing leaders in both business and government and is now supporting scholarship to schools specializing on liberal arts. Liberal arts primary focus is reading literature and related subjects.

As for me, I am also wising up and broadening my reading diet to include literature in an effort to expand my mind and leadership skills. I hope I can increase my effectiveness and improve my earning capability.