The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-10-10
EDITORIALS
Outside Reading.

In connection with the work in Eng
lish all pupils of the high school are re
ouired TO do some outside reading The
amount of reading required, however, IS
much less than the amount that should
be done. In reading for the sole purpose
of getting credit in English, of course
only books approved by the teacher can
be read These are books which are not
only interesting and entertaining but
very worth while. This outside reading
plan is for the purpose of making the
students realize the benefits and value
received by reading good literature
b. II. s. students should strive to be-
come acquainted with literary works of
the highest standard and quality.
The reason why many decline to read
the most worthwhile books is because
they think that books belonging TO a mt
craI.v class must of necessity be uninter-
esting and dry. This is utterly false
and would those who hold this OPINION
endeavor to read lew reiiI Doors ny. ny
would soon realize they were graEely
mistaken and no doubt would admit that
the books which heretofore had held such
a fascination were really cheap as com
pared with higher quality literature just
rs much enjoyment can be obtained from
reading a book of high literary value as
from reading a book of poorer quahty.
Books are often classified into three
groups; first, those which last an hour
second. those which last year; ana
third. those which last forever; All
books could be classified very easily ac-
cording to this principle. IT IS the
reading of the books belonging to the
| first class that for the most part y
waste of time tand opportunity. This
! fact leads to the immediate conclusion
| that good books are not those which you
are content TO read but once, but those
which you enjoy reading over and over
again, and that are of such quality that
/ each succeeding time you read them
many new ideas are asSimilated which
mt the first reading remained obscure ana
4 hidden. In reading books. read with
the aim of doing yourself some good; ann
to broaden your views, elevate your
| ideals. expand ideas. find inspiration.
and receive recreation. History, biog-
traphy. fiction, drama, poetry-al give
| the sense of power and inspiration. In
| reading history, the study OF great
causes. problems, and of the progress OF
ITiviliZation is wonderfully helpful IN the
| molding of worthy citizens of the COM
muniry, of the state. and of the world.
/ In biographies the concrete reality OF
/ the personal sketches awakens the dor
mant reader and stirs him on TO imita-
| ton and higher ideals. Then. too, what
| an inspiration Is tOuhu III NhakeSletEe >
and what thrill runs up your spine in
reading a good adventure story full Of
| fire and vim.
Everyone enjoys reading; everyone
should like to read books that have held
and will continue to hold important
places among the literary masterpieces of
| the world-in other words. books that
are profitable and educational as we'll as
| interesting. IT is much more worth
while to be able to discuss a good book
| intelligently than to correctly recite all
the important dates of a certain period
| in the history of some foreign country.