Reading in old age

As the pandemic drags on, I find myself spending more and more time reading. Of course, many of us seniors enjoy reading; having time to read is one of the great perks of retirement. But it feels like more than that now; it’s a lifeline. In our prolonged isolation, books have become companions. Some books help us escape and forget about Covid for a little while. Others offer wise voices that help us reflect, solve problems, cope with our situation, validate our feelings. We think of reading as a solitary activity, but actually it can be a great way to maintain contact with other people. We can share our reading interests and experiences in an online book club, or just in casual conversations. In those conversations, we can explore the issues that concern us in our lives, and cement our friendships.

But now that I’m paying more attention to reading, I also find that I’m getting more picky about what I want to read. I’m no longer very interested in stories that focus on the lives and travails of young characters: coming of age, romantic entanglements, climbing to the top, family sagas full of kids and dogs. I don’t have much patience either for thrillers or most best-sellers, often badly crafted books with wooden characters and slipshod style, written using a formula to maximize sales. If it says in the blurb that the heroine is rich and beautiful, I won’t open it. Now that I’m old I find myself reviewing my life, and trying to use my experience to make sense of the world around me. So I want to read about individuals who grow and learn, outsiders who still find their way, elderly writers documenting their experience in their own voices, speculative or other fiction that explores forms of society that work for ordinary people, books that tear down prevailing myths. I guess I’m looking for truth now, both historical and emotional, and I want books that will open my eyes to it. I want to surround myself with sane, rational, grown-up voices that are looking for truth too.

At least, that’s what I like reading right now. Maybe next month I’ll turn to horror novels or westerns, who knows? But whatever I need, there will always be exactly the right kind of books out there, waiting to be found; companions to share my journey. That’s the beauty of reading.