I like books. That’s the simple way to put it. The definition of a bookworm is a person who enjoys reading, or formally, ‘the larva of a wood-boring beetle which feeds on the paper and glue in books’, surprisingly, I identify more with the former. Being a bookworm isn’t all its cracked up to be though. In movies and TV, the bookworm is the geeky, shy kid that as soon as they take off their glasses turns into a major hottie (I never had glasses so always felt very left out of the stereotype.). However, that is not what being a bookworm is really like. If you are such a creature as the bookworm, you will understand the situations below, if not, enlighten yourselves.
1) The Financial Struggle:
Being obsessed with books isn’t all sunshine and roses. While paper does in fact, grown on trees, you would be amazed at how expensive it is to keep up a reading habit. The best places to find great books is a second-hand book shop (a Mecca for all bibliophiles), but sometimes, you just must go for that new shiny cover of a novel with an unbroken spine. Unfortunately, these books tend to be more on the pricey side and long story short, you spend the majority of your money on a first edition Jane Eyre and reading snacks than you do on pints and cute outfits. A constantly empty bank account just comes with the territory of being a book freak.
2) The Physical Struggle:
Bookworms are an endangered species thanks to their proclivity for living life on the fucking edge.
If you’re anything like me, when you really get into a book, you tend to read on the go. Bathroom, you read, on a bus, you read, walking, you read. And here is where the true danger lies. I don’t know if I can speak for anyone else (I absolutely am) when I say that I’ve my fair share of head injuries, ie. Walking into poles, and am accustomed to the angry glare of someone I’ve just walked into the back of while reading. But, when you really think about it, I’m expanding my mind, and they just got their body in the way so really, they’re the rude one in this situation, not me. Then there are the inevitable paper cuts from furiously flipping the pages of your book. In summary, you need a lot of plasters.
3) The Emotional Struggle:
Readers tend to be emotional people. That’s just a fact. So when you become totally immersed in a novel and form a real attachment to a specific character or relationship, you KNOW there are going to be tears if something happens to them. I don’t think I was the only person out there that has flung a book or two across a room and vowed never to read another book by the author that crushed your dreams and bore a hole in your soul that no other literary character will ever fill. It’s a dramatic and painful rollercoaster of emotion we bookworms put ourselves through. We should really be awarded with medals of bravery.
4) The Blows To Your Ego:
Someone holding a book is automatically going to look clever. You know it, I know it, the world knows it. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always translate into actual intelligence. I’ve run into situations which are more that a bit uncomfortable for my love of books. Ask me any kind of questions about literary devices of character development, I’m your girl, but when people expect you to be knowledgeable about everything, just because you read a couple of Harry Potter books, the look of ultimate disappointment is soul destroying. If you’re a general knowledge nut then you have nothing to worry about but if you are just a mere mortal, prepare not to meet the expectations of everyone around you. It’s coming, just you wait.
5) The Unpredictability Of It All:
And finally, comes the factor that shocks everyone, sometimes, I don’t want to read. Don’t let characters like Rory Gilmore or that nerdy kid from Gossip Girl fool you, reading isn’t fun all the time. Your eyes get sore, you lose sleep, all of the words start to bleed together after a while. Its hard-core stuff. Sometimes, you just need to take a break and watch TV for a while. Being a bookworm doesn’t mean you have to read 24/7, it just means that you have a passion for literature. That passion doesn’t have to be exhibited all the time, but when it is, god knows its intense. And with that, the fourth wall is shattered!
Ava Hollingsworth