BOOKS – OUR BEST FRIENDS

 

BOOKS – OUR BEST FRIENDS

By Mrunal Shethiya


My never falling friends are they.

With whom I converse day by day,

With them I take delight in weal,

And seek relief in woe.

This is how the great poet Robert Southey refers to books. Books are our true friends. They never desert or deceive us. They never betray us. They are our constant companions who stand by us through thick and thin.

We do not know how time flies in the company of our favourite books. We can pass hours and days in their company. They share our happiness and console us in our sorrow. Like friends books entertain and inspire us. They give courage to us in life’s struggles. They fill our heart with hope and cheer when we are in despair.

But there is a great difference between human friends and books. Since birds of the same feather flock together, the intellectual and cultural level of our friends is the same as ours. Their tastes, attitudes, temperament, thoughts and beliefs are similar to those of ours. Therefore, their capacity to guide, encourage and inspire us is limited. But when we read books, we are in the company of the best and the noblest minds of all ages and therefore they can provide us great encouragement and inspiration. So powerful is the influence of some of the books that they sometimes change the entire course of the reader’s life. We know the influence exerted by books of Ruskin and Tolstoy on Gandhi’s life. Great books free us from cares and worries, tensions and conflicts and transport us to the world of joy. Peace and harmony. They enrich our minds and broaden our outlook. They sharpen our sensibilities. They mould our character and personality.

Good books are treasure houses of knowledge. When we open a book, we open a treasure house of knowledge. And since knowledge is power, great books are a means to acquire power.

Books are the windows to the world. A glimpse into books gives us a glimpse of the world.

Just as it is necessary to choose our friends, it is also necessary to choose books. There are thousands and lacs of books. Out of these we have to select those books which would be useful to us. The choice will depend on our tastes and Interests, temperament and needs. Like friends we should have books to help us in our studies, to guide and inspire us in our life and to entertain us when we are tired.

Good books are our friends, philosophers and guides.





Comments

Popular posts from this blog

THE ADJECTIVES

My Ambition in life

Essay on A SCENE IN THE EXAMINATION HALL