People who do not consider the issues of identification and representation to be important, have unknowingly walked in the mirror house of culture, in the glow of endless reflections similar to themselves, writes Salmi.
If I had thought the book was bad, I might have been able to finish it halfway. But the book was great, really impressive. At the same time, it was just demanding and exhausting.
Perhaps comfort and ease are such overemphasized features that other ways of reading fall by the wayside. With Sutinen’s book, I thought about what are the other reasons for my reading.
In addition to enjoyment, many reading enthusiasts long for identification with literature. Between the covers we look for a representation of who we are. Others scoff at this desire, the idea of \u200b\u200bart as a mirror. Art is a window, a door to the world! It is self-centered to look for one’s own image there.
I think it’s natural to want to find yourself in the world of literature, and the world in general. Once you’ve found yourself, it’s easier to be interested in what else there might be. Often, even people who do not consider the issues of identification and representation to be important, have unknowingly walked in the culture’s house of mirrors, in the glow of endless reflections similar to themselves.
*Ronja Salmi*
*The author is a journalist and writer who casually listens to the trilogy Here Under the Pohjan Star. So far there are more than 40 listening hours left.*
*The column can be discussed on 8.3. until 23:00.*