Readers make non-readers think that they need to be well-versed in the Classics in order to get any enjoyment out of this pastime.I completely disagree. Reading is about finding what you like, what interests you, or what you'd like to learn about. It is this pressure to read Fitzgerald, Tolstoy, or Dickens that creates the divide; at times it is a task too daunting for the inexperienced reader and will make those even slightly interested in picking up a book drop the subject entirely. Contrary to what many avid readers like to think, reading is not a members only activity that requires some sort of background knowledge. Read what you like! Anything! And once you do you may find that sooner or later you become introduced to worlds you never expected to enjoy.
Reading is an experience on so many levels. The reader develops a personal relationship with the author or the character but outside of that reading is an entirely unifying experience. No matter where you go in the world, coming across another person who is reading a book that you have read is instantly gratifying. I have observed this countless times, but perhaps the one that stands out most occurred at my job. Several months ago, I noticed a customer in line reading Clash of Kings from the Song of Ice and Fire series. As I, too, have read this book I was excited to comment on it. However, when he reached the front of the line I realized that he was deaf. Still hoping to make some sort of comment on the book, I choose to write on his cup. Below his name I wrote, "I love that book!". Half way through his beverage he noticed the message and jumped up. Coming back to the counter, he flagged me down and shook my hand and gave me a thumbs up. I think about this experience often and note it as one of the truly remarkable, but not often thought of, benefits of reading. Although this customer and I could not communicate with our words we were still able to connect because of our shared experience.
So, for those of you shying away from picking up a book and trying it out for fear of not understanding a few words or because you are afraid you could never finish a book with more than a hundred pages, give it a chance. Don't listen to those that convince you that you have to read one of the Classics to get the full experience. Start small and then see where it leads you. Reading is a secret society, its true, but the secret is that everyone is invited.