Reading can often be an enjoyable experience. A good book is as comforting as warm blankets on a winter day. Some reads, however, refuse to be such a comfort.
Naming one book or excerpt as the most difficult passage one has encountered is a subjective practice that prompts introspection. As I Lay Dying, penned by William Faulkner, was a difficult and challenging read. The story alone, if it had been told in a straightforward narrative, would not have been overly difficult: a family is on a journey to bury their mother. However, Faulkner is not one to let the reader off so easily. His style is eclectic and unique. Throughout this novel, he changes points of view from one character to another--even featuring the dead mother at one point--and allows the lines between reality and imagination to be blurred. Each chapter, being told by a different person than the previous, has the potential to offer various views of a situation and different perceptions of the truth, all while being shown through the mind of another. This is where the difficulty comes into play: each character is so different that the reader can have trouble remembering to sort through each one's profile and language. This is not to say that it was an impossible book to read. If it was, tenth grade English class would have gone very differently. Discussing the book with others as well as taking advantage of available summaries allowed for clarification of some of the more confusing points. A slower more careful reading process was necessary so as not to get tangled in the minds of the characters. With the combination of discussion and intense attention, the book became comprehensible and even enjoyable (if only because of laughing at some of the absurdity).
Challenging and difficult reads ought not be ignored and cast aside for simple and comforting ones. They too hold merit and can reveal more complex thoughts and even provide a deeper sense of accomplishment when one can close the book at its end.
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