I just read a book that described exactly what resides in my most horrific nightmares.
Alexia sine agraphia: the inability to recognize the printed word.
Howard Engels' book, "The Man Who Forgot How to Read", is a short memoir with a view into a published authors trip into a very dark world.
One morning he discovered that, due to an unnoticed stroke in the night, he was no longer able to recognize words.
He describes that mornings Globe and Mail looking as though it had been translated into Serbo-Croatian.
A self described 'omnivorous' reader.
Unable to read.
Interestingly, he retained the ability to write.
But he couldn't read his own words either.
Now, I recognize that in the larger scheme of things, simply not being able to read isn't truly 'the end'.
But for me it would be close.
I recommend this book.
Though Engel is a cheery, 'make the best of it' sort of fellow, you can't help but feel his constant sliver of fear that he may have read his last word.
18 comments:
I'm shivering just at the idea of losing my relationship with words and books (like you).
Really? I should read this? It won't make me too melancholy?
Okay! But if it makes me sad, I'm coming here to whine.
The idea of awakening and finding myself unable to read is terrifying, especially as I enter the age when that's a possibility. So, I'd best read the book before I am unable to read the book.
The thought of no longer being able to read makes me cringe. What would I do with myself? True hell indeed.
Ohhh NO!
That would be pretty awful.
I NEED to read...*shudder*
Thanks for the review,I'll look for that book here:)
When I wake up in the morning, I read....
Before I got to sleep, I read....
Like we discussed, Tai, this would be a life-shattering condition for the both of us.
That's interesting that he still retained the ability to write though. The brain is a strange and complicated place.
Considering there are 3 huge bookcases in this room I would be absolutely lost if I could not read. The book sounds fascinating - thanks for passing that on Tai.
I think that would pretty much be my idea of hell too. That, and not being able to hear music. But the written word most of all.
When you think of all the folks who communicate here by the written word, we would lose all of that if we could no longer recognize words.
*shudder*
Is this not the best of all possible worlds? But we still have to tend the garden.
I fear losing memory more.
Hi sweets. Updates for all.
Reading is up there as a MOST IMPORTANT source of enjoyment... that and seeing colour, I would want to die if colour was no longer available to me (sorry all you colour blind folks, you are missing out).
I can readily believe that reading and writing come from different parts of the brain. My son reads with SOME fluency, but his printed word is a terrible tragedy, it never ceases to amaze me. He reads a word fine (and understands it perfectly) then can't spell or print that same word to save his life!
That reminds me of the awful old "Twilight Zone" where the last man on earth, am avid reader, drops his ultra thick glasses and they break.
I think I've read excerpts of Engel's book in a magazine. That's really terrible.
There's something to be said about the oral tradition of storytelling, but if I couldn't remember how to read, I would be crushed.
Not being able to read...ahhhhh!!!!!! That's simply terrifying, what would I do?
I think that losing my ability to read would definitely be the end of the road for me. I never thought of how much I take it for granted...until now!
Hi Tai
A terrible thought, absolutely, but as human beings we are what we overcome. There are always audio books, and I even know a couple that reads to each other, taking turns reading out loud (I always thought this to be terribly romantic, they have been married 30 years). Computers can even read to you now days. If this is your idea of hell and you are confronted with it, then you just have to adapt to it. What you do to overcome it may not be as good as the real thing, but it's better than the alternative, which would be giving up on books altogether. Though I love reading, it's what I get from everything that I read that I truly love the most...
I read about that, too. Chilling, indeed. H.L. Mencken, one of my favorite early scribes suffered a stroke a decade before his death and that left him unable to read. He had to spend 10 years unable to do what he loved most. I think I'd rather die.
You've been nominated for a prize for being such a nice blogger. ;o)
Engel's publisher has created a site that mimics his experience, it's here: www.harpercollins.ca/howardengel in case anyone's interested.
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