A Journey Worth Reading About by Melody

A Journey Worth Reading About by Melody - February 2015 Scholarship Essay

Every single student, regardless of where they go to high school, will be asked to read a number of different books for their classes. Usually, the English curriculum includes books like To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee or Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. As a lover of epic fantasy novels, I cannot say that these books are on my list of “must reads.” Not to say that they should not be read, but for me, a good book will immerse you in a completely different world. And so, the book (or rather, series of books) that taught me the most about how people are and what kind of person I would like to be has to be the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind. Specifically the first book, Wizard’s First Rule.

Now, why would I choose this book? Because it is wonderful, and not just in an “I love stories about magic and wizards” kind of way. In fact, I have three good reasons. First of all, this book is about a man who is forced from his home and into a place that he knows nothing about. Kind of like a high school student going to college, except with a significantly larger number of epic battles. Every person is bound to be put in a position that makes them feel uncomfortable, and it is rather nice to read about other people going through the same thing (though the characters usually have it worse.)

Second, the wizard rules are truly rules to live by. These rules are not necessarily a list of “thou shalt’s” and “thou shalt not’s.” These rules help the characters (and, of course, the readers) understand what it means to be human. As a reader, you learn that people will believe what they want to believe and that you need to be mindful of peoples’ actions as well as their words. That there will always be those who are hateful. That reason is important, and so is forgiveness. It helps you to be aware of yourself and of other people and of how your mindset can affect the outcome of the situation.

My third and final reason for choosing this book is the main character’s name. Yes, I am completely serious. It seems like a stupid reason, but allow me to explain. The main character’s name is Richard! Still confused? Alright, then. The name of this main character sets this story apart from the majority of classic epic stories like The Lord of the Rings (which I also love). Rather than the character having a name is not normal by our standards, like Frodo, the character is Richard. He is just like us. A normal guy in a not-so-normal situation. It makes him a much more relatable character, which helps to make the story easier to read.

Admittedly, the book is on the long side, which might be a turn off for some people. Regardless, I think it is worth the ride. Every high school student is on their own journey. I am a firm believer that Richard's journey is a journey worth reading about.