The Power of Words

I'vebeen reading a book called How to Breath Under Water by Julie Orringer. Its a series of short stories about child hood and one of them, called Notes to Sixth Grade Self I found particularly moving.

Its a story about the ugly geeky kid in school is bullied and ostriziced by the many of the others. It was written with such clarity, sensitivity and humanity that the author had clearly experienced it for themselves. I know because that geeky kid was once me. On that note it was interesting to see one or two removers describe that particular story as one of the less serious. Clearly those reviewers had not been in that position, but that's not really what I wanted to talk about.

What always fascinates me is the power of words. This book, like many others touched me in a way that films have never managed to do, perhaps its a personal thing, perhaps its because this story was about something that I had experienced, but it goes wider than that. Many others books, where I have no connection to, have touched me far deeper and have been more memorable than any image on the screen has been.

I wonder whether it's because a book is such a personal thing, the thoughts and creativity of just one person rather than a mixture of the many that goes into a film? I wont think too deeply on this one, over analysis can sometimes destroy the magic!