It is not the act of reading itself that I miss, the opportunity to retreat further and further from the world until I have found some space, some air that isn't stale, that hasn't been breathed by my family a thousand times already. Janet's bedsit seemed enormous when I moved into it, enormous and quiet, but this book is so much bigger than that. And when I've finished it I'll start another one, and that might be even bigger, and then another, and I will be able to keep extending my house until it becomes a mansion, full of rooms where they can't find me...
The quote expresses a deep longing for the escape that reading provides, emphasizing how books create a personal retreat from the familiar confines of everyday life. The speaker misses not just the act of reading, but the profound ability to find solace and new spaces within the pages of a book, away from the repetitive atmosphere of home life. This desire illustrates the transformative power of literature to offer both physical and mental expansion, allowing one to explore vast new worlds.
The imagery of a modest bedsit becoming an expansive mansion through the act of reading highlights the contrast between one's immediate environment and the potential for growth through literature. Each book read serves as a pathway to new experiences and reflections, allowing the reader to create a sanctuary filled with imagination and solitude. This desire to extend one’s personal space underscores the importance of books as a means to foster individuality and escape, making them essential companions in the search for personal freedom.
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