Jackson of course knew that books existed because people sat down and wrote them. They didn't just appear out of the blue. But why, was the question. There were books already in existence, plenty of them. Two of which he had to read at school. A Tale of Two Cities and Huckleberry Finn, each of them with language that wore you down though in different ways. And that was understandable. They were written in the past.
Jackson was aware that books were the result of human effort, created by authors dedicating their time to writing. However, he pondered the deeper question of why new books continued to be produced, especially when numerous existing works already filled shelves. Among these were classic titles such as "A Tale of Two Cities" and "Huckleberry Finn," which he had found challenging to engage with due to their dense language and the historical contexts they reflected.
The realization that literature is tied to its time and circumstances only added layers to his contemplation. Even with the rich array of stories already available, the drive to create new narratives remains a constant in human expression. Alice Munro's "Family Furnishings: Selected Stories, 1995-2014" exemplifies this ongoing literary journey, showcasing how contemporary authors respond to their experiences while building on the foundation laid by those before them.
