“Do not read, as children do, to amuse yourself, or like the ambitious, for the purpose of instruction. No, read in order to live.”
― Gustave Flaubert
Flaubert himself wrote a short story that I think everyone should read in order to live. It is called A Simple Heart, and it is one of the most beautiful pieces of prose I have come across. The story of a poor, downtrodden servant named Felicite who manages to see God in the little things in life--especially her parrot--and be joyful despite her painful lot, A Simple Heart reminds us that it is the faith of a child that brings us to God--and to true happiness, and that this faith is not dependent on circumstances. That is certainly a lesson we all need to "read in order to live."
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