Multitude of Books

I always have several books spread in the various regions in which I frequent. Currently, two books are stacked on the small table in my living room. They earn my attention briefly when I sit on the blue-green futon, before indulging in Netflix or filming a podcast. My bedstand recently watched one book leave in exchange for another. I should have figured that philosophy requires more in-depth thought than I am prepared for prior to sleep.

I haven’t written about anybody else’s philosophy for some time; perhaps a year has passed. It’s not to say I haven’t written about philosophy at all, but I have missed contemplating my connections with other thinkers. So, Seneca, let’s chat!

In his second letter to his friend, Lucilius, Seneca wrote that, “a multitude of books only gets in one’s way.” He would, no doubt, be disappointed by the state of literary affairs in my apartment. The following are bookmarked at various points:

• Wendell Berry’s The Unsettling of America
• White Fragility by Robin D’Angelo
• Letters from a Stoic by Seneca
• The Metaphysical Club by Louis Menard

Is he right to assert such a claim? He’s arguing depth over breadth here. And while depth matters, multiple books offer something a single one can’t: variety of mood, a different register depending on whether it’s 7am or midnight, the freedom to follow your energy rather than forcing it.

My goal this year is to read twelve books — a totally feasible mark. The books I mentioned above will most certainly see completion, but no one knows which one will reach the end first. I most often spend my reading time before bed, but even that has been invaded by less productive routines. Still, The Metaphysical Club, regardless of its larger stature, might be read and finished first.

Ordinarily, I’d argue against Seneca’s statement. I’ve always had a broad range of books open, or at least two. Based on my recent experience with hyperfixating, I wonder if one book is the answer.

While two books — or dare I consider three — give choice, it is exactly that that stagnates reading. Deciding which book to dive into digs into the finite pool of decisions to be made each day. Teaching takes up 90% of that pool (if you know, you know). A singular book removes the decision making process. I’ll try it this month! One book only!

The challenge becomes figuring out which book to focus on. Right now, The Metaphysical Club stands out. It’s bedtime worthy, as well as educational enough for daytime entertainment.

Here’s my commitment to read one book until it’s finished. Even Seneca may need to rest for a while. Luckily, I snagged a few fragments to dissect in the coming weeks. 

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