Mais um dia de chuva torrencial no Porto. Entro na carruagem do metro apinhada de gente, o ar saturado de humidade, as janelas embaciadas. Tento manter-me afastada dos guarda-chuvas molhados dos outros e procuro não incomodar ninguém com o meu. Detesto guarda-chuvas. Detesto! Algumas paragens mais adiante vaga um lugar. É a satisfação de me sentar por uns quinze minutos, pegar num livro e esquecer os pés molhados dentro das botas que cederam ao dilúvio. Só quero chegar a casa. Mas este fim de dia neurótico reserva-me um desenlace feliz: ao ocupar o meu lugar dou de caras com a Marlene que lê. Consumidora habitual de romances, romances históricos e livros de teor espiritual — os seus géneros literários preferidos —, a Marlene considera que ler é um prazer que tem grandes virtudes: permite que conheçamos histórias (reais ou fictícias) que servem de exemplos orientadores para as nossas vidas, amplia o nosso vocabulário e a nossa capacidade de expressão, estimula o nosso imaginário. "Idealizamos os locais, os objectos, as personagens fisicamente e aí é que está a magia da leitura. Por vezes quando acabo um livro e começo outro, tenho dificuldade em desligar-me do anterior", diz. O livro que tinha consigo quando a conheci era "A Herança", de Danielle Steel. "É uma escritora de que gosto muito. Já li vários livros dela. A escrita é simples, com histórias intrigantes e empolgantes que envolvem sempre o amor", explica. O romance fora-lhe emprestado, algo normal para Marlene que troca frequentemente de livros com familiares, amigos e colegas de trabalho. Pedi-lhe que me dissesse qual é o livro da sua vida. Respondeu que talvez seja "A Sombra do Vento", de Carlos Ruiz Zafón. E a mensagem ou ensinamento mais importante que um livro já lhe transmitiu? A Marlene foi buscar a resposta a um outro livro de Zafón, "O Jogo do Anjo": "As boas palavras são bondades inúteis que não exigem sacrifício algum e recebem mais agradecimentos do que as verdadeiras bondades".
It is another stormy day at Porto. I go into the crowded subway carriage, air is filled with moist, the windows misty. I try to stay away from other people wet umbrellas and try not to bother anyone with mine. I hate umbrellas. I hate it! A few stops further a seat is left vacant. The satisfaction to be able to seat for fifteen minutes, grab a book and forget the wet feet inside the boots that couldn't handle the flood. I just want to get home. But this neurotic finish for the day has a happy end: while taking my seat I find Marlene reading. A usual consumer of romances, historic novels and spiritual books - her favorite literary styles -, Marlene thinks reading is a pleasure with great virtues: it allow us to know (real or fictitious) stories which work as guiding examples for our lives, it enlarges our vocabulary and the ability to express ourselves, it stimulates our imagination. "We idealize the places, the objects, the characters in their physical form and that is where the magic of reading lies in. Sometimes when I finish a book and start another, I have troubles getting rid of the one before”, she says. The book she had with her when we met was "Legacy", by Danielle Steel. “It is a writer I like very much. I read several of her books. The writing is simple, with intriguing and exciting stories that always involve love", she explains. The novel was loaned to her, something common for Marlene who usually trades books with relatives, friends and co-workers. I asked her to tell me what is the book of her life. She answered that possibly is “Shadow of the Wind", by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. And the most important message or teaching given by a book? Marlene got the answer form another Zafón book, "The Angel’s Game": “Good words are useless kindness that demands no sacrifices and get more thanks than true kindness".
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It is another stormy day at Porto. I go into the crowded subway carriage, air is filled with moist, the windows misty. I try to stay away from other people wet umbrellas and try not to bother anyone with mine. I hate umbrellas. I hate it! A few stops further a seat is left vacant. The satisfaction to be able to seat for fifteen minutes, grab a book and forget the wet feet inside the boots that couldn't handle the flood. I just want to get home. But this neurotic finish for the day has a happy end: while taking my seat I find Marlene reading. A usual consumer of romances, historic novels and spiritual books - her favorite literary styles -, Marlene thinks reading is a pleasure with great virtues: it allow us to know (real or fictitious) stories which work as guiding examples for our lives, it enlarges our vocabulary and the ability to express ourselves, it stimulates our imagination. "We idealize the places, the objects, the characters in their physical form and that is where the magic of reading lies in. Sometimes when I finish a book and start another, I have troubles getting rid of the one before”, she says. The book she had with her when we met was "Legacy", by Danielle Steel. “It is a writer I like very much. I read several of her books. The writing is simple, with intriguing and exciting stories that always involve love", she explains. The novel was loaned to her, something common for Marlene who usually trades books with relatives, friends and co-workers. I asked her to tell me what is the book of her life. She answered that possibly is “Shadow of the Wind", by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. And the most important message or teaching given by a book? Marlene got the answer form another Zafón book, "The Angel’s Game": “Good words are useless kindness that demands no sacrifices and get more thanks than true kindness".
Translated by Marisa Silva
