When I got my first apartment, I had this fantasy of wall to wall bookcases. I loved the aesthetic of it, and reading was an obsession from the moment I learned how.
I wanted a mini bookstore with shelves dedicated to genre and alphabetized by author. It wasn't just the aesthetic, I suppose it made me feel more accomplished somehow, looking at those shelves, and knowing that I read every one, and knew the medical texts cover to cover.
A much different life later with 6 bookcases full, stacks of books piled in corners and on tables, and stuffed wherever they could go, I sought to condense, minimise, and simplify. When I moved into my home last year, I realized that I had read everything I owned, and if I wanted to read it again, I could just buy a digi copy. I've condensed to 3 bookcases now, keeping only what I deem necessary or sentimental. Some medical texts, a few childhood books with my grandmother's inscription written inside, a small collection of very old leatherbound poetry, an art book here and there. One day, I'll get down to 1 bookcase with room for a couple of pictures or candles, or whatever.
Although I prefer actually holding a book, feeling it, smelling the ink on the pages, I'm very happy with an app and having a library at my fingertips without all the clutter.
I had to read it for 2nd year English back in the day. I remember not getting it fully at first but thinking about it a lot for months afterwards, allowing its significance in my mind to ripen and increase over time. Stream of consciousness was a big influence on my own writing, too.
