Reading Hunt

Author: Editorial Department of Network and Books
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: The great achievements and profound knowledge in history and modern times must pass through three stages of cultivation; "Last night the west wind withered the green trees. Ascending the high tower, I gazed into the distance until the horizon." This is the first stage. "My belt grew loose, yet I never regretted it, for I would willingly wither away for her." This is the second stage. "Among the crowd, I searched for him a thousand times, only to turn around suddenly and find him, in the dimly lit corners of the lanterns." This is the third stage. — Wang Guowei, Words on Human Life "We must know what we must know, and we shall know what we must know." — David Hilbert
I grew up as a Chinese expatriate in Korea and came to Taiwan for university in 1974. In Korea, the number of Chinese people was already small, and various daily necessities were scarce. Among them, bookstores and the books within them were even rarer. Moreover, the city I lived in was Busan, not Seoul, making the situation even worse. Growing up in such an environment, I later developed an interest in literary work and even entered the publishing industry. Of course, there were many unpredictable and unexplainable elements of fate involved, but upon reflecting more carefully years later, I realized there was a fundamental logic to it. The logic is that no matter how impoverished the environment, at the very least, you must encounter one or two books that plant one or two mysterious seeds in your life.
I want to thank my parents for their efforts in helping me pursue reading and education. They also had a modest collection of books at home, where I found one such seed. (I wrote about this process in the essay "The Hunt for Reading" in this book, so I won’t elaborate further here.) After coming to Taiwan, reading was like entering paradise. Although I heard local seniors in the dormitory complain about the various taboos and restrictions on books in Taiwan at that time, it was something I hadn’t yet had the chance to complain about. However, soon enough, I also discovered the inconveniences of the environment of that era. For someone who used a crutch, borrowing books from the library was not easy; visiting Chongqing South Road was exhausting; and reaching the old bookstores on Guiling Street, with their cramped spaces and the need to climb and crouch, was nearly an impossible task. Many opportunities for reading were thus limited. If reading is likened to hunting, when too many actions require assistance from others, such hunting is inherently insufficient—even if it is a minor flaw in beauty. Therefore, at least for me, the reading environment in Taiwan after the 1990s holds great significance. On one hand, all taboos were lifted, and the content of software became increasingly rich. On the other hand, many bookstores and libraries improved their public facilities, making the hardware more accessible and inviting. Never mind the internet. It became increasingly reasonable for me to buy more used books online.
So, while the advancement of the times may disrupt some of the old beauties, I always prefer to observe the brighter side—especially when it comes to the hunt for reading. But we still need to do something. Have you seen the movie Enemy at the Gate? The sniper who made a name for himself in the Battle of Leningrad grew up hunting wolves with his grandfather in the snow. The smaller you are exposed to a hunting environment, the easier it is to become a hunter. The same applies to the realm of reading.
When it comes to reading, one of the most important environments we encounter is school. And today, schools are merely places that feed you into reading, not environments for the hunt for reading. We will discuss this topic further at another time.
Comparing reading to hunting has both merits and flaws. For example, in Western terms, when the word "hunting" is used in relation to books, it primarily means "for books"—in other words, to search for books to cherish. Reading may be secondary. Therefore, we have named this English book Hunting for Knowledge to make this distinction. As for Hunting for Books, yes, we will also do that.
Another flaw is that in actual hunting, the prey should be as eager to avoid you as possible. But in the hunt for reading, books and knowledge are sentient. If you sincerely seek them, they will come to you.