I’ve been asked about the first book I ever read…
I’d love to name something especially significant, that marked me with an enduring love for books – but frankly, I don’t remember for sure. I was very, very young – all of three – when my family, craving relief from my constant badgering for stories, stories and more stories, thought it would be nice to make me at least a little autonomous on the matter, and taught me to read. I think I hazily remember some picture book with an adventure of Gyro Gearloose, of all things, but really, it’s been more decades ago than I care to count.
On the other hand, I remember perfectly my first book without pictures: Jack London’s The Call of the Wild. I was six, and about to start primary school – time, I decided, to take the plunge and read “real” books by myself. Why the choice should fall on London, I don’t know. It was an old edition, likely a relic of my uncle’s childhood. Because I was a bit of a tomboy back then, and loved both dogs and mountain stories, Buck’s story must have seemed like a good fit. 
I remember reading it in the garden – and heartily disliking it. This poor, poor dog, wrenched from his pleasant life, sold, beaten, ill-treated, forced to become a tooth-and-claw creature, saved by a new kind master only to lose him and become a wolf… The thought of our own dog ever having to go through all this cruel and harrowing experiences was enough to give me nightmares – and truly, I have to wonder whoever decided The Call of the Wild was a children’s book…
Now, had I told my parents at some point, they would have told me to leave it aside, and given me something else to read. That I felt compelled to finish it and never say a word is to blame on my own stubbornness. In time (a good deal of time, in truth) I came to realise that books don’t have to be an ordeal – but the fact remains that my first “real” book was not a happy experience. I shudder to think how it could have turned me off reading for good…
I don’t remember what came after London. Certainly something I liked better, because after that I don’t remember a time when I didn’t have a book going. Still, you see why I say I’d like to have a different story for my First Book? It should have been a wonderful beginning – and instead it’s lucky that it wasn’t an unpleasant end.
What about you, O Readers – and your First Book, ?
Scribblings 
I had to read The Call of the Wild in elementary school. I recall not enjoying it. Though if I read it again now that I’m older, I wonder if I would get more out of it.
LikeLike
Good question… I tried London again, years later – and liked him no better than I had at six. As an adult I can say that the combination of setting and unredeemed cruelty just isn’t my cup of tea.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very very hard to remember.
I spent days on end, as soon as I was able to read, with the volumes of my uncle’s old “boys’ encyclopedia” – it was called “Vita Meravigliosa” and it was actually built as a collection of feature articles about – among other things – explorations, wild animals, classics of literature and stories from the Old Testament… I had no end of fun.
But yes – the first proper book was Hitchcock’s “Ghost Gallery” (about which, curiously enough, I was talking on my blog a few days back), followed suit by a stack of young reader mysteries (again, with the Hitchcock imprint on them).
And incidentally – I hated “The Call of the Wild” for just the same reasons.
LikeLike
Oh yes – encyclopaedias don’t count. I read from the Quindici books before poor Buck, but what I had in mind writing this post was fiction. So Hitchcock it is. Interesting – considering the Corsair stories you are writing now…
LikeLiked by 1 person
There is a reason – when I was a kid, I used to watch “Alfred Hitchcock Presents…” on the telly, and I loved it. And of course I loved the short silly intro pieces with Hitch himself… so when I found out there were books by Hitchcock (well, by his ghostwriters, actually) and they were kids’ books, I started collecting them.
LikeLike