by Clarissa Chua

I used to think that stories are only stories if they contain an important lesson to impart to the reader. If I still stood firm on this belief, I probably wouldn’t have discovered the wondrous books I’ve encountered the past few years.

Nevertheless, this belief of mine has led me to look deeper within a story, within a book. Is the story really what it seems? Or is there more to the graphics, the letters, and the drawings than meets the eye?

And this is partly why I have come to appreciate even Japanese comic books, or mangas, like Pokemon. The story and the fluffy creatures seem to have nothing to deal with life, but beyond catching Pokemon and training one’s self to be the best Pokemon master, I know that there are countless lessons to learn from them. This week’s quote, I believe, is a proof of that:

Look beyond the surface—close reading is as essential and enjoyable as reading the book as it is.

Do you have Last Book Syndrome as well? Share it in the comments below. See you next Friday! ☁

Note: This post is also dedicated to the late Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata who helped develop Pokemon, one of my favorite childhood games.