* The author is part of the community of readers of La Vanguardia
Curiosity, that spark that drives us to explore, to ask, to discover the world around us, is the driving force behind great feats and discoveries. It is the force that leads us to seek answers, to challenge what is established and to enter the unknown. Without it, life would be a path devoid of surprises and learning.
In the vast universe of literature, curiosity becomes an invaluable tool to unravel the mysteries that surround each work and each author. Behind the pages of a book hide secrets, anecdotes and connections that invite us to delve into its backroom and explore its ins and outs.
The feeling of curiosity is the spice we need in life. The desire for knowledge and self-aggrandizement as a person through reading would not be effective without that pinch of curiosity that human beings have inherent in their nature. As a tireless explorer of literature, I have spent years delving into the backroom of books.
If a work attracts me after reading it, I need to know the origin of its creation and the author’s philosophy of life in order to understand the reasons for its invention.
In recent times, the Internet has been my best ally, although I do not forget the days when, almost secretly, I gathered information in encyclopedias, magazines and newspapers. Continuing in my vein, I recently found the answer to the legend that “wearing yellow on stage brings bad luck.”
Curiously, it is called “Moliére’s Evil”, in honor of the wonderful French playwright and actor of the 16th century. Moliére died on stage dressed in yellow, after an attack of bloody cough, while performing his last work: The Imaginary Sick. And thus the legend was born.
Another day, among my vast home library, I rediscovered one from my youth: The Catcher in the Rye, published 60 years ago by the mysterious and elusive New York writer J.D. Salinger. This book entered legend as The Murderous Novel, due to various spooky coincidences.
John Lennon’s assassin had it with him at the time of his arrest, and John Hinckley Jr., who attempted to assassinate Ronald Reagan, confessed to being obsessed with this book. Furthermore, Robert John Bardo, the murderer of Rebecca Schaeffer, an American actress, was wearing it when he visited her in her apartment on the day of her murder. Macabre coincidences or simple coincidences?
There are numerous cases that show the influence of books on real life and vice versa. For example, George Orwell’s novel 1984 has left an indelible mark on language and popular culture, popularizing terms such as “Big Brother” and “doublethink.”
The concept of omnipresent surveillance and state control described in the work has even served as inspiration for political movements and debates about privacy and individual freedom.
On the other hand, the phenomenon of fanfiction, where fans take characters and universes from popular works to create their own stories, is an example of how the creativity of readers can transcend the limits of the original text and give rise to new narratives and communities of passionate fans.
Likewise, we cannot fail to mention the various theories and speculations surrounding some literary classics, such as the enigmatic ending of Don Quixote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes, which has given rise to infinite interpretations about the true nature of the protagonist and the final message of the work.
But the literary curiosities do not stop there. Did you know that the great Russian writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky, author of masterpieces such as Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov, was almost executed by firing squad? He was sentenced to death for participating in subversive intellectual circles, but at the last moment, his sentence was commuted to hard labor in Siberia. This experience deeply marked his work and his vision of life.
And what about the famous mystery author Agatha Christie, who mysteriously disappeared for eleven days in 1926. Her car was found abandoned and an intense search ensued involving police and volunteers. Christie was eventually found in a hotel, using a false name. This incident inspired many theories and speculations, but the truth behind her disappearance remains an enigma.
These stories remind us that there are thousands of fascinating stories behind every book. These are just a few examples of the countless literary curiosities waiting to be discovered by those who venture to explore the fascinating world of books.
Each page, each word, hides a universe of possibilities and secrets that wait to be revealed by those with an open mind and curiosity intact. So, as readers and explorers of literature, let curiosity be our guide and our traveling companion on this exciting journey towards knowledge and imagination.
The adventure does not end when we read END on the last page. No, it is at that precise moment when a new version of what we read begins, the one that we discover in that back room that can be as or more interesting than the theme of the work itself.
Therefore, I recommend to every good reader to never relegate curiosity to the drawer of oblivion, because without it, life will simply become a monotonous and chronic illness. May curiosity always be the compass that guides us on our literary journey, discovering new worlds and unraveling mysteries that enrich us as individuals and as human beings.
