Today I will discuss the book that took me two years to read. It was The Shannara Chronicles: The Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks. It was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my adult life during an otherwise very dark time. I carried it everywhere with me. It went in my book bag back and forth to work, to doctor's appointments, and on car rides across state lines.
The entire journey took me from December 2016-June 2019 to finish just this one book. By the time I was ready to be done reading it, I was ready to willingly accept the next stage of my life.
Now for why it took me so long to read this book is very silly. I didn't want to come to the conclusion that the princess may or may not make it in the end. It echoed my very own worries about my own mortality and only after I knew that I was going to live did I finish the book.
What a wild ride it was when I opened it up in June of 2019 to finish the last sixty pages. It was worn and tattered, the cover torn and the binding falling apart. Only then did I realize there was an MTV series of it and I chose not to watch it. I didn't want to ruin the ending and I am glad that I didn't, because the merit of finding out what happened in the end was very important to me.
When I closed the book, finally finishing it after two years I understood why it had taken me so long. I needed to be at peace with whatever happened in the end of the book just like I needed to be at peace with whatever happened to me. It was lovely to go on the journey with Wil and Amberle while I was going through a journey of my own.
I thank the author, Terry Brooks for writing such an amazing story that helped me not only through the darkest time of my life, but to also see it as a transformative adventure where no matter what the outcome, life simply does not end. It is carried on through nature and spirit and the belief in something larger than oneself. It is carried on in the people that knew you and will remember for years to come.
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