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Sonia Rumzi

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A World Without Books: An Opinion

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Welcome to the Blog-A-Licious Tour, sponsored by PeaceFromPieces.com.

Thirty of the 850 Blog-A-Licious blogs are writing about the same topic and many are offering contests and giveaways so check them out. If you just stopped by Kriti’s How About This:  http://kriti-howaboutthis.blogspot.com/, welcome! And when you hop over to the next stop at Paula’s Hardline Self Help http://hardlineselfhelp.com/ say hi! The whole lineup is below!

When the subject was brought up, a world without books, all I could think about was speech. Relating stories, telling the tale from generation to generation. Heroic acts and romance told in song around a fire. I imagined a world where more contact prevailed, word of mouth from one person to the next.

It worked for centuries for Aborigininal Tribes, the American Indians and the Polynesians. Stories of old. The Africans are well known for their tribal stories told with music. Egyptians sang their tales with “rababa” and “nay”.

Rebab String Instrument
Image by Georges Jansoone via Wikimedia

Men walked the streets with their instruments telling and re-telling the tales of generations gone by. People gathered to hear singing along at times. Most listened wide eyed with amazement.

A world without books may not be all so bad. It may get families talking to each other. It could get people to learn their Bible and study it. If I could walk around with the word in my heart not depending on paper, I could live with that.

The narrators were a cautious generation and added the new happenings but kept the old intact. Do we presume that writing kept the facts? I doubt that! They saying is “History is written by the victorious”. Facts are subjective at best. The responsibility for accuracy comes into play with spoken or written word.

Someone in the tribe had to learn the stories and carry them to the next generation. Did we do them a disservice by introducing books? I am not sure. Am I dependent on the paper Bible so I do not learn the word, yes. Is that a disservice to me? I do not know the answer.

Just a thought!

For everyone that comments on this and leaves an email address, my publisher has arranged a special gift; a *free* eBook copy of my novel Simple Conversation.

Here are all the Blog-A-Licious Tour Stops!

  1. Dora – http://peacefrompieces.blogspot.com/
  2. Kriti – http://kriti-howaboutthis.blogspot.com/
  3. Sonia Rumzi – http://soniarumzi.com/
  4. Paula – http://hardlineselfhelp.com/
  5. Kate & Ashley – http://backofthebookreviews.com/
  6. Roy – http://royd-spiltmilk.blogspot.com/
  7. Shaeeza – http://shaeeza.blogspot.com/
  8. Anna – http://annalwalls.blogspot.com/
  9. Lisa – http://misclisa.blogspot.com/
  10. Jessica – http://findingonesway.com/
  11. Corinne – http://www.everydaygyaan.com/
  12. Nicole – http://riverarunsthroughit.blogspot.com/
  13. Tosh – http://totsymae.com/
  14. Desiree – http://www.desireeholttellsall.com/
  15. Shelley – http://bookfare.blogspot.com
  16. Tessa – http://tessadick.blogspot.com
  17. DK Levick – http://dklevick.wordpress.com/
  18. La Vonya – http://www.Battered-not-broken.blogspot.com
  19. Janet – http://jlbcreatives.blogspot.com/
  20. Jim – http://holesinmysoles.blogspot.com/
  21. Linda – http://bookorbust.blogspot.com/
  22. Sibylla – http://divaluscious.com/category/mad-moms-manifesto/
  23. Amber – http://wosushi.wordpress.com/
  24. Lori – http://www.girlparker.typepad.com
  25. Neil – http://www.neilostroff.blogspot.com
  26. Tina – http://tinahoggatt.wordpress.com/
  27. Babz – http://lovebabz.blogspot.com/
  28. John – http://jmountswritteninblood.com/
  29. Violet – http://rhiannonpaille.blogspot.com
  30. Dora – http://blogaliciousblogs.blogspot.com

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  • Man I feel like a man among the writing gods with all these great posts. Sonia, are number one with a bullet Top of the Pops. Loved your post.

    • Thank you John my friend. You know me, I love your blog all the time. Thanks for the compliment.

  • Kriti Mukherjee

    Sonia – interesting point of view and a whole lot of food for thought. I don’t know the answer either but for me I have to have my books, who would tell me those stories, how do I get to live characters now that the age of the storytellers is bygone? In India too we have the “Baul” singers who go from village to village singing fabulous folklore – they are fantastic but they are rare now. Loved being here!!!

    • Thank you Kriti. Yes, I know. India is rich with that tradition too. Some day i will come and visit and we shall meet. All my love.

  • Yes, I agree it’s the words that get me – which is why I could move over to blogging and discover a whole new set of words here.  The beauty of the oral tradition is that each narrator brought her/his own typical style and perspective to the tale. But there lies the danger too – when like Chinese whispers it could all get distorted. I suppose, that’s why the written form gained importance. Having said that, each reader brings their own perspective when they read the same text. I’m contradicting myself, but it’s all your fault, Sonia. Your wonderful post has given me much food for reflection.

    • You give me too much credit Corinne. I was at your site. You already are a thinker. Do not hide behind my post. Thank you for coming by. I will see you later.

  • Totsymae

    Nice post, Sonia. But I have to have books or something tangible since I’m not an auditory learner. I think it’s such a gift to be able to rattle a story or poem out loud or to just listen and elaborate on what you’ve heard. You  brought up good background information for the precursor to books and perhaps I’d have better auditory skills if I was born back then. But then, I really do love my laptop 😀

    • Me too! glad you stopped by. I love my Kindle. Got all my books in one place to take wherever. 🙂

  • Pandora Poikilos

    Interesting viewpoint Sonia. Thank you for joining the tour. 
    Big hugs – Dora http://pandorapoikilos.com

    • I still love books. 🙂 But love my Kindle so much. Thanks for doing this. You are a gem!

  • Love Babz

    Now that is a very interesting perspective. WOW! I am glad to have the opportunity to meet you and read your blog.  You definitely give me something new to ponder.  Oh and do come back around…I wasn’t ready for you yesterday! 🙂  I am enjoying the Blog-A-Licious Tour.

    • Me too. I stopped by again. Love the blog and the look of our site.

  • ilovebooks1972

    Love your comment about if writing it down keeps all the facts.  That is such a true statement about the victors write the history.  Glad to be on the Blog-A-Licious Tour with you!
    Lisa at http://misclisa.blogspot.com/

  • There is something to be said for the oral tradition of past cultures and how families and groups would gather to hear stories or learn the histories of their ancestors.  But I think the tradition of gathering and imprinting words on your heart can be continued, even with the printed page.  

    Many don’t, but it can be done.

    • No doubt! Thank you for stopping by. 🙂

  • I love the idea of storytelling by song, and it makes me wish I was more of an audio than visual person. For me to remember something, I have to read it and then write it myself for it to sink in! I fear that a world without books would be like living that Drew Barrymore movie “50 First Dates” for me!

    • Thank you so much Shelley! Yes, that movie was weird.

  • lavonya savage

    Love it, great post:)

    • Thanks Lavonya. I posted yours all over. 🙂

  • I like the idea of stories traveling around in an oral tradition.  It also reminds me of Farenheit 451 where people had memorized books in order to keep them in their life after they were burned.  Great post.

    • Thank you Melissa. Thanks for coming by.  Yes, I just read Fahrenheit 451 this year. Quite amazing!

  • Jim

    Hopping around here Sonia. Yes, the traditional story teller in ancient or even modern tribal societies was a respected person. And the whole tribal history would be held in oral form.  That tradition still lives on, perhaps less so but still survives.

    • It sure does Jim. Thanks for stopping by. Good to see you here.

  • Roy_durham

    Sonia  there is the one point i think you stated “Am I dependent on the paper Bible so I do not learn the word, yes. Is that a disservice to me? I do not know the answer.”  if a world without book ment living the words of the bible , that the world for me.  i would love to stand or sit in the crowned and hear Jesus speak . with on books to eat his words.  and give life to them. that would be my world. thank you and god bless

    • I knew a man who insisted that his children learn one book of the Bible each. As the years passed they learned more. I wish I thought of that when mine were small. God bless you my friend.

  • Jessica Brant

    Sonia,

    Ya know i never thought about the tradition of story telling by speech. STILL I WOULD MISS BOOK GREATLY.

    Loved you post 🙂

    Here is my link to A World Without Books

    Finding One’s Way

    xoxo
    Jessica

    • I adore my books Jessica. I would not do without them. It was just a thought!

  • Sonia…this is an interesting spin on a World Without Books. I totally agree with you, conversation and story telling are essential in society. That is my spin anyways. I think they walk hand in hand, Books and verbal. It is always about the balance. For me, when I turn to a Book, it is to be quiet..to be lifted into another world and be carried by the Author to places and scenes not travelled before. But in the quiet….maybe pen a thought of inspiration brought about by the words I am reading.

    I am also very much a conversationalist…love conviviality! It is also essential in my life. That connection on a physical level, experiencing all the nuances of what I am hearing, sensing, seeing and then integrating. Being part of an active connection in the Moment.

    Great post and love the food for thought…I am now following…

    • Thank you Raven. I love books. It was just a thought! 🙂 thanks for stopping by. Glad you joined us on Writing and Writers. Welcome!

  • hey Sonia!  Love the mental picture of the wandering story-tellers.  Now There’s a word picture.  Great image.  

    • Thanks Lori. I am glad! Thank you so much for stopping by. 🙂

  • JLB Creatives JanetBeasley

    What a wonderful take on the topic. It truly makes you think in a different way. Great post! So glad you were on the tour.  Have a wonderful day. ~Janet~ JLB Creatives jlbcreatives@gmail.com 

    • Thanks JLB. I read that you are a photographer also. I am thrilled to have met you. Thank you for stopping by. 🙂

  • tasteofbeirut

    Just read an article saying how the old story-tellers of Damascus are a dwindling lot; it is such a shame, I would love to see these story teller again, gathering crowds around them and displaying their eloquence and charisma; maybe it will come back, hoping!

    • I just got to see your note to me. Yes, they are dwindling in Upper Egypt also from what I gather. Very sad. :0) thanks for stopping by.

  • Great take on a topic. It makes me think about it. Thanks!