There are a million ways the human mind resonates with books. While some are drawn by the storyline, others get connected with the characters, the writing technique/style or literary devices used by the author.
Unlike movies, books allow you visualize scenes and settings as you immerse yourself in its wordings thus, creating a movie in your mind.
Reading Anton Chekhov’s short story, ‘The Bet’, participants of the AIFA Mini Story Series on Saturday, May 9th, 2020, relieved an argument that transpired between a banker and a lawyer regarding the immoral nature of death sentence and life imprisonment and the resulting bet.
“It seems to me that the young lawyer lived a ‘lifetime’ in three parts during the fifteen years of his confinement:
Years 1-6: Youth – light, frivolous, much time wasted
Years 6-10: Mid-years – Focused on building knowledge and skills
Years 11-15: Old age – Becoming more spiritual, religious and reaching a deeper meaning of life.
He gains a realisation towards the end of his confinement that contentment is not the result of material wealth, but a mindfulness, appreciation and acceptance of the present living condition.”
Other participants shared their views on the story:
Adeleke Adeite: “Death sentence is more immoral than life sentence. There is always a punishment for offences, I believe that punishment should be correctional and not ‘terminal’.
I think the fact that the banker had no human connection made his case worse, and this brings to fore, the importance of human connection over ‘financial transaction.”
Oluchi Ndee: “…Personally I found it quite fascinating that anyone would gamble fifteen years of their life in total isolation for monetary gain.
Fascinating…. speaks alot about the kind of person he was at that point in his life.”
Titilayo Arogundade: “I learnt that the theory that ‘you want what you don’t have’ is very true. But, I also learnt that things like money shouldn’t be taken as seriously as they usually are; that there are more important things in life.”
The AIFA Book Club connect you with books and the knowledge therein, its richness, experiences, imaginations and whims created with words. At the AIFA Mini Story Series, books are brought to life!
