Give me a good murder mystery, preferably located in an English village, and I am as joyful as anyone playing outside on their bikes or jogging. When I am encased in a good story with characters I have come to think of as old friends, such as Detective Peter Diamond or Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope, the cares of the world disappear, and I feel free just to be entertained by an excellent investigation. I don’t try to determine who the culprit is, because that’s too much like work than play or relaxation.
Instead, I just enjoy the clues, although at the end of the book I will say, “Well, I never thought it would be him!” or “I should have known the perpetrator by that clue!” But when I read, I want to have a sense of freedom where I am not required to do anything but enjoy every word. And a book that keeps me enthralled to the point that I won’t go to bed until it ends is glorious to me. Nothing beats it, for me. It is similar to play in its ability to slow my weary mind and keep it on anything but my back surgery, or will we get to apply to live in Portugal this year?
Books free us to wander the world without paying for tickets and dealing with delays and cancellations at airports. We experience cultural differences from our own, which reminds us that our culture isn’t superior to others’. It also helps us see the similarities we share, all while keeping us entertained and helping us release some of the tedium of this life. That, for me, is the only way to play, although I love word puzzles and watching great television from around the world, usually murder mysteries as well. Yes, I might need to contemplate why murder seems to relax me. I think it has something to do with good defeating evil, and if you do the crime, you do the time. Justice is rewarding to me, which is what play should always be.
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