Hole In My Life Analysis

A wise man by the name of Benjamin Franklin once said, “Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.” Jack Gantos from the book Hole in my Life, reads books quite often, on his journey to become a professional writer. Although his life may have not went in the direction he wanted to, the books he read were what kept him level headed throughout his life. Many may argue that books hindered him through his journey, causing him to fall into legal trouble early in life. However, this is not the case. Jack gantos view of books and reading, ultimately helped him throughout life. Gantos passion for books helped him become the educated man he was. Many could say he did not have street smarts for indulging himself into drugs,
but as one can see the books he read gave him the knowledge that the college he applied for want him. The way he read books changed him, thus making him a better person with a sense of direction to follow. Gantos states, “Since I was trying so hard to make books lead my life, I did not want to read them and then put them back on the shelf and say, “good book,” as if I was patting a good dog. I wanted books to change me, and I wanted to write books that would change others.” That is exactly what books did for him, changed him. While books inspired him to become a better writer that changed the life of others though his downfalls of his life. Gantos refers to the reading of books similar to the using of drugs. Many, however, look at this in a way that books were unhealthy for him. This however is far from the truth. Yes, he read numerous books, and too much of anything can be negative. The relationship between books and drugs is not supposed to be linked to downfalls of drugs but the feelings one receives from them. Books gave him a distraction to life, a certain happiness that came to him while reading, similar to what the drugs did to him. For me personally, this is true as well. I love to read books that revolve around drugs and mental health issues. Many would argue as such that someone who has experienced the following should not be reading that genre of books, because it will cause them to follow in their old footsteps. For me personally I see it as more of connecting to the characters more personally. It give books meaning to the reader when the can relate to the books their reading. Reading for me has helped and changed me over the past years. As for Jack Gantos, the books he read ultimately helped him through his journey through life rather than hindered him.