I've already started another book in Japanese that I will post about soon, but the 本を守ろうとする猫の話 book hangover is real, so I'm posting a longer quote for you that stuck with me over the last month.
Context: Rintarō was raised by his grandfather who has just died. While he is still grieving, he starts going on adventures with a talking cat to save the books. On those adventures Rintarō is able to change some hearts by reflecting back on lessons his grandfather taught him when he was still alive. This is one of those lessons:
林太郎が学校を休みがちになり、がむしゃらに夏木書店の書棚をあさっていた頃のことだ。学校に嫌気がさしていた林太郎は、本の壁の中に閉じこもり、しだいに外界に対して興味を失って活字の世界だけに没入していった。そんな孫に、無口な祖父は珍しく言葉を重ねて告げた。 ”ただがむしゃらに本を読めば、その分だけ見える世界が広がるわけではない。どれほど多くの知識を詰め込んでも、お前が自分の足で歩かなければ、すべては空虚な借り物でしかないのだよ” 難しい言葉の連なりに首をかしげる孫を、祖父は静かな瞳で見返しながら、 ”本がお前の代わりに人生を歩んでくれるわけではない。自分の足で歩くことを忘れた本読みは、古びた知識で膨らんだ百科事典のようなものだ。誰かが聞いてくれなければ何の役にも立たない骨董品に過ぎない” 祖父は孫の頭をそっと撫でながら付けくわえた。 ”お前はただの物知りになりたいのか？[...]読むはよい。けれども読み終えたら、次は歩き出す時間だ” 夏川草介：本を守ろうとする猫の話 p47f
I though it was a very kind and gentle way for a grandfather who manages an antique book shop himself and who certainly is a book worm just as much as his grandson to reach out to a young boy who was on the verge of shutting himself off completely.
I also think it's generally good advice: Read your books and then walk with the new knowledge and experiences for a while. See were it will lead you and give it space to influence how you see the world around you.
