The Ritual

Hi there!
I was thinking about something to write about for this first official post on the blog. And since I have very little time to spare these days, and thus could not really write about what novels I'm reading, or what novels I have read recently, nor could I start to elaborate on my favourite books and series, I've decided to tell you about a little way I found a few years back to sort of enhance my whole fantasy reading experience.

About 10 years ago, almost accidentally, I found a way to make reading a good novel an even better experience. I don't know about you, but all I need is a steaming cup of coffee, my favourite chair, and then I can just kick back and open my mind to this universe I'm reading about. That's what's so great about fantasy fiction: it allows you to escape your every day life and permits you to enter a new plane of existence. Hell, when you study Law, the last thing you want to read about is something by John Grisham! No offense to Grisham...;-)

No, the only thing that was missing was some sort of backdrop that could help me travel through that new universe, a backdrop that could somehow capture all the textures and emotions conveyed by the words of those pages. Something that would not intrude on the reading, nor take my mind away from the prose. Something that would just ease me on my way, and keep me firmly there once my mind had allowed me to travel to this new dimension.

And that backdrop proved to be movie soundtracks. For about a decade now, I can't sit down and enjoy a novel without a CD in the good old Denon stereo! Whether it's something by John Williams (the Master), James Horner, Hans Zimmer, or Howard Shore (saw him conduct the Lord of the Rings Symphony last year!), it adds a little something to the whole thing, which permits you to enjoy those books on another level.:-)

Understandably, we all have our favourites, so there's no use debating which ones are the best or the worst. Suffice to say that soundtracks have become an integral part of my reading experience, and if you haven't tried this before, I suggest you give it a shot. I am persuaded that you will not be disappointed.

What have I been listening to lately, you ask? Well, with more than 40 different soundtracks, I can allow myself some sort of rotation.:-) But some soundtracks find a way to return much more often than others. Anything composed by John Williams deserves to be in anyone's collection, I believe. No one has ever garnered more Oscar nominations, after all! The entire Star Wars saga is incredible, but my personal favourites remain A New Hope and The Return of the Jedi. E. T. the Extra-Terrestrial, the Indiana Jones trilogy, Saving Private Ryan, and the 3 Harry Potter sountracks are all scores that I love. Of course, Howard Shore's great work on The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King makes a wonderful backdrop for any fantasy reading experience. In addition, James Horner's fabulous scores of Braveheart and Titanic should not be overlooked. Nor should Hans Zimmer's Gladiator, which is simply incredible. As well as Zimmer's The Last Samurai, which is my favourite soundtrack of the last year or so.

There you have it!!! Hope this little suggestion helps you bring your whole fantasy reading experience to an entire new level!

Take care and be good,

Patrick

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