"本は常に他の本について語り、すべての物語は既に語られた物語を語る。"
— Umberto Eco
Simplified Meaning:
When you read a book, you can often find bits of other stories inside it. Writers get ideas from many places, like other books they’ve read. For example, when an author creates a story about a hero’s journey, it’s influenced by all the hero stories that came before, like ancient myths or classic tales. This means that no story is completely new; it’s like authors are having a conversation with each other through their books. Imagine you’re drawing a picture, and your friend shows you their drawings. You might use some ideas from your friend's art, but you add your own special touches. Books work the same way – writers see what others have done and then put their own spin on it. This also means that when you read, you’re connecting with a big history of stories and ideas. So, reading helps you understand not just that book but many others that came before it. Understanding this can make reading more interesting because you see how everything is linked together like one big family of stories.