Literatura: Province of Prose

Prose…. fascinating word, I say; one that I commonly associate with the word, “purple rose.” It is fitting, I suppose; for purple roses signify love at first sight, an occurrence I experienced when I was first introduced to the word and the beauty that comes along with it. Its allure ensnared me and whisked me away deep into its dimensional depths. Slowly, its silvery-lavender tendrils slithered its way through my mind to my heart and before I knew it, it had me in its grasp and I found myself addicted to its magic; becoming a bookworm, henceforth.

But what is prose? A definite interpretation would say, “a form of written or spoken language that follows the natural flow of speech, uses a language's ordinary grammatical structures, or follows the conventions of formal academic writing.”

Though some people might call prose mere ‘ordinary writing’ inked on blank sheets, I think all of us bibliophiles can agree that once we decide to immerse ourselves in a good novel, its prose has the ability to take possession of all our senses, thoughts, and emotions; and transport us into its many spellbound realities, away from the harsh and merciless sphere of our waking world. If only we could permanently stay in those worlds, right?

But let’s get back to the tour, shall we?

The Province of Prose has been divided into two sections: Fiction and Non-Fiction. On this morrow, you and I will be marching through the most noteworthy towns of each district in the Province of Prose. We will start with the District of Non-Fiction.

Andiamo!

District of Non-Fiction

Town of Academics & Philosophy

If you enjoy admiring naked, chiseled Greek men running down the street screaming, “Eureka!” …. you most certainly would not say no to purchasing a residence here, would you? I do not blame you; for I myself, hold an abode overlooking this avenue should such a spectacle occur. Enthusiasts tend to recreate the legendary Archimedes moment every now and then here; for this is the town for philosophers and scholars. Genius carries an undertone of madness, anyway. Supposing that your psyches crave the stimulating truths of philosophy and academics, this place can offer you information on logic, ethics, aesthetics, metaphysics, politics, scientific research, treatises, dissertations, and many more; the list goes on.

Town of History

The name explains it all. Should you wish to take a few peeks into the past, look no further than this town. A few blocks ahead, a portal remains gleaming; you need only speak a few details about the time and place you want to visit, and voila! It will take you there! But be cautious; you must not overuse the portal, nor try to alter the past, only observe. Besides, you would be invisible when traveling; that way the subjects of the bygone days will have no idea of your presence. Antiquity lovers call this place their personal heaven; for this town encompasses all the categories falling under the topic of history; like biographies, autobiographies, memoirs, journals, chronicles, archaeological findings, codices, epigraphs, etc. Did I mention any of your fancies?

Town of Journalism

It is best you keep to yourself and remain vigilant when passing through this area, for the people of this town are a tad nosy and gossipy. Such is the nature of journalistic literature, I dare say. Not that I have anything against it; for this neighborhood is the reason the whole of Literatura is up-to-date on current affairs; be it business, technology, environment, or fashion…. basically, an endless catalog. Though, a should-be-known disclaimer note is that not everything can be considered as firmly factual and true; some information is conjecture, or be open to interpretation, or even fabricated; in which case the fibber falls into big trouble. An example is the Department of Necrology located in the far west corner; where obituaries tend to get written so often prematurely for people who are still alive due to misinformation or revenge or prank schemes, that the false alarm revelations turn out as preposterous, as they are comical at times. Quite the dramatic agency, don’t you think?

Town of Self-Help & References

Do you believe in the quote, “If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself”? Are you one of the truly independent people who feel like they can perform a task better by themselves rather than with a collaborator; solo work than teamwork? If your answer is on the affirmative side, then this town is for you. Any question you have in your mind can be satiated with the literature found here, such as; dictionaries and thesauruses, bibliographies, indexes, atlases, glossaries, encyclopedias, directories, manuals, cookbooks, self-improvement books, and so on.

Now, we shall move on to the District of Fiction, my favorite.

District of Fiction

Town of Romance

Jane Austen; the Brontë sisters; Kathleen E. Woodiwiss; Danielle Steel; Judith McNaught; and Julie Garwood; which genre of novels are these authors most famous for? You guessed it! Romance novels. What kind of mental pictures cross your line of thinking when you hear the word, ‘romance’? In my mind, I conceptualize romance as hand-written letters bearing confessions of love in both poetry and prose, bouquets of roses and sunflowers, gentle caresses, fervent embraces, breathtaking kisses, candlelit dinners with homecooked meals, quiet walks along the beach at sunset, waltzing underneath a domed white gazebo to classical music, baking together, painting together, gardening together, taking spontaneous holidays to random locations, and feeling safe and comfortable to have long, honest, and open conversations about anything and everything. Did you sigh? I did too, for such circumstances are rare treasures in the waking world. Romance novels, on the other hand, are chock-full of such moments. I suppose that is the reason the genre is most appreciated and popular than the rest. Like the topic itself, this town has departments corresponding to the subgenres of romance novels. You shall visit each one as named; the Departments of Contemporary Romance, Paranormal Romance, Historical Romance, Fantasy Romance, Science-Fiction Romance, Young-Adult Romance, and last but certainly not least, Erotic Romance; the most frequented building (wink, wink!)

Town of Fantasy

Harry Potter, Dracula, A Song of Ice and Fire, Narnia, Wizard of Oz; all of which I am sure you are familiar with, and all of which are fantasy novels. In this town, you can easily manifest any element of your favorite fantasy novels into physical form with just a click of a thought. However, a standard procedure reminder: if you try to conjure anything malefic, it will be rebuffed and you shall get kicked out. Moving on, to your left lies the Department of Fables and Fairytales; mostly visited by the young-at-hearts. Adjacent to this building is the Department of Myths and Legends; where stories such as King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, as well as Sleepy Hollow, are cataloged into. If you admire H.P. Lovecraft’s work, take a gander into the Department of the Gothic and Supernatural located directly opposite to the Department of Epics and Magic; where stories like The Lord of the Rings belong to. Most of Literatura’s populace seek this town; for fantasy provides the perfect escape from reality.

Town of Mystery

Fancy a dive into the world of Sherlock Holmes and Nancy Drew, anybody? That is what the Town of Mystery presents to you: the thrill of the intellectual chase. The Departments of Legal Thrillers, Whodunits, Murder Mysteries, and Locked-Room Mysteries are an enigma-lover’s paradise. Once a year, the Mayor of Mystery hosts a gala, one where a meticulously planned fake murder or fake theft occurs to one or a preselected number of guests. The remaining members must investigate and solve the mystery of the crime scene before midnight; in which case the winner is titled “Sleuth of the Year” and receives an Honorary Lifetime Membership to the Grand Athenaeum’s “Rare Literature Collection.” It has been sixty-seven years of murder mystery galas, and only four of them have ever been solved. Tell me, do you think you have what it takes to take on the challenge of being the fifth “Sleuth”?

Town of Science Fiction

In this place, lies ahead the Departments of Apocalyptic and Post-Apocalyptic Fiction, Social Science Fiction, Hard Science Fiction like Jurassic Park, and Space Opera Fiction; with a bit of alien smut, I guess. They are the most prominently considered in this town. You will find that the most passionate patrons here are scientists, astrophysicists, and sociologists who possess a spirit for achieving things that are considered impossible; they love to discuss and collaborate with each other on ideas most of us cannot imagine. If you harbor such gumption, they are ever-ready to welcome and mentor budding geniuses.

Town of Juvenility

Imagination is the strongest and most creative when we are children. Most are not subjected to society’s limitations and brutality in their minor years. Love, empathy, affection, family, and friendship are common themes literature uses to enrich a youngster’s creative power. Light-heartedness and whimsical descriptions of settings and characters are key components in a children’s story. As a result, the books stacked in this town are the ones with the most illustrations compared to other towns. If you recall, I told you that imagination takes limitless metaphysical forms in Literatura. Hence, you might find this town has more bizarre magical projections than the rest. Though there are not many significant departments here, it is just as remarkable as the rest.

And that is it for today. I hope you had a good time visiting this province.

Go back to the Athenaeum, get a good night’s sleep and we shall reconvene tomorrow; for the next stop is the Province of Drama.

Toodle-loo!

~Wolfy