Has a book ever given you a ‘Eureka!’ moment? A ‘Eureka!’ moment is like the non-religious brother of epiphany. And yes, the exclamation point is vitally nessecary . What have you read that made you go “Yes! Eureka! That is precisely how I feel!” or “That’s exactly right! It’s never been so clear to me!”.
What brought this to mind is that two nights ago, I had a really good ‘Eureka!’. I seem to have them more often as I get older.
I just learned that Steinbeck wrote many of his stories set in the Salinas Valley. I was born in Salinas,and though we moved to TX when I was an infant I’ve always thought of Salinas as my ‘hometown’. Always wondered how different I would be if we’d stayed. So I’ve always been interested in its history.
So I went out and got “East of Eden”. In one passage Steinbeck had been talking about the “complication of mass production” and "mass method"and then, at 4:30 AM, I read this:
Eureka!!! I mean, I agree with this and understand this as if I myself had written it. People, I actually got out of bed and found a pencil to mark the passage in the book! I never write in my books. This was a very profound and moving experience for me.
So I was wondering what sort of ‘Eureka!’ moments you all have had, and what books or passages from books gave them to you? Care to share your story?
*** Incidentally, I’ve heard of a type of psychosis that makes people think that they suddenly get the ‘meaning’ of mundane things. Can’t remember its name, but I sure hope I haven’t got it. ***
Lots of them during Postcards From the Edge. I almost started to think that I’d written the book myself. Some of the thoughts in there were lifted right out of my head, others were ones that I would have been thinking if only I’d thought of them first. Here’s a few of them.
I looked at the charred, twisted metal and I thought, “Finally my outsides match my insides.”
The ones (feelings) that tell you that you’re something on the bottom of someone’s shoe, and not even someone interesting.
I was sort of startled, since the picture I keep of myself that I carry around in my wallet of my head is of a peppy, happy-go-crazy gal. I keep my eye on this picture when evidence to the contrary is all around me.
Sometimes I feel like I’ve got my nose pressed up against the window of a bakery, only I’m the bread.
I had that Eureka! moment when i was reading “All the kings Men” by Robert Penn Warren. It was in a passage about Jack and how he just floats along because “Jack Burden is invincible.” It was exactly how i was feeling. I was invincible so it didn’t matter what I did because nothing bad could ever happen to me.
three bunny mama, also in “East of Eden,” there is a line about one of the main characters (I forget his name, but he’s Adam and Cal’s dad), about how he “looked at the world through the long tunnel of his eyes.” I’m a quiet, daydreamy sort of person, and that line hit me right where I live. Made me realize there are other people out there who feel the same way. Steinbeck was right on, wasn’t he? The best prose authors sound like they are always writing poetry.
Several years ago, on my birthday, on the way back from my birthday dinner in NYC, feeling very relaxed, I mentioned that I really liked the flavor of goldings hops (mmmmm). I mentioned that the flavor was green, triangular, and stretched out with the point pointing at about one O’Clock. It got dead silent in the car. I never mentioned it again. I thought everyone experienced reality like me. I see colored shapes in my minds eye (like another screen in my head) associated with sounds and flavors/smells. I am trying to learn more about this condition. It turns out the senses that are associated in my mind/brain are a rather rare combo. I have contacted a psych prof at Rutgers University, and he is going to send me a reading list.
Listening and Tasting without the Colors and shapes…
The only parallel I can draw is like seeing in 2D black and white. It’s not quite the same, but it’s kinda similar.
. What have you read that made you go “Yes! Eureka! That is precisely how I feel!” or “That’s exactly right! It’s never been so clear to me!”.