My first read of April was a warm and kind one.
Chicken Soup for the Soul is a collection of many short stories, all intertwined with themes such as kindness, love, compassion, support, and all the good things people are capable of. Initially, I started this book purely because I wanted to finish it. I had bought it on a whim a few months back and somehow never finished it because I thought I knew what it would contain. It'd obviously contain cheesy stories about kind people and motivating experiences that may or may not touch me, and eh, just the usual self-help stuff, right? What else could it be? As happy as I am about spreading and receiving kindness in the world, I wasn't interested in a try-too-hard positivity book. Even when I started the book, this was my thought, and I read it just for the sake of finally finishing this book I'd bought.
I have to say, my heart warmed up. This book fits its name well; it is like a savory bowl of soup able to warm up our souls which are oftentimes cold and tired. You do get your typical (and real) “chicken soup” stories, from motivational ones of crippled people successfully chasing their dreams of being an athlete, to kindness-themed ones of people giving free Thanksgiving meals to strangers in need. You also get ones that aren’t so typical, like kind things said and done by little children, to poems that make you think about our endless possibilities we so often doubt and push away. I guess it depends on the reader how they would feel about these stories, but throughout reading it, I was warmed up. As predictable as chicken soup stories are, it still felt nice as I read about love and kindness in the world; I was reminded of how the world is always better with a little more love and compassion, and how we’re happiest not only receiving it, but giving it. From these short little stories, I thought to myself. I thought of the doubts I’ve been having about my current life, about my future, about the hate that so often surrounds us, and the little things I could do to love both myself and others. It could be cheesy, I know, and yet we lack being reminded of the existence of these ‘good’ things so much. We always read about racism, sexism, prejudice, and other forms of hate, whether it be the hate themselves or the attempted handlings of them. How often do we read about hate, and how often do we read about kindness? It’s been quite a while since I was just simply reminded of the good things and people still living in this world, and being reminded of them is really meaningful. When I see good things, I think good things, and when I think good things, I’d like to think that I become good things, too. Just a small book to remind me of goodness in the world still made me feel a little bit happier.
So in conclusion, it depends on the reader: don’t read this book if you’re looking to change your life (no self-help book is capable of that; it’s all up to you, buddy), and don’t read this if you’re looking for a masterpiece. It’s just a small book filled with stories. But, if you’ve been feeling tired lately and want to be reminded of some good things and ideas in this world, I think you’d like this book. I gave it 5 stars not because of how well-written the book is (and that’s unfair to ask from a non-fiction book sometimes), but more so for just the fuzzy feeling I got, and the hope that we can also be more like the ideas spread in this book: to be kinder, happier and more loving to both ourselves and others.