Comment: You are what you read

The following statement is found in Text 2:

“What we read and why we do so defines us in a profound way. You are what you read, …” (ll. 30-32)

In this section of the study guide, we have outlined some of the points we consider important when it comes to commenting on this statement from the text and discussing the topic of books and reading.

First of all, it is important to look at the statement in connection to the rest of the text. While Guillermo del Toro takes his stand from his personal experience, the statement is also very general, and it is easy for the reader to relate to it. 

Literary influences

The author gives examples of many writers who have influenced him through their literary work: “I read Borges or Rulfo or Quiroga in Spanish. Bradbury, Dickens, or Hawthorne in English (...) Marcel Schwob in French” (ll. 14-19) And he explains how the books of those writers have become part of a magical ritual for him: “Every time one of these books is opened, a tacit ritual takes place” (...