Writing Shall We Mourn?

[Cahoots34]

"They say reading is dead. But isn't. It's just.... pathologically crippled." -John Stewart, The Daily Show

With television and computers' complete enthrallment of our culture and ascendance to the status of most prevalent social influence, has reading become an obsolete form of entertainment?

Whether you're painfully aware of such a tragedy or convinced that nothing of the kind will ever disrupt the harmony between book and television/video game/computer, share an explain your opinion on whether it's time to start up the bonfires or visit your local library.

[eleanor]

[color=firebrick] Yes, I get sort of miffed when I hand someone a good book to read and they shove back into my face saying it sucks and start watching their tv shows or whatever. Most people I know will read books once in a blue moon and it's usually a trashy fantasy book or some random teenage series...I think they read these books about a British girl...? It's called like 'Full Frontal Snogging'. ._. But I mean, those are the ONLY books they read, if ANY. I'm a book-a-holic, though. lol.

Anyways...I don't see books ever coming back and being the main thing to do. I guess it'll fade out more and more until people don't know what Lord of the Flies is. I'll die if that happens in my lifetime.

*scratches head* I dunno. Maybe college and high school kids are more 'into' it. I guess the reason for the people I know is that we're young teenagers, lol.[/color]

[ZakuSage]

I'm living proof that literature is a dieing form of entertainment. In the past 3 years, I feel ashamed that I've only finished 2 novels that I've read for enjoyment. I'd like to read more, but I find it to be dull. Unless I find something that really captivates me (and even then I have to push myself into reading), I don't like reading.

*Offically ashamed*

[adempton]

Personally, I just don't have the time anymore. Or rather, I don't want to bother dedicating myself to reading a novel with the small amounts of potential reading time I have. When I was younger I read something like 9 novels in a few months while I was out of school. Little reading factory, I was!

These days though, I just give in and listen to my mp3 player or play my GBA SP while I'm on the train. But when I look around during my morning transit, the vast majority of the normal (non-trashy) looking adults and classier young people do read books. It is not uncommon for me to be in a car with 75% of the people reading actual good novels during the ride. I think that's a good sign at least.

Only a couple of my friends actually claim to read, which is kind of a shame. Most of them are intellectuals in their own respect though, so not reading is by no means a measure of their intelligence.

~adempton

[Baron Samedi]

[size=1]I read a lot. I read a few books a week at least. Of course I find myself with a spare few hours every week, so next year that will be unlikely. Still, I do read a lot. Is reading dying out? I think so. It will never die, but it will lose popularity.[/size]

[Engel]

[COLOR=SeaGreen][SIZE=1]
I hope it don't die. I don't know about anyone else, but by the time I was 11, I could read a 584 page book (NOT HARRY POTTER) in less than one day. I read a whole Dean Koontz book for light reading. I've read "By The Light Of The Moon" and "Watchers" by Dean Koontz. I'm hoping to read "Odd Tom". Any other good books I should read?[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[ColourDeaf]

The one thing I really find depressing is that not only have people not read some of classic books (from every genre), they haven't even heard of them.

There are people who haven't even heard of 1984 (one of the most influencal books of the 20th century), and still watch and adore big Brother (ironic, no?). And with the film "I, Robot" coming out soon, I thought people could at least look at the Isaac Asimov book it is based on (although he only gets a tiny corner in the credits for his contribution), but people still think it's a knock off of the Second Renissance from the Animatrix (curse you!). One of the greatest sci fi writers of all time vs. a good movie with bad sequels...why do people always go for the latter?

And SephirothX, iwould suggest reading "The curious incident of the dog in the night time." It's an awesome book.

[Guest ForlornHope]

i don't think reading is dying as a leisurely activity. i know quite a few people who always have there nose in a book. and with the whole Harry Potter craze (which i am alas a part of), more people are reading for fun. okay, so most of the leisurely reading isn't on classics like 1984 or The Great Gatsby, but let's face it, a lot of the classics out there aren't very good at all. sure, the Scarlet Letter shows human ignorance, good vs evil, and a bunch of other themes that are relevant today, but it's a boring book. i hate to say it, but most classics are (at least to me anyways) .

i think reading is going to make/already making a comeback too. way in the past, reading for leisure was considered something only the elite could do, thus every average schmoe also strived to read as much as he/she could. when movies/tv came out, only the well off could watch them so everyone aimed to watch them. and now, with parents more focused on getting their children head starts in the race for college and most of those "scholarly" people condemning today's youth for not reading/praising how reading is something only the educated do, more people are going to read. it'll be the latest fad/goal for the masses. but that's just my outlook on the matter.

[Pawn114]

I dont think reading really dying out, however, I do think the physical literature (books) are going down in popularity. Literature -is- advancing with society and technology, E-Books are quickly becoming a reality (apparently affordable after you buy the E-Book reader). I personally love to sit down and read a book, though I have slowly been reading less, and less. And for ages, I think this generation is less and less apt to willingly pick up a book and read it for their own enjoyment, but rather unwillingly get the book, slug through it to please a teacher or parent (generally treating the novel like trash: ripped pages, pop spilled over, and various other things arent uncommon).

So to sum it up: I do indeed think physical literature is dying out, to be replaced in the near future with E-Books (Electronic Books), Much in the way most letters are obsolete, and E-Mail has taken superiority. I'd also like to say that it is mostly in the 'new generation' this is happening, as they dont get much exercise and opt instead to read a computer screen, rather then a book.

[Guest lavalamp]

I'm not big into reading at all. I don't like fiction and am finding it harder and harder to find subjects I'm interested with reading into.

I don't think reading is "dying" because of book sales. When books stop going platinum, then you have reason to worry.

[Hevn]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][SIZE=1][B]If you think about it... a lot of books or novels are being turned into movies nowadays. People would rather watch the movie than read the book since the movie only takes a few hours while reading the book can take days to finish. Like me, I enjoyed Lord of the Rings but reading the book never crossed my mind coz it would waste a lot of time and considering that it really is hard to understand some of the words written in there. With Harry Potter it's not the same though... I'd rather read the book then watch the movie for extra fun. For some reason I think books turning to movies have an advantage. People who don't like to read tend to read the books if they're really fanatics over the movie.

Because of the internet... people would rather read online literature than read the actual books. For me, literature won't die because there are a lot of ways for it to adjust in this changing world. This Literature forums of OB is one proof of that... the Adventure Arena is another. You see literature can come in many different faces and may get to us in many different ways... so it just won't die ^_^x[/B][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[ChibiHorsewoman]

[color=darkviolet]I read a lot. I go to my local libraries a few times a week, read while I use the TV as background noise and finish about two or three books a day.

I also have an unhealthy need to read fashion magazines. They have some good articles in them besides just hair and make-up. Plus I've taken to reading AP (alternative press) magazine, Maxim (before I send it to Lincoln) and Maxim Blender.
And of course the newspaper.

Then there's fanfiction, manga and messageboards. It's reading but only in a loose sense.

Lincoln reads a lot too about the same as me.

My brother on the other hand hasn't picked up a book since he graduated high school last year. Actually I don't even know if he really read during high school. :eek: And my cousin michael is just as bad.

I think it depends on the person. Some people like to read and write, other people go as far as reading the paper before they decide that the phonebook would be more exciting.[/color]

[DetectiveMikeRS]

I read all the time, mostly fantasy and sci-fi, but I have notices a drop in not only reading as an activity but also as skill, since many people in 6th grade read on a kindergarten level and are in the regular classes accroding to relatives of mine that teach. Harry Potter brought back the reading to many people especially kids, but then they made the movies so many kids dropped reading the books and just saw the films, dropping it a little more where it was picking up. But I don't think it's completely dead, after all it is a mandatory skill for almost every good profession.

[Trigun 11]

To me, Reading isn't Dying..... I've read since 6 years of age. I enjoy reading. It just takes you away from reality and puts you into the book. One book that I suggest EVERYONE to read is To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. It has Really all the elements. Action, Comedy, Mystery, and that good stuff.I remember when I was in 3rd gr., my Classmates freaking out when I said That I don't enjoy watching tv and I then Abruptly brought out the Trilogy of the LOTR books ( Yes.... I was able to read them at that age of 8) and began to read it..

[Sara]

[size=1]I read when I have time...which doesn't seem to be very often these days. I do enjoy it, though, and I recently jumped back into the science fiction world, which is a lot of fun.

I know I read a lot more a few years ago, but I really didn't have anything else to do. Once I got involved with drama at school, my free time dropped by quite a bit. I can't say I regret it, heh. It's not that I don't enjoy it, I just don't have as much free time.

I do try to read a book every week or two, though. More if I've gone to the library recently. I mean, hey...who needs sleep?[/size]

[DetectiveMikeRS]

[quote name='Trigun11']To me, Reading isn't Dying..... I've read since 6 years of age. I enjoy reading. It just takes you away from reality and puts you into the book. One book that I suggest EVERYONE to read is To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. It has Really all the elements. Action, Comedy, Mystery, and that good stuff.I remember when I was in 3rd gr., my Classmates freaking out when I said That I don't enjoy watching tv and I then Abruptly brought out the Trilogy of the LOTR books ( Yes.... I was able to read them at that age of 8) and began to read it..[/quote]


To Kill a Mocking Bird was one of my favorites. I read it freshman year, since it wasn't allowed in public schools in my town (use of the "N" word got many parents mad, so they took it out of the library in the middle school), and when I went to a private high school I read it and unlike the rest of the class enjoyed it. I could actually read on a very high level when I was only in 2nd grade, but I didn't bring any larger book like the Lord of the Rings trilogy to school because the teachers only wanted us to read on at least 3rd grade level, the rest was for home they told me. So I got stuck reading stories about 20 pages long at the most, since I couldn't read anything else in that school, otherwise they'd say you're not being fair to the others, who may not be able to read as well.

[eleanor]

[i]To Kill a Mocking Bird was one of my favorites. I read it freshman year, since it wasn't allowed in public schools in my town (use of the "N" word got many parents mad, so they took it out of the library in the middle school), and when I went to a private high school I read it and unlike the rest of the class enjoyed it. I could actually read on a very high level when I was only in 2nd grade, but I didn't bring any larger book like the Lord of the Rings trilogy to school because the teachers only wanted us to read on at least 3rd grade level, the rest was for home they told me. So I got stuck reading stories about 20 pages long at the most, since I couldn't read anything else in that school, otherwise they'd say you're not being fair to the others, who may not be able to read as well.[/i]

[color=firebrick] Another thing about this reading topic...not only do I think reading is dying, but people are just getting stupid now. Parents are trying to ban books for stupid reasons. For example, Harry Potter. There are tons of sites out there pleading to parents that JK Rowling is a satanist and that by letting your kids read Harry Potter, they'll start worshipping the devil.

Yeah. Okay.

There are some places that ban great books like Farenheit 451, To Kill a Mockingbird, Brave New World...it's stupid and utterly pointless.[/color]

[ChibiHorsewoman]

[quote name='maladjusted] [color=firebrick'] Another thing about this reading topic...not only do I think reading is dying, but people are just getting stupid now. Parents are trying to ban books for stupid reasons. For example, Harry Potter. There are tons of sites out there pleading to parents that JK Rowling is a satanist and that by letting your kids read Harry Potter, they'll start worshipping the devil.[/color][/quote]


[color=darkviolet]Banning books is nothing new. I think most of it started because everyone wanted everything to be so damn politically correct. To Kill a Mocking Bird, Tom Sawyer and I believe the Cay were all banned in some schools becuase the used the N word. I doubt this word was used as an insult by the author I think it was done becaus ethat was the dialect at the time and at the time these books were based that word was socially acceptable (in some cases)


But Banning Harry Potter because of the use of Witch Craft is pretty funny. Sadly enough people do really screwed up stuff for the sake of religion. Does anyone remember last year when there was a book burning in Oklahoma? They not only burned Harry Potter, but the LOTR triology, some mainstream pop CDs and the Book of Mormon. Thankfully these people drew the line at burning the Torah and the Koran, but eh, maybe this year someone else will do just that.

These are probably some of the same people who complain that their kids don't read enough. Well, heck maybe if you stopped burning your kids books they'd read more. :rolleyes:

I don't know if any of this made much sense, but I can hope right?[/color]

[eleanor]

[color=firebrick] I don't know, that Ron Weasely looks like a right good NAZI. O_O

I remember something about a giant book buring in Germany...there have probably been more around the world. [Why would they burn LoTR?] Eh.

I have nothing much to do, so I guess I'll rant some more. When I say reading is a dying form of entertainment, I guess I'm saying it half-heartedly. Just look at the wild success of Harry Potter [not that I've fallen into that trap. cough]. The first two movies were not great and they shot to first place in the box office. >_> And I suppose a lot of people have read A Series of Unfortunate Events...or Eragon or something. What I really mean is that my generation only reads this kind of stuff. Stuff like the cliche young teen diary books and The Princess Diaries or some other book. I don't really have a problem with this, I just get a bit angry when they absolutely totally refuse to give one look to a book like Catcher in the Rye [which I think they'd like because of its humor] or... Of Mice and Men.

My language arts class read A Seperate Peace and most of the students positively hated the book. Then we read To Kill a Mockingbird and they hated it even more than A Seperate Peace. If I ever made them read Animal Farm they'd probably explode or die of agony or something. So I guess I'm mostly saying that classic book reading is dying.

But overall just the reading thing is dying, too. Three things: TV, Internet, and videogames.[/color]

[Lady Asphyxia]

[quote][color=#b22222]So I guess I'm mostly saying that classic book reading is dying.[/quote][/color]

[font=Verdana][size=1][color=black]I think that's also because of the stigma that seems to get attatched to classic books, and as a result of school work. Because we get [i]forced[/i] to read the stories, it becomes a chore rather than a pleasure. [/color][/size][/font]

[font=Verdana][size=1]As well as that, there's also styles. Styles have changed throughout history, because of dialect and formality and what's happening in the world and what country the writer came from and so on. It's a lot harder for the modern day kids to read more formal styles because today's society is so [i]informal[/i]. I personally found it really quite hard to read [i]To Kill A Mockingbird[/i] at times because it became hard to wade through. The same happened with [i]Lord of the Flies[/i]. I think, however, as time progresses that we'll come in a full loop in regards to literature. Not only will we start to read more again -- and as you get older you generally read more than when you do when you're a teenager -- but the style will get more formal. Of course, that's just my opinion.[/size][/font]

[font=Verdana][size=1]Personally, I don't read as much as I used to. But that's because I'm growing up and becoming more social and more mature; something I couldn't have done if I [i]hadn't[/i] read so many books. I myself will probably go through a loop and read a lot more later in life, but at the moment I just pick and choose my books. ^_^"[/size][/font]

[font=Verdana][size=1]Of course, there's also the fact that I'm so busy reading online stories, as well. [img]http://otakuboards.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif[/img] [/size][/font]

[Engel]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][SIZE=1]If I may suggest a good series and author, Garth Nix. His series [i]The Seventh Tower[/i] which is a six book long one is a good read. (I'm even thinking of starting a TST RPG...) and, another good Garth Nix, [i]Sabrel[/i] the first of the Abhorsen series. Another series, [i]The Keys to the Kingdom[/i]. Just a few suggestions...[/color][/size]

[vegeta rocker]

reading is merely limping along, i don't think it will ever truly die out.
I myself enjoy reading but haven't finished a book in awhile. I'm in college and sometimes i am just too busy to read. The last book i started was the mists of avalon and i intend to pick it up again as soon as i have time.

As for this craze of reading books online i think that is just fine as long as real books don't die out. I am just a bit nostalgic, but i guess it would be better for trees when you think about it.

But when the power goes out what will we do if everything is run by electricity?

Books will never die.

[Guest Little Ryoko]

Wow, reading is so fun! The books I've read are great, like The Abhorsen trilogy. That is very good! One of the best I've read! =)
Oh, and Harry Potter too. Can't forget about Harry Potter.
Artemis Fowl also,... and the Wind on Fire Trilogy.
And of course Lord of the Rings!