Off with a book

I've been away from this for a while - just going through a phase when I've felt more like reading than writing.  Something always has to give when I get into reading mode, and this time it's been blogging.

I used to be an avid reader and was forever worried about neglecting other priorities whilst in the grip of a good book.  Finally, about 30 years ago, I came to the conclusion that if I were to forgo reading all fiction, and keep only to newspapers, periodicals and reference works, I could get my life back into balance.  So that is what I did.  With 2 or 3 notable exceptions, I haven't read a novel since the 1970s.  Biographies, travellers' tales, 'how to' books, essays and treatises on anything and everything - these are my fare.  I am still a big reader, and I can't say I've achieved the ultimate of a balanced life, but I no longer feel pressured to keep up with a favourite author, or to rush out for the latest best seller.

Ronni of TIME GOES BY commented in a recent post on the fact that books have continued to hold their own despite the growing contribution that the electronic word has been making to reading material.   It made me wonder.  I know how long I spend each day reading text from a screen - far too long!  So which of my other activities have been curtailed to gain the luxury of sitting for prolonged periods in front of a computer?

A factor for me was that I retired from full-time work around five years ago - at about the same time that the internet started to become a prolific and reliable source of information.  Retirement was initially a source of many upheavals  - moving house, taking on a larger garden, tacking renovations, indulging in some long-anticipated travel, and taking on other recreational and volunteer activities.  But immediately some of my new-found leisure time could devoted to this exciting new interest of electronic browsing and communicating.

Eventually, when the internet began to make serious inroads into my time, there had to be some compromises and bit by bit there was a shifting in priorities.  One change was that I began to watch television less - and that included hired movies.  The same went for the cinema - although I continued to conscientiously check out all the reviews and listen to my friends' recommendations, I became more selective about what I chose to see.

Other savings on time?  I know I make fewer long telephone calls these days.  E-mail makes contact with family and friends so convenient - especially when one long newsy bulletin can go to multiple addresses.  I also like having a record of what I said and when.

I think I spend roughly the same amount of time reading hard-copy newspapers.  Several come into our house each day, but I always leave reading them for at least a day, by which time I can happily skip the main news items - already gleaned from TV or the radio - and go straight to the pages with the thought provoking articles and the more leisurely subject matter.  Not that this reading takes place at the leisurely pace it warrants: unfortunately I am compulsive about never discarding a paper before I have scanned every page.  (Who knows which tiny paragraph might contain the gem to change my life!)  So speed reading is the only way - usually in a marathon session on the evening that the recycling bin is due to go out. (Student days of pre-exam cramming created excellent skills here.)

What I am certain of though, is that I am spending less time reading actual books.  My main reading time used to be at night on going to bed.  These days I am invariably exhausted from late night blog reading, and once I finally make it to bed, about half a page is my limit - no matter how appealing the book.  And I am far less likely to wake during the night in order to fit in one of those long, delicious, uninterrupted 'bonus' sessions.

I used to often tackle a chapter or two in the mornings upon waking.  These days I tend to go on-line early to scan the e-mail and see what some of the antipodean bloggers had to say while I was asleep.

So I have to say, that whilst books have never lost their wonder and their pleasure, I am not reading as much, and certainly not tackling the huge tomes I did in the past.  I agree that books have an emotional appeal and offer a tangible satisfaction that electronic material doesn't have. 

That is why I will never lose my compulsion for 'window shopping' in bookshops and libraries.

Comments

[suburbansider]

I think that no matter how much time we do or don't have there is never enough to read enough books to satisfy us. I am addicted to books, of all types not only for their written content but for their illustrations, photographs, binding, coverslips and on it goes. I have taken to avoiding book shops to deter temptation. The library doesn't work either as I always want to keep the books and end up paying lots of overdue fees when I finally return them. I think I have a problem. My bookshelves are spilling out into stacks on the floor but I can't bear to part with any of my treasures. I read books twice, three, four times! I can understand why you made such a tough choice - you have to draw the line somewhere - I wonder if I would ever be so disciplined?

[Pablo]

I, too, have found that I am reading less since I got caught up in the blogospher. I'm not sure how much time I spend each day surfing the internet, but it is more than ever before. Fortunately, I watch nearly no television. My wife has to entice me into the room for a show. So that frees up some time and some mind.

But it is sad that I'm not reading as I used to. As I reflect on it, I think there are other factors stealing my reading from me. My commute to my new job takes up a hour round trip, for example.

So far this month, though, I have been doing well at reading, so perhaps there is hope.

[elsewhere]

I think that there is some specific pleasure to be had from letting yourself be drawn into a fictional narrative. It's rare (for me) that non-fiction has the same drawing power, tho some biogrpahies might run a close second.

[Tjilpi]

Seems like a novel approach to saving time.

[Alice]

Thanks so much for commenting on my blog, Jude. I hope you are enjoying the BBC. We seem to have many similarities in our lives. I retired 4 years ago, did some travel, watch very little TV and rarely go to the movies (even though we often say "We must see that!"), I virtually only read biographies, very rarely fiction unless it's a good mystery. I'm not as thorough with the newspapers, though. We buy a lot of gardening magazines, even English ones, just because we love England so much.

I've started doing a fair bit of sewing again in the form of aprons and dolls' clothes for sale at local markets. My daughter, ShellyC from shellsandbeans blog, makes bags, scarves and hats for the markets so she asked me if I'd like to join her. It's good fun. I also take plants out to the newest market that we started - anything to encourage people to take an interest in plants and gardening.

I'm so glad you 'dropped by' and I look forward to reading all of your postings, both past and future.

[Sonia]

Jude, this is a really interesting post! No doubt, the Internet "steal" our time, willy-nilly, by fair or foul means! I need urgently to limit my time online and the "blogsphere" can be addicted. This post today will make me think about! Thank you for sharing this topic with us. Have a nice weekend!