by Rick Blechta
I have two sons. One is an avid reader. One is not.Recently I got into a discussion about reading with my non-reading son. His first comment was, “I don’t know when I last read a book.” I have a good idea that it was way back in 2006 and he read my novel When Hell Freezes Over which I had dedicated to him. His assessment, by the way — if I’m remembering correctly — “It was pretty good.”
To me, 14 years (and counting) with not one book read is appalling to contemplate. I love him just as much, but I don’t understand how he does not enjoy reading. If you’re visiting Type M, I naturally assume you are an avid reader. Am I right in feeling this way towards someone?
I decided to engage him on this subject. “Why don’t you enjoy reading?”
“It takes too long. I enjoy movie and TV shows much better and I don’t have to commit so much time to it. Reading is boring.”
While I picked my jaw off the floor, he went on to say that watching movies accomplishes the same thing anyway. “You’re still watching a story, and movies can do it so much better — and quicker — than books.
I couldn’t disagree very much with that, except I don’t think watching something unfold in front of your eyes is necessarily better than reading a description of the same thing and then having to imagine it. First off, you’re involved; you’re supplying something that’s needed. Watching a movie, you’re completely passive in that regard.
And that’s the crux of the matter: use of imagination. With a movie, you’re watching a director’s imagining of the story being presented.
Extending this idea further, it’s this way with an performing art. You’re a non-involved viewer of someone else’s imagination.
I’ll put on my musician’s hat on here, if I may. Watching a performance of a symphony orchestra, as an example, is to experience a conductor’s interpretation of the musical works being presented. In effect, the conductor is “playing” the musicians. But there’s also something hidden, something magical at work here. Each musician in the orchestra is also adding their little bit of imagination to what they’re playing — within parameters, of course. It is a wonderful thing to sit inside this mass of artistic humanity and experience the energy that is produced when humans work together to make music happen. In the best of circumstances, it is breath-taking.
The same sort of thing goes on when a movie is filmed, or a play is staged, whatever. Actors often talk about the experience of bouncing off their fellow actors’ performances.
However, for the audience, it doesn’t change. One remains on the outside looking in. The energy can be felt sometimes, but really can’t be participated in.
With books, though, the reader must participate. Imagination is required to interpret what the writer has first imagined — and that is a very wonderful thing, isn’t it?
Now, to figure out some way to get my son to enjoy reading as much as I (and his older brother and my wife) do.
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By the way, the typeface used to set When Hell Freezes Over’ in the cover above, is my non-reading son’s hand. I turned it into a font. I call it Jan Casual.
8 comments:
Years ago, a veteran 7th grade teacher told me that her students, when asked, said they did not form mental pictures of the scenes and characters when they read fiction. She surmised that they, having grown up as passive recipients of TV images and sounds, had not developed the ability to imagine fictional events. She and I mourned together.
Jan Casual is a lot prettier than Comic Sans. Compliments to your son.
Since I was graphic designer at the time this novel was published (and part of my income came from designing book interiors and covers), my publisher graciously allowed me to handle this aspect of the process. When it came to the cover, I could not find a typeface that "spoke to me" -- and I looked at hundreds. My designer friends couldn't come up with good suggestions either. Then I saw something my son had written and thought, That's it!
I had him write out an alphabet in uppercase and lowercase, along with punctuation, regularized sizes, digitized it and created my font. In retrospect, I could have just had him write out the damn title a few times and used the best version, but this was kind of a fun project.
I am a glutton for punishment…
Thanks for commenting, Anna -- and the compliment!
I can't imagine not wanting to read. I enjoy movies and TV shows as well, but it's not the same as reading. Plus, I think there are a lot of books that don't translate well into movies. Or at least are hard to do it.
Love the font. Quite a lot of work you put into that. Sounds like a fun task to me!
I'm always amazed when someone tells me they don't read. To me reading provides an escape and education that no other medium offers -- and I do enjoy TV, movies, plays etc. When people say they don't have time, I know that's not true. We make time for the things we love, even if it means getting up earlier, going to be later, or giving up something else. Maybe one day your son will read something that inspires him to read more. I think of my nephew, who, when younger, didn't read (beyond school stuff). My hubby had a collection of old hockey cards. He'd share stories about the hockey players, embellishing what was written on the back. And now nephew reads sports bios. You just never know.
My son (22) is the same way. He thinks reading is old-fashioned, not necessary in the modern world. What he fails to grasp is that movies, video games and online content don't provide the depth that books do. Quite possibly, he is incapable of spending hours reading, because he was never required to while in school. Even in college, he tells me that he did everything he could to avoid reading. Of course, we tried to get him to read as a kid, and he did manage to read a few of the Harry Potter books, but we were never able to inculcate a love of reading in him. It's sad, but I don't know what I could have done differently. We're now reading Moby Dick as a family with my younger son, a chapter a day, and he's complying, but I can tell he doesn't like it. I've told him he's free to choose the next we do as long as it has substance, but how can he choose if he doesn't read in the first place?
Tom, I've heard some of the same comments from my (non-reading) son. I do think part of it is, that because he really doesn't read, it's not as easy for him as it would be for my other son (who reads voraciously).
But first, you are most definitely correct when you mention depth of experience. How many great screen adaptations of books follow the books' plots exactly? I'll tell you: none. All those lovely little subplots, sidebars, character development scenes have to go in order to not have the screenplay "bog down." I should have mentioned that in my little essay. Thanks very much for bringing that up.
I also really like your idea of reading as a family. Speaking as a former teacher, sometimes you hold your nose and do something you feel has less value just to hook your student(s). I taught music, so sometimes to get a class going and get some wind in their musical sales, I do up or buy an arrangement of some pop tune they chose. That success allowed me to introduce other pieces that would move along their musical development in the direction it needed to go. In other words, you have to hook them first with "dessert" and which can then get them interested more in the meat and vegetables.
The idea I assume is your hopes to get him reading. As long as he's reading something you're more than halfway there.
I love reading, but even I felt that Moby Dick was pretty hard slogging.
But keep reading as a family. That is such a tremendous gift to everyone, not just "the kids."
Great comment. Thanks for weighing in!
Sybil -- I agree. Many books are great and that greatness includes things that wouldn't translate well to the screen. In only a very few cases have I encountered a movie adaptation that's superior to the original book. Angels and Demons by John Grisham/Ron Howard springs to mind as an exception, but they are few and far between.
Doing up Jan Casual was a lot of fun. I eventually used it for two actual jobs. Since it's very masculine looking and somewhat quirky, it worked well in a woodworking magazine subscription brochure. I can't recall the other job on which I used it.
Judy -- I really like your story. Maybe you could give this nephew one of the many great hockey novels that have been published over the years by authors like Roy MacGregor (The Last Season)or Scott Young (A Boy at the Leafs’ Camp).
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