Thursday, May 14, 2009

reading

Ever since I lost interest in my book group and pretty much stopped reading altogether, I’ve wondered why. I have made speculations, but I still haven’t figured it out. I’ve blamed it on my attention span getting shorter, and that may be part of it, but even when I’ve sat down to read books, I can’t seem to get into them. The authors who used to draw me in don’t have the ability anymore. I used to love Chaim Potok novels. I used to say that I was going to be his Mormon equivalent, because he writes so matter-of-factly about Judaism in his books. His intent seems to be to tell a story with the Jewish culture as a backdrop, not to convert the reader to Judaism, and I loved that about him. I’m not going to compare the story I’m currently working on to his work at all. That's just a status I'd like to achieve someday.

My point is that I picked up a book of his short stories and have read two or three of them. They’re good, of course. I love everything he writes. But I just haven’t felt that draw that I used to feel—the desire to get sucked into a book and not emerge until it’s over. I haven’t felt that way about a book in a long time. I tried Dickens’ Nicholas Nickelby and couldn’t pay attention. Haven’t picked it back up since. I’ve tried more modern novels, like Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight, and thought it was okay. But I haven’t really wanted to read the sequel. This frustrates me, because I really used to like to read. A writer should read. How else does she get inspired?

5 comments:

  1. When did your attention span start waning? six months ago?

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  2. No, it's been longer than that...like four years ago. For a while I blamed it on MJ - that all of my attention was directed at her and I wasn't making time for anything else. Then I blamed it on depression. But I'm in a whole new phase, and still no reading. I'm trying though. I have a desire. I'm just not feeling the joy.

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  3. I stopped reading (novels) for a while. Several years, in fact. But I noticed (looking back) that I did keep reading - I just changed venues. I think it was when I got married (more or less.. maybe less) that I stopped reading books for a while. I had just finished my pile of Koontz-type novels - and moved on to health-related things (researched mostly online. But I did read some actual books, as well). And I stuck with that whole new line of interest for nearly 10 years, I guess. And here I am, wishing I could go to med school (well the equivalent of it anyway). Once or twice in the middle of those 10 years, I went back to fiction (mostly whenever I was infatuated with somebody). Getting dumped (feeling that way) was fun. Found a Whole new line of books just for that. Hilarious stuff.

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  4. Howz about some music? Music inspires me :)

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  5. I blame Dickens.
    :)
    I just finished Stolen Lives- an amazing true story and a quick read. Left to Tell is another one of that genre that's excellent.
    Have you ever tried a book on CD? Something to listen to while you walk, hike or clean, perhaps? That's my favorite way of reading- I get lost in people's accents. I could listen to the Stolen Lives reader all day...

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