Book Blog Post

Reading Art Print, by Lee White

It has been proven over and over again that reading has been commonplace since society was in its early stages of development. However, at that time, it was not meant for recreational purposes, more so for recording data and political issues. As centuries unfolded however, reading became more popular and multiple famed and talented writers emerged: William Shakespeare, Homer, Mary Shelley, and Charlotte Bronte to name a few. Up until the early 20th century, reading had remained as popular as it had been centuries ago. However, with the invention of devices such as phones, computers, and tablets, books quickly became overlooked for something easier to understand. The internet was born, as was the sudden crave for quick access to information that didn’t need to be dug up from old books.

During this week’s classes, we watched a documentary called Out of Print, which described how printed books are being neglected in favor of easily accessible information. While growing up, I absolutely loved to read. I would go to my school’s library daily and would walk around the halls with my nose in a book. As I grew older, I started dropping the habit of reading a solid book every day. A major factor of that is due to how fast society moves and how busy one must become to move ahead in today’s world. Naturally, I became more drawn to other forms of media, like video games and movies. Yet, I still continued to read. Granted they mostly weren’t hard cover books, but articles, graphic novels, even nutritional information on food boxes. This documentary called out exactly why it is people became so averse to reading.

After a brief history about books, the narrator describes how teenagers of today have taken to using the internet more for their source of information. Even most adults spend more time on the internet than reading a published physical book. It describes how book sales have decreased and independent book stores have had to close their doors because people just aren’t stopping to buy books in them anymore. However, the popularity of online books skyrocketed. Major businesses like Amazon took advantage of this and started selling popular books online, and eventually selling some books that you could only find online. The reading world of today is so inflated with cash grabs and expensive purchases that people become discouraged. The reading world of today is saturated with overpriced devices and cheap tactics used by powerful businesses. But we still have libraries right?

Well, that’s a tricky question. While libraries are still quite popular for the most part, certain sections have become more and more barren. Information that was once available in books can now be easily accessed online. The books that used to have this information now sit on dark bookshelves, gathering dust. Businesses saw this as a profitable opportunity, enforcing certain sites to set up a paywall or force the reader to pay for a subscription, which goes against what Andrew Carnegie wanted in the first place, which was free public information which is why he payed to have libraries built throughout the United States. The situation seems hopeless for places like libraries and bookstores, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Since people adapt to the ever evolving world of technology, establishments such as libraries would naturally have to do the same. Adding in computer labs, ordering more popular books, and even adding films which can be checked out. And that doesn’t mean just libraries are improving their way of attracting visitors. Authors are evolving right along with the technology they use. For example, Darcie Chan, a now New York Times best selling author, had started writing her best selling book, The Mill River Recluse, as a hobby. She shelved it for awhile and eventually picked it back up, finishing and publishing it. While she didn’t expect to earn much revenue from her work, it ended up becoming one of Amazon’s best sellers, leading to an analysis on what people prefer reading in this day and age. Books like Harry Potter and Twilight were incredibly popular back in the 2010’s (even though Harry Potter is still quite popular today). Even autobiographies have topped the charts. Nickelodeon star, Jennette McCurdy, wrote her #1 bestseller, I’m Glad My Mom Died, which led to it being sold out almost instantly. Reasons for this rapid success is because of people’s nostalgia for old children’s shows and a general liking for the actress, not to mention a call out to the disturbing accounts that happened behind the screen.

Overall, I really did enjoy this documentary. I did agree with a lot of what it had to say, though I will add that there are now even more ways for people to read and I don’t just mean online books. Plot driven video games and visual novels have skyrocketed in popularity. While they may not have you imagine what the characters would look like or what kind of music is playing in what scene, it forces readers to analyze what is really going on in the game, bringing back critical thinking skills that many avid readers share. As a final question to anyone reading my blog post, what is the most recent book you read and what did you think of it? I recently finished House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. I thoroughly enjoyed it, though I will admit it did make me question multiple things about my existence.