I Can't Read Long Books Anymore :(

[mystang52]

A couple of weeks ago I watched an "American Greed" TV episode about the e-cigarette Juul. The story was so interesting I took a book out of the library about that story, "The Devil's Playbook." The book, so far, is very interesting. I'm on page 65, with a mere 400 to go. At my current pace, I should finish it by the year 2025 or so.
Over the last couple of years (longer?) I find I just can't read a book for very long in any one sitting. For longer books, that means I either give up or do a lot of skimming. I will likely use this strategy for this current book. But going forward I think I'll throw in the towel and just read shorter books.
One of my all-time favorite novels was James Michener's "The Covenant."
Over 1100 pages, and it was a labor of love when I read that. Of course, I was about 30 years old at the time; 40+ years has made a big difference. Am I alone in this?

 

[NgineER]

A couple of weeks ago I watched an "American Greed" TV episode; the story was so interesting I took a book out of the library about that story. The book, so far, is very interesting. I'm on page 65, with a mere 400 to go. At my current pace, I should finish it by the year 2025 or so.
Over the last couple of years (longer?) I find I just can't read any book for very long in any one sitting. For longer books, that means I either give up or do a lot of skimming. I will likely use this strategy for this current book ("The Devil's Playbook"). But going forward I think I'll throw in the towel and just read shorter books.
One of my all-time favorite novels was James Michener's "The Covenant."
Over 1100 pages, and it was a labor of love when I read that. Of course, I was about 30 years old when I read that; 40+ years has made a big difference. Am I alone in this?

I find I don't have time to sit down and read undisturbed for very long. My solution has been to go to audiobooks. I find that I like listening at 1.5x the normal narration speed, otherwise it just seems too slow. I can do this while commuting, exercising or doing home improvement work.

 

[Car-Guy]

I haven't read any book non stop since my schooldays. Even if I like the book, I'll read it at my leisure. Usually few days, sometimes up to a week.

 

[Marita40]

One of my great retirement joys is reading, and long things too. To do so I find I need to severely cut any addiction to social media/aimless computer searching/TV. Unfortunately media has really made attention spans much shorter. As a former college teacher, I noted a dramatic change in my students in this regard over the 35+ years I was in the classroom. I've definitely noted it about myself. It is something I seek to change now that I'm retired.

 

[fosterscik]

I find I don't have time to sit down and read undisturbed for very long. My solution has been to go to audiobooks. I find that I like listening at 1.5x the normal narration speed, otherwise it just seems too slow. I can do this while commuting, exercising or doing home improvement work.

I agree completely. I rarely read a printed book, but most days I have an audiobook running through my earbuds. It works wonderfully as long as the other task can be mostly autopilot. I do have to skip back quite often if the task at hand requires too much mental bandwidth (or I fall asleep )

 

[pacergal]

Reading is one of my joys in life. I have always had a book handy. I can read for an hour or more! Short books, long books, doesn't matter, I can put a book down and pick it back up later without problem.
If it is a lazy day by the fire with a book, I do get up and walk around the house, do a few chores, then return and read some more. I am unable to just sit for long periods without getting up to stretch.
But I can get so involved in a book that sometimes more time passes than I think.

 

[braumeister]

I guess I'm in the middle on this issue. I always have at least 5 or 6 books going at once on my Kindle, so when the mood strikes I can simply switch to a different one. I just checked, and I read 36 Kindle books last year, which seems about right for my average. In addition, probably another dozen books from the library.

 

[PaunchyPirate]

I have found that I no longer have the attention span to read a book or to watch an entire movie (on TV). I live solo. I think if I were living with someone that was watching the movie with me, I'd be ok. I blame it on my hours on the internet each day reading forums and news in my home office.

 

[RunningBum]

I fall asleep after 10-30 pages. Unless I read at night before bedtime to try to fall asleep.

 

[ivinsfan]

I find I don't have time to sit down and read undisturbed for very long. My solution has been to go to audiobooks. I find that I like listening at 1.5x the normal narration speed, otherwise it just seems too slow. I can do this while commuting, exercising or doing home improvement work.

This literally hurts my heart..

 

[FREE866]

Ha
Love this thread. Once I see that a book is over 300 pages I become much less interested. Also, lately when I start reading a book if after 60-70 pages I'm not really into it I put it down and move to another book.



I feel I've wasted so much time trudging through books because I feel I have to read the whole thing.Screw that! Reading is supposed to be enjoyable --not some homework assignment!

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

One of my great retirement joys is reading, and long things too. To do so I find I need to severely cut any addiction to social media/aimless computer searching/TV. Unfortunately media has really made attention spans much shorter. As a former college teacher, I noted a dramatic change in my students in this regard over the 35+ years I was in the classroom. I've definitely noted it about myself. It is something I seek to change now that I'm retired.

I used to read for a living. For leisure, my favorite books were the long biographies by David McCullough, Ron Chernow, David Meacham and others.

Lately I ran across Chernow's biography of Alexander Hamilton. I really want to get through this because I believe Hamilton was one of the greatest of the founders. But YouTube is sooo addictive.

I think you're right, Marita, the Internet has shortened attention spans. I think the result is detrimental to our society.

 

[Koolau]

I'm that rare individual who reads mostly for knowledge and not for pleasure (knowledge IS my pleasure.) So, can't recall the last novel I read. I have some reading pathology (not sure if it's mild dyslexia but "something" that was noted in university but not diagnosed, per se.) My reading speed is rather slow and I "hear" words as I read.

IIRC, my big sis who is a "word" person (w*rked for a newspaper) reads at over 1000 wpm. Of course, she got Ds in science and math. Two very dissimilar peas in that pod, I guess.

 

[Mr. Tightwad]

Despite my best intentions, I fall asleep before long.

 

[Chuckanut]

A good E-reader helps with eye fatigue.

Lke many I have shifted to audio books. I 'read' them on long drives. They are especially nice on road trips. An hour of driving passes very fast. Pun intended.

 

[marko]

Similar. I can sit down and read a book, but when it comes to reading directions or written instructions of any kind, no matter how short, I glaze over, finish reading but have no comprehension. I just don't seem to have the patience to pay attention.

I think I'm just getting old.

 

[Golden sunsets]

When a book is good, I'm sad when it ends, so the longer the better. If I don't like a book within the first 30 pages or so I'm unlikely to continue reading it.

 

[dmpi]

I have found that I no longer have the attention span to read a book or to watch an entire movie (on TV). I live solo. I think if I were living with someone that was watching the movie with me, I'd be ok. I blame it on my hours on the internet each day reading forums and news in my home office.

Me too. I got Amazon Prime video and it's very rare for me to find a movie that I can watch to the end. What I do is watch parts, stop and then go back to it on another day. Many times I just quit watching and try to find another movie. When it comes to books, the only 'books' I can read are car magazines and consumer reports. I think getting old is hurting my attention span. Part of that is when you're retired you don't have to do anything, especially something that requires effort & concentration.

 

[Dreamer]

When a book is good, I'm sad when it ends, so the longer the better. If I don't like a book within the first 30 pages or so I'm unlikely to continue reading it.

I agree that I can be sad when a good book ends. I want to know more about the characters and what they are doing.

I go in spurts with reading. Right now I am in the reading mood and I am really enjoying it.

 

[rodi]

When I retired, my library card went into super active use. At the time the kids (now in college) were in middle school at a magnet school - so I'd bring a book to read while waiting for them. Since they've left home for school I do more reading at home in my easy chair. I also read at bedtime, much to my husband's dismay (since he is annoyed by the light).

I mainly read fiction... have no problem with longer books (read the Dune series last year, have read a lot of Michener). But I definitely don't do it all in one sitting.

 

[RobbieB]

Reading is my nightly remedy for insomnia. I'm good for 2-3 hours minimum.

When the print starts to blur, I know I'm ready to turn off the lights.

 

[martyp]

There definitely are a lot of other distractions to reading these days. I read quite a lot on a yearly basis but there are long stretches where I only read a few pages at a time and others where I tear through a story addictively. I read ebooks exclusively so I always have my books available on my iPhone or iPad Kindle app. I alternate between fiction and non-fiction.

 

[2017ish]

I'm an addict. Hopefully, I won't lose the ability to read for many hours at a stretch, including the footnotes. DW aptly notes that if I don't have a book, kindle, or newspaper in hand, I'll read the ingredients on the cereal box. When on driving trips, she still shields her books from me when I'm driving...

Was a very handy addiction to have when working in law--even then, absent a true crunch, I'd read for an hour or two before bed most nights. Better to have 5 hours or less sleep than to not read.

 

[Dawg52]

I will read a book when I'm in the mood. Unfortunately I haven't been in the mood in years. I think the last one I read was a Caddy For Life: The Bruce Edwards Story. A true story of Tom Watson's caddy who died from ALS.

 

[folivier]

Always loved reading. Had to chuckle at "read the cereal box". Did and still do that.
Not interested in audiobooks, not interested in mindlessly staring at utube videos. Give me print to read and I can comprehend at a much greater speed. Also have problems with tv shows and movies. Very few out there that are interesting enough to capture my attention.
And what's this about showing the ending of a show first? Guess that's more of a pet peeve.