Why are books so boring?

[Dizchu]

On one hand I think if you want to get into reading, you shouldn't get discouraged by the first few pages of a book. If you're not into it but you want to get into it, just push ahead. Eventually something will stick.

But what I believe is more likely is that you just don't like reading. There are a lot of elitists out there that think that literature is the highest form of storytelling, that people who don't read (novels particularly) have short attention spans and are uncultured and stupid. I think this is an extremely arrogant attitude. Imagine the whole "PC master race" thing but worse and you'll have literature snobs.

You know what? Some people aren't into gaming. Others aren't into music. That's fine. Sure, they may be missing out on a lot of wonderful art but it's their decision. I have a deep respect for blues music, strategy games and novels, yet I cannot stand any of them. Does that make me stupid? No. If you don't like reading, there's nothing wrong with that. Accept it and appreciate forms of art that appeal more to you.

 

[Addendum_Forthcoming]

On one hand I think if you want to get into reading, you shouldn't get discouraged by the first few pages of a book. If you're not into it but you want to get into it, just push ahead. Eventually something will stick.

But what I believe is more likely is that you just don't like reading. There are a lot of elitists out there that think that literature is the highest form of storytelling, that people who don't read (novels particularly) have short attention spans and are uncultured and stupid. I think this is an extremely arrogant attitude. Imagine the whole "PC master race" thing but worse and you'll have literature snobs.

You know what? Some people aren't into gaming. Others aren't into music. That's fine. Sure, they may be missing out on a lot of wonderful art but it's their decision. I have a deep respect for blues music, strategy games and novels, yet I cannot stand any of them. Does that make me stupid? No. If you don't like reading, there's nothing wrong with that. Accept it and appreciate forms of art that appeal more to you.

I would say that heavy-reading is necessitated in any sort of field of academia, however. Which is probably why reading is treated with respect for a reason. It's directly representative of honing the mind, as opposed to art which is a luxury, and books/journals/etc are seen as a necessity of personal enlightenment.

 

[2HF]

Why Are Books So Boring?

This should be a one reply thread. Here is that reply.

You've forgotten a few words in your title, it should read "Why Are Books So Boring To Me?". The answer is simply that the medium does not resonate with you. Go forth and find one that does.

 

[Dizchu]

I would say that heavy-reading is necessitated in any sort of field of academia, however. Which is probably why reading is treated with respect for a reason. It's directly representative of honing the mind, as opposed to art which is a luxury, and books/journals/etc are seen as a necessity of personal enlightenment.

I should have probably made a distinction between long-form creative writing (novels and epic poetry, for instance) and more general forms of writing (like academic papers, journals and even what we're doing right now). I read a lot of articles, correspondence, academic writings etc. but I just don't find much interest in sitting down with a 600 page paperback novel.

The idea that people that read a lot are more "enlightened" is a misconception. I've found great enlightenment from film, TV, music and games (as well as real-life experiences). To me (and I suspect many others) a book is raw data, lacking the nuance of speech inflection, linear pacing, visuals and audio. As an academic I can't just read writings about the subjects I'm studying, I have to experience a whole spectrum of differently-presented works. I'm not knocking on novels, I know that they appeal to many, but they don't appeal to everyone.

 

[RaikuFA]

I've tried reading books in the past and they're so boring. I can barely get past the first page. I don't know if it's because they fail to grip me or something else.

People keep asking me trto try to read but nothing I can find is good.

Perhaps if you told us some games where you really enjoyed the story I could suggest some books for you on that basis. This comment is going to be on page two of the thread so given your affliction you will likely never read this. That's a shame

I love JRPG's. Some of my favorites being Mother 3, Digital Devil Saga, Chrono Trigger and Xenoblade.

I also love the Ace Attorney series. And those are the closest thing to books.

 

[jhoroz]

I think being part of a generation where entertainment and fiction have been engaging our senses through a multiple of ways (especially video games) has made actually sitting down and reading a book to be a very trying experience. I've become so used to listening to podcasts while playing video games and then occasionally reading an article simultaneously, that even sitting down in one spot for an hour and half to watch a film/tv show has become such a trying task, let alone reading a book. When the norm of watching, listening and physically interacting with multiple forms of entertainment has become subconscious to me, trying to sit down and just focus on this singular form of conveying fiction can be very difficult for me. It's like it's exacerbated a form of ADHD I thought I never had.

 

[StatusNil]

I have a theory that people who have trouble reading books have been over-exposed to visual hyper-stimulating media like movies and videogames that their imagination and attention span have atrophied.

I think it may have more to do with the LINEAR nature of reading a book, as opposed to the way we spend our time hopping around links on the Internet all day. Skipping in the shallows instead of diving into something, so to speak. And it affects all of us. I used to read what I think was quite a bit in my younger days of avoiding the Internet. Whereas now it just took me very nearly a month to finish a pretty readable novel of about 400 pages. It wasn't that it was boring at all, it's just that I kept getting distracted. Sometimes for days at a time. And funnily enough, these days I often find it hard to sit through a movie in one go as well. I suspect it's because the Brave New Media have trained me to wander from one thing to another on a whim. "Surf", they used to call it.

Then again, I might have some underlying attention issues myself. Those really can affect your life negatively, so seeking evaluation and treatment if you suspect that might be the case with you (and are in a position to do so) would probably be a good idea.

 

[Addendum_Forthcoming]

I should have probably made a distinction between long-form creative writing (novels and epic poetry, for instance) and more general forms of writing (like academic papers, journals and even what we're doing right now). I read a lot of articles, correspondence, academic writings etc. but I just don't find much interest in sitting down with a 600 page paperback novel.

The idea that people that read a lot are more "enlightened" is a misconception. I've found great enlightenment from film, TV, music and games (as well as real-life experiences). To me (and I suspect many others) a book is raw data, lacking the nuance of speech inflection, linear pacing, visuals and audio. As an academic I can't just read writings about the subjects I'm studying, I have to experience a whole spectrum of differently-presented works. I'm not knocking on novels, I know that they appeal to many, but they don't appeal to everyone.

If you're reading a journal article or book and it's nothing but raw data, then something is wrong. Information is understanding, if you pick up a discourse on philosophy and you're just seeing 'data' then the understanding isn't there. That's not a bad thing ... ifsomeone writes a thesis on the nature of chaos and spacetime substantivalism I'm pretty sure who the target reader is going to be. It's also a waste of time for them to have to include volumes of work to explain the foundations of Western philosophy and science.

Art is useful, as is literature(in a Sartrean dichotomy of the two). But I must admit, I read novels to enjoy them. But I'm kind of loathe to level up even the phenomenal Catch-22 to something like Kant's Critique of Pure Reason in terms of finding personal enlightenment. Even if I disagree with Kant (and I do), and even though I LOVE Catch-22, there's a difference between both of them.

You can play the same music for different people. All of them could come up with widely different emotional responses. But a book that tries to cut through all of it, and tries to show you why people feel as they do? Therein lies meaning to articulate self, not merely indulgence of self.

 

[TranshumanistG]

I have a theory that people who have trouble reading books have been over-exposed to visual hyper-stimulating media like movies and videogames that their imagination and attention span have atrophied.

I think it may have more to do with the LINEAR nature of reading a book, as opposed to the way we spend our time hopping around links on the Internet all day. Skipping in the shallows instead of diving into something, so to speak. And it affects all of us. I used to read what I think was quite a bit in my younger days of avoiding the Internet. Whereas now it just took me very nearly a month to finish a pretty readable novel of about 400 pages. It wasn't that it was boring at all, it's just that I kept getting distracted. Sometimes for days at a time. And funnily enough, these days I often find it hard to sit through a movie in one go as well. I suspect it's because the Brave New Media have trained me to wander from one thing to another on a whim. "Surf", they used to call it.

Then again, I might have some underlying attention issues myself. Those really can affect your life negatively, so seeking evaluation and treatment if you suspect that might be the case with you (and are in a position to do so) would probably be a good idea.

You might have a point there. I often have to learn using new modules and frameworks when programming and read documentation for them as a consequence. When doing it I often feel eager to just jump to the sections immediately relevant to my use cases instead of reading through all of it. I've also read somewhere that with the sheer volume of information Internet provides to its users, and amount of channels (articles, blogs, emails, forums, etc.) over which it comes to to them, staying on top of things becomes more and more mentally exhausting. As a consequence of this information 'blips' become common, where information is condensed and made as easy to process and throw away as possible.

I don't currently that my attention issues are something that I can't mitigate by putting more effort into mental discipline. If only I had more motivation to keep it up...

 

[lacktheknack]

Video games emerged out of an apocalyptic understanding of the approaching death of the world and of "system failure", hence the need for hackers to "build, understand, and control" a new, virtual system, which would eventually (sooner than they thought) replace the old, corrupt one.

Books are often considered part of the "old world", shunned by many while accompanied by guilt and "looking back on days gone by". As a *medium* they are considered dead, not part of the new vibrant, inherently wise and culturally accurate, art represented by video games, however in terms of *content* books can certainly be valuable in this day and age, just as words remain valuable in a binary world of zeroes and ones.

But even while this is recognized, the mere act of picking up a book often leads one to think they belong in a museum, as dust on the cover contrasts so deeply with the sheer silicon shine of the digital world.

I cannot remember the last time I've read such utter rubbish on this forum. Is that some new-age, hippy philosophy? If you sober up again, I'd be interested in trying whatever the heck you're smoking. Absolute nonsense on all counts, not one sensible word in your entire post.

You've never read a BrianKoontz post? They're all like that.

OT: Eh, mediums don't appeal to everyone. Just like I don't enjoy movies or TV very much, some people aren't engaged by reading or video games or art, etc.

It's a shame though, because books are by far the best medium to get useful information through.

 

[Scarim Coral]

There are so many things I want to typed but I will metnion this, I just take it you never found the "right" book just for you.

I mean sure I'm not an avid reader and I had my fair share of couldn't get pass the first few pages but at the end of the day, a good book are usually the ones that get you to imagine the story out in your mind (yeah the bad ones are usually the ones I can project the words into a imagainary images in my head).

 

[CaitSeith]

Try a book with pictures

Joking aside, probably you haven't found that genre or author that can keep you stuck to the book. Keep trying, but don't worry.

EDIT: You could try books related to more unconventional topics. As a kid (in the 90s) I used to read books that were really game walkthroughs. But instead of being instructions like in gamefaqs, they were written as a story from the character's perspective. I had the ones for Alone in the Dark, and Prince of Persia 1 and 2.

 

[cleric of the order]

I've tried reading books in the past and they're so boring. I can barely get past the first page. I don't know if it's because they fail to grip me or something else.

People keep asking me trto try to read but nothing I can find is good.

I know that feel, way back in the day I never really read much.
But I found a niche, I like swords and soceries, found authors I like and series I love.
At this point I am exceedingly well read compared to my younger self.
Books by themselves aren't boring, though many novelists are.
Just keep a stiff upper lip and maybe you'll find a good couple books to read otherwise.

 

[maninahat]

Well, I think you find books because books lack the immediacy of other mediums. The adage "a picture is worth a thousand words" applies here, not necessarily to say that a picture is better, but that the amount of information in a single image can take thousands of words to convey. A comic, film or game can instantly set a scene, demonstrate a mood, or show action with an efficiency a book has no chance of matching. So that's probably the main reason you find books boring books. You dislike a medium that will take a long while to convey content.

I am fine with people being that way. I don't think any medium is inherently better than another, and I hate it when people suggest books are always better than the film versions (I happen to think the Cloud Atlas film did a far better job of achieving what the book was trying to do. Also, the novelisation of Back to the Future part III is truly quite shit). Different mediums have different advantages, and whilst a book can't do spontaneity quite like a movie can, it can do an excellent job of subtlety, of engaging your imagination, and of going into incredible length and detail.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

Reading a book is actually kind of like taking your brain to the gym in terms of how it effects you. If you concentrate and can put yourself in the world as described on the pages, it actually has lingering biological impressions on your brain's activity. However, like a weight machine or a specific exercise regime, if you don't train your muscles for the task at hand and then jump into it at full steam you likely won't get the results desired. Everyone wants escape when they read novels (or even sometimes nonfiction) but without easing into a book's definitions and rules it can feel like you'll never get immersed. That's what a friend of mine who used to hate reading novels told me anyway. He had to teach himself to be patient and tell the part of his brain that enjoys internet browsing, youtube or 30 minute long stand alone television programs to shut up. He figures he was looking for faster entertainment value.

The story doesn't reveal itself in one sitting unless you're really invested and have the time to sit and read for hours at a time. Once Darren started reading books like an ongoing serial show where you have to catch the story in segments, the problem he had dealing with the frustration of not being able to get to the core of it diminished and he started enjoying himself. Reading is a learned activity. Human beings stories are traditionally told in spoken form and thus tend to be brief enough that they don't distract from the necessities of life. Nothing wrong with that but when it comes to long form narrative, nothing is more perfect than a book for getting an incredible level of detail captured within a single story. Even then there are always going to be folks who don't enjoy reading a book as opposed to other media and that's okay. People who judge you otherwise are assholes. All media is valid if it inspires thought, triggers excitement, provokes fear or induces laughter. You're free to listen or watch or play whatever is available to you for your amusement.

As for me?

I like reading. I like reading a lot.​

The Great Gatsby bored the hell out me. Does that mean The Great Gatsby is a bad book? No, just that it wasn't for me.

People are horrified when I say The Great Gatsby did nothing for me, but honestly it has to be one of the most over-rated works of literature ever written.

I found the movie entertaining and had been planning on reading it at some point. Hmmm...

 

[busterkeatonrules]

Try Discworld, also has a guy that doesn't usually read the series is great and extremely engaging, Moving Pictures is a good start

I second this.

Terry Pratchett was quite possibly the single most brilliant writer in recent history (he passed away less than two months ago), and even if you don't find his stories gob-smackingly awesome (though you almost certainly will), his sheer wit is sure to get you! This man could make absolutely any topic both fascinating and hilarious. At the same time.

And he always did. Always.

I am not joking. I am not exaggerating. Check him out!

 

[JMeganSnow]

I've tried genres I'm intrested in, they can not grasp me. Then I feel stupider for trying.

Oh well ... it would be stupider not to try? I got no advice really. If I had a child who had trouble actually sitting down and reading a book due to feeling bored by it, I'd be like;

"Glahrblegah!!!!"

Mainly because I'd have no other advice to give than 'stick it out'. But if that fails, then I got nothing.

(Edit) Not saying you're a child. Just that I would imagine this is a long term boredom with books you've noticed since you were young?

Expecting the book to grasp you is kind of like putting the cart before the horse. The intellectual effort of grasping the BOOK is the enjoyable part. It's kind of like going to the gym and then complaining because the weight machines didn't grab you and make you cut with no further involvement on your part.

Learning to enjoy things that take EFFORT is a VITAL SKILL. So is not expecting a constant high level of stimulation. Does this mean everyone needs to read and to enjoy reading? Not at all. But if your problem with reading is that you can't handle not being overstimulated or doing anything that requires you to expend effort, you need to take a serious look at where you are at in your life and what you want to accomplish. Because, at present, you're NOT going to get there.

 

[Zakarath]

I am with you that reading at school was boring but I had the added problem with being forced to read a book as a class. We were forced to each read a few pages out loud and then the next person would take over. The probelm is that everyone in my class read so slowly that it would make a boring book even worse. I would normaly lose my patience after the first few people and then read ahead. By the time the teacher got to me I would be 3 chapters ahead and unable to read to the class. She would then get pissed off with me and give me detention.

I kept doing it tho and she eventualy took the hint and never asked me to read to the class. I then began to take the book jacket from the boring book and put it on a book I actually wanted to read. My class was reading Pride and Prejudice and I was reading The Dresden Files. Problem solved.

And I am totaly reading my next book while imagining it is being read by Brian Blessed. You are a genius.

OT:
I would not worry about it. Some people simply don't enjoy reading a book. There is nothing wrong with that.

Oh, man, I was the exact same way. every time I was up, "Sorry, where were we?"

I would then proceed to read the next section aloud at lightspeed, to the amusement of most of the class. (And the teacher, too, or maybe he was just chill enough to put up with me.)

OT: I dunno, I've loved reading for as long as I can remember, so I don't really know what to advise... If you just want a book that moves at a decent pace and has good action, I'd recommend Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files. One of my favorite series, and not quite as thick as the books of some of my other favorite authors. From your complaint about lengthy descriptions I worry that you're trying to start out with Tolkien or George RR Martin.

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

Then read something your interested in. Is it sci fi? Horror? What interests you? Like with gaming, music, movies, you find your genre and then you have enjoyment.

 

[Odbarc]

Try some audio books on youtube while you're doing other things. I like to listen to things while I do mundane video game related activities.
The Hunger Game books make the characters a lot more interesting. They cut so much in the movie when they do finally make a nod to something it seems so out of place and random.