The novel will cease to exist as more than a “cultic” literary form in less than 25 years! Or so says author Philip Roth. The cause of its demise? A multitude of screens.
The movie screen dealt the first blow to the novel. The second blow came from television, with the computer screen following.
Roth says the kind of concentration, focus, and attentiveness required for novel reading is too hard to come by nowadays. I can see his point. We’ve become used to speed. Remember when the microwave seemed miraculously fast? And now, do you ever find yourself wishing it would hurry up?
There’s another screen—the eReader. But though that might challenge the existence of the ink and paper novel, Roth says it won’t save the novel form because it requires the same skills as reading an ink and paper book.
So dear novel lovers, you may find yourself the member of a “cult” sometime in the next two decades. Hmmm. Blue Oyster Novel Readers? The Secret Order of the Novel? Sisterhood of the Novel? What shall we call ourselves?
I was discussing this recently, and the scene from Fahrenheit 451 came to mind. Not the book burning aspect, but I can imagine a cult of people who have memorized novels and recite to others, as demand and patience will be so limited.
You know, I thought something similar one day. What if all books disappeared? How many do I know well enough that I could tell the story and do justice to it? It would be an historical full-circle, wouldn’t it? Sitting around sharing the stories so we wouldn’t forget them.
If books disappeared, I think I would have a nervous breakdown. I could never use a Kindle, or just rely on the computer to get my fix. I need to hold them in my hands, smell that great book smell (yes, even the old ones!) and stack them everywhere.
I think we need to start a revolution!
Militant readers! Fighting for our right to ink and paper!
Ah. The ever-dwindling attention spans. Grip those novels and never let go. Breed new readers, writers unite.
Considering the popularity of MG and YA novels, it seems we HAVE bred new readers, wouldn’t you say? Hmmm, maybe Roth doesn’t see this.
“I think we need to start a revolution!”Calliopespen.
I am in! Revolution will bring us to the end of a new beginning… the continuos story of bookelo bill!
Book will never die…
Writer neither and readers will always need a book.
A world without books … impossible! That’s my battle cry.
Maybe it’s resistance, or denial? But when I read your post, the first thought I had was:
“Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.”
Well, of course, Philip Roth could just be a pessimist! I have always read novels, I can’t imagine not ever reading another … and surely there are millions like me. Then again, if it’s a generational thing … well, we do die off eventually.
What a scary thought. No libraries. The smell of the books, the difference in feel of a new and worn binding, the quiet solace…I don’t like this at all.
Libraries as museums … dystopian, isn’t that the word?
I will not let go! I can’t – I won’t – believe that the future is electronic, that there is no place for paper and ink. I will have to chew my nails for awhile over this . . .
If we all think as one, it can’t possibly happen. Right?
Sadly, Roth may be right. And it might not just be novels. Of course, the beauty of print is it can’t be “wikipedia changed on a whim by the powers that be.” Does that bring us back to Bradbury’s 451?
-Michael
Ahhh, yes, because we know that Kindle books are only LOANED, not owned, and can disappear at the whim of the powers that be.
“Book People” unite!
I know! Let’s call ourselves “The Literate” and lord our superior knowledge and vocabularies — gained by reading books — over the mush-brained minions left drooling at the altar of the computer, TV and movie screens!
And then we take away their electrical and battery power and watch them self-destruct!
Or think of this, the evil powers that be give everyone free eReaders and free downloads because they’ve found some killer virus in all printed books. So after all the paper books are destroyed (to save us) they wipe clean everyone’s readers!
All kidding aside, print is disappearing. Magazines are going under, newspapers are migrating to online, etc. It is scary. I vow to support all of you buy buying your books–the real versions.
I think we can blame the internet and 24/7 news channels for the death of the newspaper and some magazines.
And yes, certainly we can at least support the industry by buying the books written by our writer friends … now, if we can just get an agent to get a publisher willing to take a chance on us.
REVOLT! Let’s hear them say “The Bookish are coming. The Bookish are coming!
Let them non-readers of print eat cake.
And, yes, me too. I vow to buy and read the books of my writer friends, blog and otherwise.
“The bookish are coming.”
I love this! Somebody needs to make up a badge:)
Reading a book is an altogether different experience than reading online. It’s private. It’s a way to explore a world that someone else invented and that you complete. I think, as the Internet matures, the shakeout will show that some kinds of reading a best done electronically (perhaps newspapers are the best example, since links in a news story are valuable), and some are best done in actual print and paper. Let’s hope so.
I will work on a badge and get back to you.
I believe you’re right, Susan. I’m counting on it.