Attention Span

Posted by Highhat on Sat, 22 Dec 2012

Thanks to charity we now have enough food to see us this month out. And sweets- it's a Christmas hamper so they put in a lot of sweets: chocolate, marcipan licorice. I don't eat sweets and neither does my son- at least very seldom. But there is also some fruit which I will enjoy and nuts to crack. I found a nutcracker- didn't know I had one! I haven't bought one present. I.e I have bought a couple of books for myself but buying books at amazon is not expensive. In Denmark books are very expensive but over the past years they have become cheaper- now they sell books in supermarkets- the most popular ones not the special stuff you can buy on amazon and I read preferably in english. Just bought Life of Pi and it arrived today. I always buy paperbacks- they're cheaper and it doesn't bother me that they're not hardbacks.

I have read an incredible number of books this year but lately I can't concentrate and I think I picked up a badly written one but I am determined to read it to the end just to confirm that it was that bad. Stupid I know and I don't have to finish it.

Read 2 books from the same author earlier this year and I was so disppointed after book 2. Another author disappointed me too. But otherwise I am catching up after several years of not being able to read and I am thoroughly enjoying reading. Sometimes I just can't put a book down and as I have so much spare time I can sit for hours reading and get through about 3 books a week.

But after Autumn and Winter set in my spirits are low and my attention span is very short. I can read about 3 or 4 pages and lose interest- at least with the book I am presently reading- Noble Savage- a sci-fi and that isn't my genre. I mistook the author's name. Well she is called exactly the same as another author who is very very good- Liz Moore. I read her 'Heft' and was very impressed.

I'm not much of a film viewer so I read the books instead. I've always enjoyed reading more than film viewing and don't combine the two. I have often found that filmed books lose a lot of the quality. So I am not rushing off to see the Hobbit or Life of Pi. Anyway I don't really care for movie theatres. Not the small ones they have nowadays. I'm old-fashioned with a lot of things in this life.

Comments

Submitted by celticman on
Life of Pi is great. Terrible memory, but I remember it being a joy to read. I want to see the movie too. You're right, of course, films, especially Hollywood version are so disappointing. There are exceptions. Nicholas Monsarrat's 'The Cruel Sea' is back in print and its wonderful (if a bit too long at the end). The film is also great in a different way. Philip K Dick's books are pretty poor, and the films of them invariably more interesting. Steven King's books are almost all disappointing films, but his short story about Rita Hayworth 'The Shawshank Redemption' is great, but the story is just a jumping off point. I remember think 'Salem's Lot' with David Soul was really frightening. The film version of 'Lord of the Ring's' was grear. Film versions of 'Beh Hur' and 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' were I think also better than the books.

 

Submitted by denni1 on
Cinemas are noisy places, with folk talking, munching, slurping. I am used to complete silence of the theatre audiences where l work, so the pictures are a definate no no for me. My wee dad could read 3 books a week, too. I still have them all, ready to be shipped out to a charity shop. Keep on keepin' on, now .. Dx

Submitted by Highhat on
I prefer silence or quiet mostly Denni-I like theaters if I remember rightly- been a while since I was in one. Haven't been to the cinema in years. And hardly ever have the telly or radio on. Just peace and quiet. ha ha Quite like soothing music though. ;)Pia