Submitted by Superb_Emu_6540 t3_10pvauw in books

But I used to like novels a lot..at least when I was in middle school. But then I changed.. to someone who only likes practical things. Whenever I think, ‘oh.. interesting story but this is a made-up thing that never happened anyway.’ I just lose the taste and turn to movies or cartoons.. so I can at least enjoy the CG, acting and looks and the beautiful drawings. And they take less time.

When a story is the form of sheer writing, often the writers step in so much with their words, expressions and writing habits so I can feel ‘humans’ hiding in the background very easily. Maybe I’m biased..but anyone felt similarly? Should I fix it (because I’m missing out on something great) and is it just a normal preference?

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HumOfEvil t1_j6mc0jw wrote

Bit odd since movies etc. are also equally 'made up'.

But maybe try branching out of your usual genres might just be you are too familiar with genre tropes.

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Ineffable7980x t1_j6mreki wrote

You can always read non-fiction.

I don't push anyone to read what they don't want. If novels aren't your thing, that's fine. But you don't see the irony in proclaiming that "this is a made up thing that never happened" and then saying you like movies and cartoons?

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jefrye t1_j6mciv7 wrote

>..but anyone felt similarly?

You are far, far from the only person who thinks art in general and reading specifically is too much effort and a waste of time because it's not "practical." In fact, I imagine it's the dominant view.

>often the writers step in so much with their words, expressions and writing habits so I can feel ‘humans’ hiding in the background very easily.

What you seem to be describing is authorial voice and good prose. For literary readers, that's a major draw of reading—it's the literary equivalent of enjoying acting and beautiful drawings in movies and television shows.

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honestlyicba t1_j6mrul7 wrote

It seems like your attention span doesn’t allow you to build worlds in your mind so you prefer forms of media that basically show you instead of having you use your imagination.

And also, what makes it different, movies and cartoons (most of them fictional) unless you only watch non fictional movies eg documentaries.

Writers who step into their writing is the whole point of enjoying reading because you can have the same premise for a book but if written by different writers with distinct voices and ways of description in their prose, they would become different books. That is very very fun.

(Also this feels like a post by a teenager who is like “omg I have grown up and grown out of reading made up stories I am an adult omg so busy to read.”)

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ViniVidiVelcro t1_j6mvv2a wrote

You could always try reading non-fiction books that aren't "made up." There are all sorts of non-fiction books out there. Biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs. Books on every subject from history to psychology to science to art to sports. So, whatever topic interests you, you can find non-fiction books about it.

As to your preference, there are plenty of readers who prefer non-fiction to fiction, plenty of readers who prefer fiction to non-fiction, and plenty of readers who enjoy both. All are just a matter of taste. None is really weird.

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bhbhbhhh t1_j6nb0b9 wrote

What kind of practical things?

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200words t1_j6mxc0y wrote

I once read about the reading habits of children.
There is a very big drop in reading novels among teen girls and boys.
Boys especially shift their interest to comics and cartoons.

You are very normal.

I don't like the word 'fix' when it comes to reading.
You like what you like. There is nothing broken here. That said, it sounds like it isn't the novels that are boring to you, but the kind of books you have been forced to read?

The classics, the Nobel prizewinners, the 'how to kill a mockingbird'-kind of books are not for everyone. There are novels out there that won't bore you, that feel real and human. But you don't have to search for them. You aren't missing out. You can get your stories through the telly, no problem.

If you want to try fiction out anyway, you could start with graphic novels.
I like comics like Saga and Lore Olympus. Beautiful stories. Highly recommend.
You could also try science fiction novels like "The Martian" by Andy Weir. I felt like I learned something in that book - like the importance of duct tape.

If I go to Mars, I will bring duct tape.

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