The Lost Art of Reading Long Books

Why Long Books Feel Harder to Read Today

There was a time when I would not have thought twice about reading a book of 500 pages. Nowadays, when it comes to books, I find myself checking the number of pages, or chapters, just to decide right away that I will read it "someday." I proceed to open my phone and scroll for an hour. I lose track of time just looking at one content after the other. It has come to a point where reading a long book has become challenging for us.

I think it is not that we have lost interest in content, for we consume longer content every day such as television shows, video games, and even other books! What has changed is our patience and ability to focus on a single subject for a long period.

A long book would not just give you an instant gratification; it requires us to remember what has happened so that it may reappear later, understand the context of a certain scenario, and most importantly, be patient enough to let things unfold. Yes, I agree that there are more interesting things to do than reading, but if you are going to start reading a book, why not start with a long book?

What Long Books Give Us That Short Content Cannot

There is more to a long book than just exciting pages because you can get to know characters in a deeper sense, be patient enough to let a story evolve, and lose track of time in a good way.

A long book allows you to see how a character grows, changes, and matures throughout the book. In the meanwhile, you get to understand each character in depth. A character has a history and a personality; a long book tells it to you! A long book has the luxury to explore into the mind of one person and see who he/she truly is, rather than just a short summary of the same. For example, a long book can show you that a character has regretted doing something and repeated it again and again until she learns her lesson, while an article would have only shown you the regret.

A long book gives you the opportunity to be patient. You do not always have exciting scenes right away, but some scenes require your full attention so that you may understand the story better. Patience is key when it comes to long books.

Also, in a book of this size, you will most likely feel bored at some point. We are so used to being stimulated all the time that it is hard to sit still and do nothing. However, boredom is sometimes what we need in order to get our imagination rolling. The long book allows you to imagine different scenarios, relate to the story, and get sucked into its world. That is what makes a long book so great!

Learning to Read Without Rushing

I am not saying that technology is the reason we do not read books as much these days; for it makes us more productive by allowing us to read anywhere and anytime we want. I think it is just that we have lost the art of patience. We are so used to getting what we want that we cannot just sit and read anymore. We have to be entertained at all times! But what if we just take a break and read a long book for once? It might not hurt after all.

A long book should not be rushed because it is not a race; it is an adventure. We do not have to read hundreds of pages right away. We can just start reading a few pages a day, maybe 10 pages right before sleeping or 20 pages on a Sunday afternoon. Who knows, maybe you will find it enjoyable enough that you will read more than that!