Sunday, February 24, 2013

Is 'goodbye to reading' a possibility?

I've been hearing the laments of people about iconic bookshops pulling down shutters permanently as the number of people buying books have reduced to almost a dwindle! Well, statistics do prove that the lament is not misplaced. We'd discussed the Reader's Digest filing for bankruptcy, on this forum, recently.

Is it because reading has fallen from favour? Or is it that most of the books are available on line and one doesn't have to wait, any more, for a copy of one's choice to reach the book shelves of the favourite bookshop in the vicinity? Or is it that one resorts to get everything in a condensed form and be smug about the fact that one's aware of the entire book after having perused its teaser trailer?

The reason could be a combination of all of them. My personal take on the situation is that there's nothing greater a satisfaction than having a book at hand, with the freedom of flipping the pages and reading to your heart's contend without having to bother about the constraints of time. And I must reiterate the tingle of excitement that I get whenever I go through my small collection of books - and my possessions are motley when compared to what I've seen with the others.

I'm sure that there're many more die hard fans like me who love reading and are fond of collecting books or other forms of reading material! The habit of reading can never die!!


Tailpiece.

Wonder what my grandfather would have to say about the current situation? I can visualise him saying emphatically that any human being who wants to grow will read. "It helps him to clear the cobwebs in his mind".

This is, incidentally, one of the aspects that will be deliberated upon on 01 Mar when the state celebrates his 104th birthday.     

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