# With great movies and tv series available, why read?



## KRCox (Feb 18, 2011)

Even with the fantastic advances in reading technology, and the eInk screens that gave us kindle, why read anymore? There are amazing movies like The Red Violin or Iron Man out there and cool tv shows like Desperate Housewives or Dexter. So, is it even worth it to open a book these days?


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

Because some people disagree that those movies are amazing, or those TV series are cool?

Mike


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Or, I could ask:

Considering the fantastic advances in reading technology, and the eInk screens that gave us the kindle, why watch movies or TV any more? There are amazing books like 1Q84 and The Affair and cool series like In Her Name. Is it even worth it to turn on the TV anymore?


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

Amazing movie Iron Man? Cool show Desperate Housewifes? Really     

Some of us manage to do both, watch cool shows and still read. I probably read more than I watch, but then I only have a select amount of TV shows I deem cool enough for my taste.  

All kidding aside, I love to read. Period. Nothing on TV, or movies or anything else will ever kill this love for reading I have. 

Are there voracious readers that just one day not love reading anymore? I don't know, I don't think I ever met one. Maybe take a pause, but never to totally not love reading anymore. Its part of who I am.


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## EStoops (Oct 24, 2011)

Well, first of all, everyone that loves to read has read Fahrenheit 451. (At least, that I know.)

And it scared us so deeply that we probably subconsciously were terrified when wall-scre... I mean flat screens hit the market. And some of us, like me, probably were CONSCIOUSLY terrified. Now, we calmed down. There are some stories that were meant to be visual, there are some stories that maybe even do better as a visual (can you imagine a Spiderman novel with no illustrations?) and so we looked at the TV with less suspicion.

But we remember what 451 had to say.

And so to us, books are king. Our ability to read is chief. It sets us apart (even pets will watch TV) and reassures us. To get millsian on you, we read because it's a higher quality pastime, in our opinions, and gives us wings.


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## intinst (Dec 23, 2008)

I have never seen a movie or TV show that was as good as the ones that "play" in my mind when I read.


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## Guest (Nov 2, 2011)

I'd say a good answer for this is that movies/TV and other visual media diminish brain activity while reading increases it. Reading does a tremendous amount for brain function and general awareness.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Reading is quiet and restful even when I'm on the edge of my seat and holding my breath. 

There is so little on TV that interests me that I disconnected my satellite. Now I watch the few shows I want to watch with my Roku. Same with movies. There are so few that I really want to see that I haven't bothered to go in years. Harry Potter and a few Disney movies excepted.


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## emilyward (Mar 5, 2011)

With a book, I can go so much more in depth. Movies and TV shows only show what's on the outside but books can show the inner workings of the characters. A character who has a secret in a book acts much differently than a character with a secret in a movie. A movie only lasts two hours, a book much more.

Also the book is a way for my imagination to work and create these people in my head but in visual media it's already been created. I'm a passive observer with movies/TV shows instead of a collector creator.


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## DYB (Aug 8, 2009)

foreverjuly said:


> I'd say a good answer for this is that movies/TV and other visual media diminish brain activity while reading increases it. Reading does a tremendous amount for brain function and general awareness.


There are exceptions, of course! There are books that turn off all brain activity. There are books you have to turn off all brain activity to get through. And there are TV shows and movies that make your heart race. They are completely different mediums and deliver information in different ways. There are many things you can not do on the screen that you can do in a book. There are things you can show on the screen that can't be described with words. It's really not an either or type situation.

Plus, Kindles use a lot less electricity than your TV.


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## jason10mm (Apr 7, 2009)

I would postulate that even though the average american is literate and reads on a daily basis (if surfing the web counts) the actual % of folks who READ literature has probably been constant for the past few centuries. So while TV and movies, being far more popular with a much wider audience, frequently have to dive to the lowest common denominator, literature can and often does deliver a much more sophisticated experience. 

So while the TV show "24" is basically the TV equivalent of a Mitch Rapp or Scott Harvath men's adventure series, I don't think it reaches quite the same intellectual depth. Compare the George Martin "Game of Thrones" tv show with his book series. While there is a lot of detail in the show, you have to resort to the books to get the full experience. So literature trumps motion pictures. Then again, not sure I would want to read the literary equivalent of "Spartacus:Blood and Sand", no matter how much I enjoy the show.

So the visual arts appeals to a different set of emotions and desires than reading. I think they can, and do, co-exist and can often complement each other very nicely (like the above mentioned Game of Thrones show).


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## jackz4000 (May 15, 2011)

KRCox said:


> Even with the fantastic advances in reading technology, and the eInk screens that gave us kindle, why read anymore? There are amazing movies like *The Red Violin or Iron Man out there and cool tv shows like Desperate Housewives or Dexter*. So, is it even worth it to open a book these days?


Possibly not everyone has the same taste in movies and TV shows as you do? For example: your examples don't do anything much for me. Iron Man? Desperate Housewives? Meh. Not for me. Different people have different tastes. For myself, there are only a handful of movies made per year that I'd want to see and maybe only a few TV shows in a given week I'd watch. There are also many more books and a great variety. I find books to be much better entertainment and if there is something I want facts for--a non-fiction book usually gets me what I want to know.

There are far better stories to read than movies and TV shows. Also, with a book your brain is engaged, with TV and movies it's a passive experience.

OTOH: I don't think the book of Casablanca or of Apocalypse Now would be as great as the films, then again these were original screenplays. Even Kubrick's film 2001, I think trumps Clarke's book which is where the movie came from.


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## StephenEngland (Nov 2, 2011)

I've seen very few TV shows that were anywhere near as good as a book. The BBC's Spooks might be one exception, but books generally have a more complex plot, without being bound to the 42 minutes of your average US program.


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## DYB (Aug 8, 2009)

StephenEngland said:


> I've seen very few TV shows that were anywhere near as good as a book. The BBC's Spooks might be one exception, but books generally have a more complex plot, without being bound to the 42 minutes of your average US program.


That's a whole lot of generalization. There's a lot of books out there. And lots of TV and movies. TV and movies that will engage your brain. Does Dan Brown engage the brain as much as, say, "Twin Peaks" and "Apocalypse Now" do? I doubt it.


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## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

One of the big advantages that books have is that it comes to you at your own pace. You read as fast or as slowly as you wish. You can think about what you have read, while TV is here one moment and gone the next. TV is much more linear. Books also have much more depth, you can only fit so much depth into a scene in a TV show or a movie.

I do watch TV, although I dropped cable because there was nothing worth watching. I watch a couple shows off broadcast TV, and a few from PBS, and others from Netflix. I do a lot of reading when I am relaxing before bed. Reading is more relaxing, I don't have to pay attention to the TV.


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## mistyd107 (May 22, 2009)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Or, I could ask:
> 
> Considering the fantastic advances in reading technology, and the eInk screens that gave us the kindle, why watch movies or TV any more? There are amazing books like 1Q84 and The Affair and cool series like In Her Name. Is it even worth it to turn on the TV anymore?


ITA for me there are VERY VERY few tv shows I make a point of REALLY paying attention to. as a matter of fact its just 2. Others I may have on as back ground noise depending on my mood. I can't say the same for books where I constantly have a huge list of books I HAVE/WANT to read


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## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

I don't think TV is any better than it ever was. In some ways it is worse. The production quality has increased, yes, the programs look better. And older shows do look dated from a perspective of decades later. But a better perspective is from the perspective of the time. What people in 1971 thought of the programs they were watching is, in my opinion, more relevant than what we in 2011 think about TV shows from 1971. As I see it, older TV shows were more grounded in everyday reality than today's TV shows. In a police show like Barney Miller, the police are just people like anyone else. But in TV today, characters are so much unlike anyone you would actually meet.


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## Not Here (May 23, 2011)

Why can't I do both?   But really, my imagination is much better than most TV. That's all the reason I need.


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## jackz4000 (May 15, 2011)

QuantumIguana said:


> I don't think TV is any better than it ever was. In some ways it is worse. The production quality has increased, yes, the programs look better. And older shows do look dated from a perspective of decades later. But a better perspective is from the perspective of the time. What people in 1971 thought of the programs they were watching is, in my opinion, more relevant *than what we in 2011 think about TV shows from 1971. As I see it, older TV shows were more grounded in everyday reality than today's TV shows. In a police show like Barney Miller, the police are just people like anyone else. But in TV today, characters are so much unlike anyone you would actually meet.
> *




Maybe many people already have enough "reality" in their day and seek some unreality. Then again there is something called reality tv?


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## Ben White (Feb 11, 2011)

I don't mind what form of media my stories come in, as long as they're good.  (With that said I have a special love for animation, it's just magic is all.)


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

intinst said:


> I have never seen a movie or TV show that was as good as the ones that "play" in my mind when I read.


That's it exactly. Well said.


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## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

I don't think people are seeking unreality. People tend to assume that what they see has, while fictional, at least some resemblance to reality. Characters should not be caricatures. I think that people crave reality, they just don't get much of it.


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## intinst (Dec 23, 2008)

KRCox said:


> Even with the fantastic advances in reading technology, and the eInk screens that gave us kindle, why read anymore? There are amazing movies like The Red Violin or Iron Man out there and cool tv shows like Desperate Housewives or Dexter. So, is it even worth it to open a book these days?


And I guess the next point that could be made is, since no one should bother reading, why write books?


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## Lursa (aka 9MMare) (Jun 23, 2011)

Why limit myself?


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## KindleChickie (Oct 24, 2009)

My guestimate is I probably spend 10 hours reading for every 1 hour of TV/movies.  But I do love my HBO and Showtime series.  And movies in a theater are a wonderful way to spend a couple hours.  

But there are times when they feel like an assault on my senses.  I sometimes wear earplugs at work to escape the 24/7 TV.  This morning I spent a couple hours at the park reading my blogs and newspapers while watching the early morning wild life.  I felt refreshed rather than assaulted.


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

Because my mind opens up better images and good storytellers tell better stories than most do in TV and movies. Yes, I love both, but there's nothing like being lost in a book, its like conjuring your own world, rather than just witnessing one created by someone else.


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## CJArcher (Jan 22, 2011)

KindleChickie said:


> My guestimate is I probably spend 10 hours reading for every 1 hour of TV/movies.


I'm the same. There aren't too many shows I like to watch and I don't get to the movies much. Books give me the variety I crave and the deeper character study.


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## GerrieFerrisFinger (Jun 1, 2011)

My husband and I seldom go to the movies, or even watch DVDs. We have any friends who will give us the latest, but we're just not interested in most of the flicks today.


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## Geemont (Nov 18, 2008)

I gave up on movies and TV decades ago.   There is not much to watch for a mindset above the thirteen year old threshold.  

Occasionally, I still watch movies, but that's usually for social situations or when I need complete distraction like an afternoon after  gum surgery when I was doped up Novocain and Vicodin.  But I've seen nothing first rate in a dozen or so years.

It's pity, almost.  I remember loving movies when I was a kid in high school, going out almost every Friday to watch what ever was new, and having a good time even when it was stupid, but as I got older, I lost interest.  The film industry isn't geared for adults.

This year, so far, I've read 91 book excluding unabridged audio and watched 5 films.  And the more I think about it, I could have skipped all five movies and been just as happy.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

KRCox said:


> Even with the fantastic advances in reading technology, and the eInk screens that gave us kindle, why read anymore? There are amazing movies like The Red Violin or Iron Man out there and cool tv shows like Desperate Housewives or Dexter. So, is it even worth it to open a book these days?


Fee, fi, fo, fum, I smell the blood of a forum troll.

(Why else would anyone ask such a question on an _e-reader_ forum? That's like asking why everyone isn't using Windows on a Linux forum.)


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## Darlene Jones (Nov 1, 2011)

Very little in the movies or on tv can provide the scope of a book. Darlene Jones, Author


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## windyrdg (Sep 20, 2010)

You've hit on a real sore spot for authors. Books are definitely suffering from the competition. I think the problem revolves around the fact that kids have been conditioned to let other people (TV & movie producers, mostly) do their thinking for them. The thing that makes a novel so great is that you imagine the characters and action as you want to see them. In the movies you're dependent upon someone else's vision.

Most people feel the book is always better than the movie. Case in point: Years ago I read and loved the novel Youngblood Hawke. He's a larger than life character with a commanding presence. When they made it into a movie they had James Franciscus (sp?) playing the part. On his best day he couldn't have been Youngblood Hawke. I was never so disappointed in my life.


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## Carolyn62 (Sep 5, 2011)

intinst said:


> I have never seen a movie or TV show that was as good as the ones that "play" in my mind when I read.


That's what I think too!


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## patrickt (Aug 28, 2010)

KRCox said:


> Even with the fantastic advances in reading technology, and the eInk screens that gave us kindle, why read anymore? There are amazing movies like The Red Violin or Iron Man out there and cool tv shows like Desperate Housewives or Dexter. So, is it even worth it to open a book these days?


To quote a Harley t-shirt, "If you have to ask you wouldn't understand." Especially, if you cite "Iron Man" as an amazing movie. I enjoy movies but I'm more in tune with "Moby Dick" with Gregory Peck or "Being There" with Peter Sellers but movies will never replace books for me.


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## Pawz4me (Feb 14, 2009)

intinst said:


> I have never seen a movie or TV show that was as good as the ones that "play" in my mind when I read.


Very well said!

TV and movies utterly bore me. Probably something to do with the way my brain is wired.


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## ciscokid (Oct 10, 2010)

I've always been a voracious reader, but also loved my tv.  Lately though, since the quality of tv programs and movies have gone down, I find myself watching less and less tv.  I'd much rather be engrossed in a book, than a movie or tv show any day of the week.


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## Louie Flann (Aug 3, 2011)

Books and TV? It's like comparing apples and dog poop.

If it weren't for Malcolm in the Middle, 30 Rock, Curb your enthusiasm, Arrested Development and The Lawrence O'Donnell Show, you could shut the  whole thing down IMHO. Besides, this stuff is available on the web.


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## Klip (Mar 7, 2011)

NogDog said:


> Fee, fi, fo, fum, I smell the blood of a forum troll.
> 
> (Why else would anyone ask such a question on an _e-reader_ forum? That's like asking why everyone isn't using Windows on a Linux forum.)


I think so too. But they're not getting much bang for they buck here - such a civilized discussion


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## wvpeach (Jul 12, 2010)

LOL, I have yet to find a movie that lives up to my favorite books. With books they have time to expand the story and give us the in depth details. With books characters are developed in a much fuller way that the limitations of time allow in movies and tv series. 

  I can't imagine that there will ever be a replacement for a good book.


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## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

When I was reading the Harry Potter books, I "remembered" vividly a scene from one of the movies. Then I realized that although I pictured the scene so clearly in my mind, it wasn't from one of the movies. It was from the book that I had recently read, the movie for that book wasn't even out yet. I remembered the scence so vividly that for a moment, I had forgotten that I hadn't actually seen it. When you're reading a really good book, you barely notice that you are reading words, you're THERE.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Remember, folks, "troll" is a four letter word around here. . . . .thanks to all our members who have taken KR's post at face value. . . . .


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## Thalia the Muse (Jan 20, 2010)

Movies and television take place in front of me; books take place inside my head. I love movies (I was a professional reviewer for a while) and I appreciate the way series television can develop incredible depth if done well because you spend so much time with even the minor characters over the course of a few seasons -- but nothing replaces reading for me. If I had to choose between never watching a movie or TV again, or never reading another book, I wouldn't hesitate for a second.


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## KRCox (Feb 18, 2011)

mashadutoit said:


> I think so too. But they're not getting much bang for they buck here - such a civilized discussion


Forgive my ignorance, but what is a forum troll?


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## Klip (Mar 7, 2011)

KRCox said:


> Forgive my ignorance, but what is a forum troll?


I apologise for that remark - it was uncalled for as you are not, in fact, a troll, or trying to be one  As I see now in retrospect.

Your post just seemed very like one of those one tends to see every now and then, posted only with the purpose of angering people and starting a flame war, upon which the troll then sits back and enjoys the fireworks.

For example, I've seen posts on dog training forums where somebody will come in and post something like "My puppy pees when I beat him" and the forum just erupts in anger, to the troll's delight.

So - sorry about that!


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## davidestesbooks (Nov 4, 2011)

I love movies, don't get me wrong, but the movies in my head while reading books are always better.  To end this discussion, might I ask the rhetorical question, what came first, the movie or the book?


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## Lursa (aka 9MMare) (Jun 23, 2011)

davidestesbooks said:


> I love movies, don't get me wrong, but the movies in my head while reading books are always better. To end this discussion, might I ask the rhetorical question, what came first, the movie or the book?


The cave drawing, no?


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## KRCox (Feb 18, 2011)

mashadutoit said:


> I apologise for that remark - it was uncalled for as you are not, in fact, a troll, or trying to be one  As I see now in retrospect.
> 
> Your post just seemed very like one of those one tends to see every now and then, posted only with the purpose of angering people and starting a flame war, upon which the troll then sits back and enjoys the fireworks.
> 
> ...


Hey, no problem. I wasn't offended, just curious.


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## RobertMarda (Oct 19, 2010)

I would watch more TV and more movies if more were produced that are like Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, Warehouse 13, and such.

If someone would make a dragonriders of PERN series to the quality of Lord of the Rings I would watch that.

As it is there seems to be too little fantasy and science fiction shows that I would watch. I particularly liked Lord of the Rings and the original Battlestar Galactica for their lack of swear words. I only watch shows online these days and usually on hulu.


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## Guest (Nov 4, 2011)

Dexter has a book series I want to read lol. I believe it was a book series first, in fact.

Yes, there are many great movies and TV shows. I believe people have their preferences; for me, it's books. The reason I prefer books to movies is that there is so much more you get with books. More mental stimulation, more insight to character and the human condition, more room for your imagination. A book is also something that can be savored more. I love the feeling of suspense, which can last for a a day or a week with a book, instead of just an hour for a movie. It's the whole experience!

That's not to say movies can't do the same. (And TV shows can carry suspense for weeks and seasons and years on end) but there is a very special combination found in books that is hard, if not impossible, to duplicate on the screen.

Additionally, I have to say that there are many novels that just wouldn't work as well as movies. Some stories I want to know... but television and movies can't do justice. Sometimes they even try... and fail. All too often, I think readers see a book-turned-movie and think... "The book was better."

Yours in Books,
Shana


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## Simon Haynes (Mar 14, 2011)

I watch TV/DVDs on my laptop and I generally have a browser window open at the same time. TV/Movies usually can't hold my attention for more than ten minutes, and I end up resizing the window and multi-tasking.

If I'm reading a book, on the other hand, I can sit peacefully for hours on end. Reading uses a lot more brain power than simple moving pictures, and thus keeps my full attention.


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## Thalia the Muse (Jan 20, 2010)

One big advantage of TV/movies on DVD is that I can crochet or embroider while I watch them, for sure.


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## Jon Olson (Dec 10, 2010)

KRCox said:


> Even with the fantastic advances in reading technology, and the eInk screens that gave us kindle, why read anymore? There are amazing movies like The Red Violin or Iron Man out there and cool tv shows like Desperate Housewives or Dexter. So, is it even worth it to open a book these days?


I take it you're baiting us. No?


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

I read _and _ go to the movies, and cannot see why one excludes the other. In fact, books and movies have lived alongside each other for decades, and often have a symbiotic relationship. As for TV ... I hardly watch newly broadcasted shows any more, and resort to box-sets of old favourites instead. There's barely any new show out there worth bothering with, with cheap 'reality' TV, 'talent' contests, and pseudocumentaries taking up most of the regular airtime.


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## Todd Young (May 2, 2011)

People read to get inside a character's head. You can't do that with a TV show. You can't know what the character is thinking and feeling. Stephen King says it's the closest thing to telepathy that we have.


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## KRCox (Feb 18, 2011)

Tony Richards said:


> I read _and _ go to the movies, and cannot see why one excludes the other. In fact, books and movies have lived alongside each other for decades, and often have a symbiotic relationship. As for TV ... I hardly watch newly broadcasted shows any more, and resort to box-sets of old favourites instead. There's barely any new show out there worth bothering with, with cheap 'reality' TV, 'talent' contests, and pseudocumentaries taking up most of the regular airtime.


I thought the idea behind the TV show Castle was pretty slick. A show about a writer, who solves crimes, who writes a book during the first season, and then that book "he" wrote, is now available on shelves in real life bookstores. That was clever.


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