"On a recent visit to one of my old haunts, I was taken aback by the number of "best-sellers" on display. On closer inspection I realised, almost without exception, they were all potboilers. In an attempt to appeal to the lowest common denominator, themes such as sex, love, betrayal abounded. To underscore this dumbing down of literature, they were poorly written, full of spelling mistakes and poorly bound, as if the publishers themselves didn't care about the dross they were churning out. Speed was clearly paramount, low-brow appeal the name of the game with a bid to rake in as much money as possible.
It seems sensationalism has become the mantra of the publishing in general, and the old adage that sex sells is as true today as ever.
It really is difficult to find something worth reading. It's not just me; I've seen lots of people standing outside bookshops looking bored with the offerings on show.
[...] literature is not just about recreation. Sure escapism and entertainment are important, but books have a moral obligation to inform, awaken conscience and instill compassion. If they don't meet these criteria then they are simply "nonsense"."
From: http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/Talk-Around-Town/215098/Whatever-happened-to-the-written-word.html
I got tired of vampire books taking up 50% of the book stores shelf space in the sci-fi/ fantasy fiction. I started buying from amazon exclusively then. Then we moved and I realized what a chore it was moving all of my books so that brought me over to buying a Kindle and I couldn't be happier. Books on demand and easy to browse and find.
ReplyDeleteAs far as good reading, I think in the sci-fi and espionage areas there is a ton of good stuff out there, it's just not on the brick and mortar shelves.