How many books do you read a year? How many books are written in a year? If you were to read all of them, how long would it take?
We live in an age of endless media. There is radio, television, video games and so much more. If a person were confined to only one, they might never run out. So, why would anybody choose a novel?
Itโs long in a society that favors instant gratification. Itโs abstract in a society that prefers concrete sensation. Itโs old in a society that craves brand new everything.
We forget, but there was a time only a few millennia ago when none of these desires could be met. People didnโt have the written word, they had to draw on a poetic tradition. This was older, more abstract and at times longer than our novels.
Still, it fell out of favor. Have you ever met a rhapsode or a skald? I havenโt. Iโve met a few poets, and while their work is fascinating, it remains somewhat of a novelty.
People donโt crave this medium as much as they used to, and if one were to follow this trend, they wouldnโt like novels either. Yet, it remains a lucrative industry. Why?
There could be many causes, and any speculation is oversimplification. However, an argument could be made that books provide slow contemplation in a world that doesnโt cater to this need.
To be clear, thereโs nothing wrong with instant gratification. Also, it would be a lie to say other forms of art, like movies or paintings, canโt create similar feelings to novels. Ultimately, the artist and their mastery over their medium is what matters. However, as a trend, it seems books are providing this slower, longer experience.
For instance, the shortest audiobooks tend to be 10 hours long. Many are 20, and a few can get up to 60. Itโs a project to consume them.
Video games can take a similar amount of time to complete, if not longer. For me, they can also feel like a project.
So what differentiates them? Books are typically written by one person. They tend to have a cohesive vision behind them. Trying to do that in a large-scale game requires excellent team management, and itโs harder to achieve.
In my own experience, this tends to result in a focus on mechanics over theme, which isnโt bad. However, it feels like mastering a skill rather than analyzing a work, which is a different type of project.
