What Could Possibly be Better than a Book?
Thunder echoes throughout the house as the rain pelts against the window. She watches her younger brother turn on the television and selects his favorite movie on Netflix for them to watch. Lightning flashes across the sky, and the room is suddenly plunged into darkness. She gets up and carefully lights a candle. She sits down near the candle and opens up the novel she had been holding. She smiles as she hears her brother’s frustrated wining at the loss of his ability to watch his movie. Novels have been in existence for hundreds of years. Some individuals believe that the novel will soon see its end, though that may not be entirely true.
Competition drives our world and the media realm is no different. In the textbook The Media of Mass Communication, John Vivian argues that, “newer media technology has created potent storytelling forms that encroach on the novel’s once exclusive provenience,” (11). Vivian believes that other forms of media, such as television and film, can provide the same source of entertainment and literary quality that a novel can. Films and television shows can provide a visual representation of a literary work, and its viewers can see the actors’ interpretations. Novels, however, give the reader more freedom. In films and shows, the viewers have no control over who plays a character, what the setting looks like, and how lines are said. Though the author of the novel gives a vivid description of these things, the reader is allowed to create their own cast for the characters, to have their own idea of the setting’s appearance, and to choose how the lines are said. For example, if a reader decided to read the Twilight saga, they could choose someone besides Kristen Stewart to play Bella Swan. Films and television shows are competing with novels for the reader’s attention.
Vivian says that it is easier to watch a film or television show. Vivian says, “access could hardly be easier than on-demand movies and television downloaded to a mobile tablet,” (11). Though it is easy to download a film or a television show, it is also easy to download a book. New technological developments of recent years-such as Kindle, Nook, smart phones, and tables-have made it possible for one to download a novel as well. Even if one did not have a Kindle, Nook, etc, one could still buy a novel. Like novels on tablets, physical novels can be taken anywhere and read at one’s own pace.
The biggest issue with novels is the time it takes to read the novel. Vivian states that, “the process of consuming long-form literature involves the slow and laborious intellectual process of reading,” (11). Vivian believes that people are too impatient and incapable of sitting down and reading a novel. Novels can take an individual a while to read, but novels can discuss so much more than a film can do in two hours. Novels can go deeper into a story and into a character’s life. Novels allow the reader to discover subplots and symbols left by the author for one to find. Reading novels cause one to avoid standing in line for tickets, arriving late to a film, standing in line for popcorn, as well as skipping commercials.
In recent years, technology has soared. Individuals are able to see actors portray different stories on large and small screens. Novels, however, have lasted throughout the ages and shall continue to be written for generations to come.
Work Cited
Vivian, John. “MEDIAtomorrow: Eclipse of the Novel?” The Media of Mass Communication. 11th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson, 2013. 11. Print.
