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Prairie Gates

(8,157 posts)

28. The novel invented free indirect discourse

Wed Oct 1, 2025, 06:57 PM

Oct 2025

It's certainly plausible that this technical form resulted in a general increase in empathy, and the reduction of novel reading produces the opposite.

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Only 16 percent of Americans read for personal interest or pleasure [View all] misanthrope Oct 2025 OP

Scary! I'm doing my part reading 2-3 books / day SheltieLover Oct 2025 #1

I don't quite read that fast, but Bettie Oct 2025 #16

I've pretty much run out of cozy mystery authors SheltieLover Oct 2025 #17

I sometimes reread favorites from my younger days... Harker Oct 2025 #27

I do as well! SheltieLover Oct 2025 #35

Well put! Harker Oct 2025 #52

Fabulous! SheltieLover Oct 2025 #55

Changed my life for the better to embrace and integrate the masculine, feminine, and lupine elements of my nature! Harker Oct 2025 #65

Ooooh I'll have to give it a try. Sounds Jungian. SheltieLover Oct 2025 #77

He was a curious blend of old fashioned and newfangled. Harker Oct 2025 #90

My library doesn't have an e copy SheltieLover Oct 2025 #116

Not only yea but, you knew it, HELL yea. nt Prairie_Seagull Oct 2025 #105

Who are your favorite cozy mystery authors? Ilsa Oct 2025 #48

David Rosenfelt, Carl Hiaason, Lilian Jackson Braun, Shirley Rousseau Murphy SheltieLover Oct 2025 #58

I don't have any yet. I'm currently reading a physical Ilsa Oct 2025 #91

Sounds interesting. SheltieLover Oct 2025 #92

Thank you for your list. I'm bookmarking it. nt Ilsa Oct 2025 #94

All but Hiaason's involve cats or dogs (Rosenfelt)! SheltieLover Oct 2025 #95

Susan Conant has some fun cozy mysteries with dogs! imaginary girl Oct 2025 #96

Ty sooo much! SheltieLover Oct 2025 #98

You're welcome! I hope you like them! imaginary girl Oct 2025 #107

Hiaason's books are great DeeDeeNY Oct 2025 #128

Thx! I'll check out his work. SheltieLover Oct 2025 #129

He started writing in the 50's DeeDeeNY Oct 2025 #132

Miranda James is another with a cat SheltieLover Oct 2025 #97

Rita Mae Brown yet another SheltieLover Oct 2025 #100

These sound like wonderful, lighthearted Ilsa Oct 2025 #120

Yes, they are! SheltieLover Oct 2025 #121

Ellery Adams & Fern Michaels, too SheltieLover Oct 2025 #60

I am almost finished the Shetland series by Ann Cleeves. terip64 Oct 2025 #51

Ah, the stories with Jimmy Perez? Pinback Oct 2025 #110

I think she also wrote the Vera series... r�is�n_dubh Oct 2025 #122

Me too! Dancingdem Oct 2025 #80

I love Cozy Mysteries SheLiberal Oct 2025 #85

I agree! Cozies are like taking a vaca. SheltieLover Oct 2025 #86

I have enjoyed Elizabeth Peters SheLiberal Oct 2025 #104

Ty so much! SheltieLover Oct 2025 #117

A lot of my favorite cozy authors have died. So I'm in the same boat. raccoon Oct 2025 #124

Surely there must be some you haven't read? SheltieLover Oct 2025 #126

I've read chet & bernie. that other one I haven't. raccoon Oct 2025 #130

Diane Kelly is one of my favs! SheltieLover Oct 2025 #131

Amazon Kindle has an endless supply of cozies. marybourg Oct 2025 #140

Thanks, Mary! I don't have any cable, streaming, or SheltieLover Oct 2025 #145

I want to be you when I grow up! HeartsCanHope Oct 2025 #26

Yes, I guess... SheltieLover Oct 2025 #72

Awesome! ancianita Oct 2025 #56

2-3 per day? Polybius Oct 2025 #69

No. I'm not reading heavy material. SheltieLover Oct 2025 #75

I definitely do not read that fast, but I do read about 12 to 14 books per year, lots of articles, art books, etc. Escurumbele Oct 2025 #82

Oh wow..im reading a book a month..fiction BlueWaveNeverEnd Oct 2025 #115

Whatever works for you. I don't have a lot else to do. SheltieLover Oct 2025 #148

That's weak...I read 7-8 books per day radicalleft Oct 2025 #147

It's not a contest, but good for you! SheltieLover Oct 2025 #149

Soon there will be more writers than readers. Not sure who they think will buy their books. ./nt bucolic_frolic Oct 2025 #2

A lot of people don't have time to read much. Elessar Zappa Oct 2025 #3

But I wonder if many of them don't find time to sit in front of the T.V. erronis Oct 2025 #29

Precisely! SheltieLover Oct 2025 #64

What? Do you mean reading netflix subtitles doesn't count? thought crime Oct 2025 #152

Nope. That aint it. NoRethugFriends Oct 2025 #57

There is time, people just choose the TV over books now. "Back to School" with Rodney Dangerfield had a Escurumbele Oct 2025 #87

Yeah. No shit. RockRaven Oct 2025 #4

"Smart people don't like me." Kid Berwyn Oct 2025 #5

It's why he loves the uneducated, they're easier to con SheltieLover Oct 2025 #18

Neil Postman long ago predicted the decline in reading in the US dedl67 Oct 2025 #6

Here's an irony misanthrope Oct 2025 #7

Yes, and a typical printed news article contains much more information than can be spoken in a radio or TV broadcast dedl67 Oct 2025 #13

Ask your friends, acquaintances, even relatives to read something out loud -- you may be shocked at the result. eppur_se_muova Oct 2025 #14

I was horrified the 1st day of kindergarten when teacher announced SheltieLover Oct 2025 #20

Me too and all 3 of my boys read before kindergarten too. Diamond_Dog Oct 2025 #43

I found an at home flash card program for younger daughter SheltieLover Oct 2025 #70

Flash cards work great for reading, and math, too! Diamond_Dog Oct 2025 #136

I started learning to read when I was two misanthrope Oct 2025 #76

I can relate. SheltieLover Oct 2025 #79

But it's not any type of reading which helps JI7 Oct 2025 #8

The novel invented free indirect discourse Prairie Gates Oct 2025 #28

True. But all kinds of reading improve the intellect. Studies show that one can increase their IQ by reading alone. ancianita Oct 2025 #66

I am forced ForgedCrank Oct 2025 #9

Have you had cataract surgery? unc70 Oct 2025 #54

Well, I ForgedCrank Oct 2025 #139

Age related farsightedness also caused me to lose the habit of reading books. Midwestern Democrat Oct 2025 #123

I've just ForgedCrank Oct 2025 #141

Explains a lot of what went so wrong in America. sinkingfeeling Oct 2025 #10

My wife and I spent 8 days kacekwl Oct 2025 #11

I believe it! QueerDuck Oct 2025 #12

I've known I am in a reading minority since I was in second grade or so. Aristus Oct 2025 #15

Same here! SheltieLover Oct 2025 #21

Me too Aristus. Diamond_Dog Oct 2025 #137

My fourth grade teacher had a program during which, for the last half hour of the school day, Aristus Oct 2025 #142

Reading well-written articles online also counts as reading synni Oct 2025 #19

I read a lot but in the format of the internet instead of print. & longer pieces as directed to UTUSN Oct 2025 #22

Couldn't be more obvious. N/T Tom Dyer Oct 2025 #23

My goal in retirement is to read all the stuff I never got around to. I will never make it. Midnight Writer Oct 2025 #24

Our local bookstore is thriving Prairie Gates Oct 2025 #25

Reading is what I do when many people would be watching television. hunter Oct 2025 #30

Right... Trueblue Texan Oct 2025 #41

People consume lots of "chewing gum for the eyes". . . . nt Bernardo de La Paz Oct 2025 #31

I am part of that percentage Tree Lady Oct 2025 #32

I read several books a week. I am a very fast reader. Raftergirl Oct 2025 #33

Pitiful. Literacy is the foundation of civilization. They have no excuse. ancianita Oct 2025 #34

Reading is very difficult for some people...I don't judge them. Trueblue Texan Oct 2025 #44

I completely understood that as a former teacher of reading. But the numbers should be reversed to reflect that reality ancianita Oct 2025 #50

I agree... Trueblue Texan Oct 2025 #133

Cool. Well then, you'd also likely agree that those unable to read for good reasons should not ancianita Oct 2025 #146

Preaching to the choir here Trueblue Texan Oct 2025 #151

I have a very short attention span BigmanPigman Oct 2025 #36

Tragic berniesandersmittens Oct 2025 #37

Child of an acquaintance said "Reading is boring!" biophile Oct 2025 #38

I would be curious to see the raw data Tetrachloride Oct 2025 #39

I love to read...I also like audiobooks. I like mysteries, fiction mostly. Demsrule86 Oct 2025 #40

Hey, how have you been? Polybius Oct 2025 #71

I've been reading for DiverDave Oct 2025 #42

My son and i were talking about rowling the other day bedazzled Oct 2025 #93

Reading well written books on history was my passion Keepthesoulalive Oct 2025 #45

I'm not surprised. Bristlecone Oct 2025 #46

We read a LOT AverageOldGuy Oct 2025 #47

I volunteer at a food shelf mgardener Oct 2025 #49

I admit I don't read as much as I used to ! kimbutgar Oct 2025 #53

I honestly cannot imagine my life without books Skittles Oct 2025 #59

I agree wholeheartedly! llmart Oct 2025 #111

certain books I will read during daytime hours Skittles Oct 2025 #113

Great! llmart Oct 2025 #127

Most of my reading goes into researching for my job. Gore1FL Oct 2025 #61

I wish there was a better breakdown of reading for the poll sakabatou Oct 2025 #62

The Bobbsey Twins were my first -- BarbD Oct 2025 #63

I used to be a voracious reader. Xavier Breath Oct 2025 #67

All of my "leisure" time is reading, as is much of my work day. NNadir Oct 2025 #68

Does DU count as reading? Polybius Oct 2025 #73

Lack of Language skills nurtured by new media 2na fisherman Oct 2025 #74

My book club reads a book a month on average. I usually read extra books because a month is too long. live love laugh Oct 2025 #78

Would like to see age breakdown of the16 percent. Sneederbunk Oct 2025 #81

I finally slogged through "Les Miserables", all 1,222 pages of it HuskiesHowls Oct 2025 #83

I learned how to read when I was 4. I'm still a heavy reader and I feel sorry fot non readers. Ping Tung Oct 2025 #84

that's scandalous barbtries Oct 2025 #88

Listen to audiobooks 3 plus hours a day exboyfil Oct 2025 #89

That explains a lot. nt mcar Oct 2025 #99

yes Skittles Oct 2025 #114

I feel sorry for the 84% who don't read for pleasure, they don't know what they're missing. Dave Bowman Oct 2025 #101

I dont read as much as i used to but i still do. The Third Doctor Oct 2025 #102

Since I moved to Durham mnhtnbb Oct 2025 #103

If you like autobiography. Read Willie Nelson's Captain Zero Oct 2025 #106

I love to read. MIButterfly Oct 2025 #108

Our house looks like a library in places. Walls of books. Liberal In Texas Oct 2025 #109

Wow, that's depressing! Fairly avid reader.... electric_blue68 Oct 2025 #112

So many replies focusing on books misanthrope Oct 2025 #118

The rise in popularity of podcasts mnhtnbb Oct 2025 #125

TL;DR LudwigPastorius Oct 2025 #119

That's our problem right there. yardwork Oct 2025 #134

I must know them all! Seriously, though, I wonder how different that is then in past decades Iris Oct 2025 #135

That explains a lot. We're in trouble, people. Joinfortmill Oct 2025 #138

I guess I don't understand folks these days - reading is such a pleasure. lark Oct 2025 #143

Well, when it literally hurts to try took read a book. OldBaldy1701E Oct 2025 #144

this is frightening mike_c Oct 2025 #150