The three R’s…
Reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic are now taught poorly in schools, so this post isn’t about those three R’s. In fact, I often denote this post’s theme by R&R&R, a new kind of three R’s that signify “rest and relaxation and reading.” Many people don’t include that third R often enough with R&R, thinking that reading is more a chore than rest or relaxation. (Some schools, in fact, make it into a chore!)
It used to be that parents read to their kids to start them early in a lifetime of reading enjoyment of stories that can enrich their lives. To be sure, modern schools can destroy reading pleasure, from grade school on up—required reading often isn’t enjoyable reading. (Teachers can tell students that Silas Marner is a timeless classic, but they’ll know soon enough it’s a lie.) Maybe older kids are looking at streaming video on their iPads under the covers now instead of reading an exciting book. Times have changed, and change is accelerating. (In spite of Dylan’s song, the sixties often look tame now.)
But I digress. How does reading compare with other entertainment for relaxation? If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you probably have noticed I write a lot of movie reviews. When I go to a movie, I watch how the audience reacts. Afterward I listen to their comments about the movie. Both observations often reveal stress levels in adults and kids. I’m often stressed too. Does that differ from how we feel after reading a good book? I think it does.
A thriller novel causes thrills, not stress. A mystery novel relieves stress as we use the clues to solve the crime(s) along with the protagonists. Sci-fi novels generally cause wonderment; so does fantasy. The Star Wars movie in which a major character was killed caused me and many in the audience a lot of stress, neither wonderment nor thrills. I’ve never had that feeling with a novel.
Maybe the lack of stress when reading is because we can take measured doses tailored to our R&R needs. It’s a bit like a few glasses of wine now and then doing no harm while a full bottle all at once can get you into trouble. While I often read for a couple of hours straight, that’s not the same as two hours in a movie, maybe because the sensual audiovisual nature of a movie exacerbates the stress more than the intellectual savoring of a good book.
The stressful aspect of literature might be genre-dependent, of course. I’m guessing horror stories can produce more stress than cozy mysteries. And I suspect that the stress of sexual tension can be worse in a book than it is in a movie, but don’t forget that audiovisual aspect.
Have any psychologists studied which is more relaxing, a movie or a book? They might be tempted to limit their studies to people who read a book and then watch a movie made from it, but we more or less know the answer there: A recent survey in the NY Times Magazine found that 70% of those surveyed like the book better, 28% are ambivalent, and 2% say they like the movie better. I postulate that those results correlate well with stress levels, measured out in small doses in a book and all at once in a movie.
Until more scientists study stress levels in reading—I can imagine MRIs being taken of readers’ and moviegoers’ brains to analyze brain activity and where it’s located—I’ll keep on with my three Rs. You should too…and also teach your kids to do the same. Literacy is a gift that keeps on giving.
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Comments are always welcome.
Son of Thunder. #2 in the “Esther Brookstone Art Detective Series.” This sequel to Rembrandt’s Angel has Esther Brookstone, now retired from Scotland Yard, obsessed with finding St. John the Divine’s tomb, using directions left by the Renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli. The disciple’s missionary travels and Botticelli’s trip to the Middle East make for three travel stories that all come together. Esther’s boyfriend, Interpol agent Bastiann van Coevorden, has problems with arms dealers, but he multitasks by trying to keep Esther focused and out of danger. The reader can also learn how their romance progresses. History, archaeology, romance, and art make for a tasty stew in this mystery/thriller novel soon to be published by Penmore Press in print and ebook formats. While it can be read independently of the first book, you can learn more about Esther and Bastiann in Rembrandt’s Angel—available in print and ebook formats at Amazon and in ebook format at Smashwords and the latter’s affiliated retailers (iBooks, B&N, Kobo, etc.) and lenders (Overdrive, etc.).
Around the world and to the stars! In libris libertas!
