Encouraging reading (Vietnam)

I often hear about people not being interested in books or reading.

I feel one reason for the decline in interest in books is that we rarely juxtapose narratives from books with life situations anymore. I try sometimes. For example, when I talk to a younger friend about losing interest in doing something merely to keep up appearances (as I grow older), I mention the burnt-out journalist in “The Quiet American.” Or, when I urge campuses to open up their spaces to the public for meetups, I share O. Henry’s “The Selfish Giant.” Once in a while, I do hear back from someone who is intrigued enough to pick up on these references.

If we want people to read more, then as readers, we must show up at more venues and talk to more people. And when people talk about something in their life, point them to writing that connects with their life situations.

Also, we shouldn’t be purists. I regularly run some book/reading meetups. These days I invite people to share other media too - podcasts, music, movies, short-form articles, research papers, and Substack newsletters that they found interesting. We call it “What are you reading, listening, watching?” I feel this is more accessible and less elitist. There is an added advantage - people who are not too keen on reading pick up some ideas on how readers make time or maintain patience for reading.

At our last meet, another patron at the cafe crashed our meetup. She showed us the book she was reading. The author lived during the colonial era and compared the character of Western and Eastern people. His thesis was that Western people are more in the commercial realm—trying to own stuff—and Eastern people are more into the spiritual realm. Our new guest felt that the role has reversed with the excessive materialism around us.