The sad fate of the bookworm...
I started on books as a young child and read voraciously until I discovered music and drugs. After that I continued to read a book here and there into my adult life, all the way to the present day but I have to say that I don't read much any more and the main reason is that I find every book that I pick up to be unsatisfactory. They are invariably dull, badly written, stupid or obsessed with social interaction, (something I am not interested in). I have become too picky. The books that meet my high standards I have already read, perhaps several times. No doubt there may be books that I would enjoy out there somewhere but good luck finding them!
Here is the tale of the evolution of a bookworm's reading habits:
I love to read, it's my escape,
From my life's vapid landscape.
Most any book is good for me,
I can be somewhere else for free!
I've read Discworld and Lord of the Rings,
I wish I could read more of these things.
Those great ideas whirl 'round in my head.
But sad to say: the authors are dead.
There's lots of clones in the fantasy game,
That look the part but they're not the same.
There's heroes, evil, monsters to spare,
Magic and gods but I just don't care.
I love SF: My fav'rite nearly...
An endless supply but how good is it really?
Some are bad science, some a trial,
Most, poorly written and lacking in style.
I'm sick of reading popular crap:
Derivative and pretentious pap.
Simple language, stupid plot,
Classics now are my only shot.
The classics palled, I heaved a sigh,
They're dated and they all seem dry.
Despite their stock of fans adoring,
In the end I found them boring.
All passions reach their end at last,
And now my time with books has passed.
It's time to find an interest new,
There must be something else to do.
I've heard it said that anime's fun,
2 or 3 years until that's done.
And sports of course can last an age,
Until one passes through that stage.
There's cooking, trav'ling, games and art,
Woodwork, cars, the shopping cart,
But peaceful are the muso's eyes;
The love of music never dies.
Warren Mars - December 2024