Eight reasons why books are better than movies
By: Amir Charaf
Tags: Fun, Books, Reasons Why, Movies, Reading

We all love movies. We all love books (?). It is not a matter of a definite choice but rather an attempt to keep the good vibes for both and get the most from each.

Here are eight reasons why one shouldn’t forget about reading during these ultra digitalized time.

1. Books develop your imagination

When you read a book, you are free to imagine how are the characters, their physical look, their personality, their environment, the events and all what is related to the story. You get to “see” them in a way that is closer to both the author and yourself.

In fact, the author writes in his own way, being inspired from his own environment and the historical, social or political context in which he/she lives.

If you are reading for a contemporary author then you won’t have difficulties in understanding the “décor” of the book’s topic. The characters will seem closer to you to understand as they go through similar situations as you do, or use similar daily tools or are simply attracted, if not influenced by elements that you do know and meet in your every day’s life.

In case you are reading for an author who comes from the past, then things here may look different. The author is from the 18th or 19th century (or even before) and describes people, traditions, fashion and values that are no longer familiar to you (unless you are passionate about history). Here comes your imagination. It may look difficult for you to understand in the beginning. You may ask yourself why I should bother and struggle to imagine things that I don’t know, never seen, or never met or used. While this may be true, and movies could amend such concerns by providing “direct-to-consume” visual materials, many people find it amazing to imagine, know and see things that do no longer exist.

Who are these people? Well, they are those who visit all kind of museums. Those who travel and see different cultures with different tools. Remember the amazement you have felt when you first knew how electricity is produced, how people first made fire or how the first engine worked. This doesn’t need to come all from the past. You do recognize that good feeling when you knew why pen caps have holes in them.

Should the book come from the future or from a “parallel world”, then you definitely imagine something that is unknown. Many can tell that imagination is more attractive than a limited motion. Those who are fond of horror literature know what it is about here.

2. Books develop your criticism

In the case that you do not like imagination very much, and that you prefer to know more about the book before you (re)read/the movie before you (re)watch, then you get to know how and where to look for information and more importantly, which kind of sources to use. i.e. to question the information itself. Be it an old or new book, and like all kinds of information that you receive, you would like to ask for the source of this information. This is even more important for movies. Remember the propaganda films?

3. Books provide a more pleasant journey.

You know well that movies are time limited and can’t present you the same exact book contents in just 2 hours. Well, while many like “up to the point” stories without so much details, remember that the journey itself is often more important than the destination. Would you like a real sightseeing or moving pictures just behind a screen?

4. Books introduce you to new topics

Ever read for Jules Verne before? This 19th century French author never writes a book before being fully documented on the topic he writes. This goes from geology to history and up to the sea world, zoology, ballistics and space conquest. Fans will recognize what I am talking about here. Else, you can imagine the “general knowledge” that you may collect. In here, I am not talking about educational documentaries in which further efforts are added to develop academic materials.

5. Books develop your vocabulary

Many of us struggled with learning our own mother tongue language. It goes without mentioning the struggle to learn new languages. While we all love the “lab” sessions where we put on our headset and watch a movie, nearly every lesson and every exercise starts with the classic, famous, eternal “reading comprehension”. To know a word, one effective way to listen to it and repeat it. Still, it is much better to know how to write it and when to use it.

6. Movies are good for fun

Yes, many of us find movies more fun than reading. But won’t the fun be greater once you put yourself in the position of the guy who knows well the book? You become thus in a position to criticize the work of directors, producers and actors who go more or less beyond the details, if not the real content, that you “now” do pretty much well know. Ever thought about the position of Mrs. Travers in “Saving Mr. Banks”? After all, the author who writes the book is not a screen director.

7. Books live longer

Not on the shelves but rather in your memory as you invest your own time, feelings and pace in reading. It is more of a personal experience that connects yourself with all its feelings, experience and knowledge to those of the author without a third-party intervention.

8. Books make it happen in your mind

Many of the gurus urge you to sit down and relax with a book rather than get bombarded with visual effects. You may remember that many things begin within one’s mind. The first shots of movie were taken within one’s mind. So it is for the first draft of a book.

So next time you grab a book, you may think about how uplifting is the experience and when you get to watch the movie, you may be attracted to go for “further reading”.

You are always welcome to drop me an email at drsharafjr@gmail.com. I will be glad to hear from you.

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