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- Newsgroups: rec.arts.books
- Path: sparky!uunet!paladin.american.edu!darwin.sura.net!uvaarpa!murdoch!galen.med.Virginia.EDU!jw2b
- From: jw2b@galen.med.Virginia.EDU (Sara J. Wagner)
- Subject: Re: Reading as an addiction (Was: 92 in rabreview)
- Message-ID: <1992Dec31.132053.9962@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU>
- Sender: usenet@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU
- Organization: University of Virginia
- References: <1htpq3INN95b@agate.berkeley.edu> <1htqodINNbui@agate.berkeley.edu> <1992Dec31.050130.24366@sophia.smith.edu>
- Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1992 13:20:53 GMT
- Lines: 28
-
- In article <1992Dec31.050130.24366@sophia.smith.edu> orourke@sophia.smith.edu (Joseph O'Rourke) writes:
- >Seeing the astounding quantity of books some posters consumed in 1992
- >makes me wonder if reading can be a type of (benign?) addiction. This
- >may be an especially apt description of those who (compulsively?) read a
- >hundred genre novels a year, mysteries or science fiction for example.
- > Among those who are voracious readers, do you feel the
- >equivalent of withdrawal symptoms when (for whatever reason) you cannot
- >read for an extended period?
-
- Yes, of course. Reading is an addiction as much as any other form of
- reality-bending (no flames please). For me, reading is a way to relax
- from a stressful job and a stressful universe. My lunchtime reading
- tends to be re-reads that don't require a lot of concentration -- a
- quick and easy "fix" of familiar and comfortable alternate worlds. I
- save my serious and first-time reading for evenings and weekends when
- I'm less subject to interruption. When I have other things going on
- (and yes, there is life outside books), I consequently read less, and
- then suffer from withdrawal. Fortunately, one doesn't need methadone
- to relieve withdrawal symptoms -- a quick trip to a bookstore or
- library will get you back to flying high.
-
- [member, Bookaholics Anonymous :-)]
-
- --
- Jane Wagner, Computer Systems and Publications Assistant
- The Claude Moore Health Sciences Library| INTERNET: jw2b@virginia.edu
- Box 234, UVA Health Sciences Center | PHONE: 804-924-0188
- Charlottesville, VA 22908 | BITNET: jw2b@virginia.bitnet
-