📘 Part 3: Novels and reading

This episode's vocabulary

Plot line (noun) – the main story of a book, film, or play. → Novels with simple plot lines are easier to adapt into films.

Convoluted (adj) – extremely complex and difficult to follow. → A convoluted story takes more effort to adapt for the screen.

Put your finger on something (idiom) – to identify or understand something exactly. → I can’t quite put my finger on why printed books are still so popular.

E-reader (noun) – a device for reading digital books. → Some people prefer using an e-reader, but others prefer print.

Childish (adj) – immature or silly, often in a negative way. → Some people think games are childish, so they prefer books.

Mechanics (noun) – the rules or system behind how something works, especially in games. → If the game mechanics aren’t engaging, people might not play them.

Self-contained (adj) – complete in itself and not dependent on other material. → Novels are usually self-contained stories.

Language use (noun) – the way language is spoken or written. → The language use in older novels is often outdated.

Phrase (noun) – a small group of words with a particular meaning. → Some phrases in old books are no longer used today.

Pick up (phrasal verb) – to resume something after a pause. → Readers can pick up the book where they left off.

En masse (adv) – all together, in a large group. → Technology allows us to print books en masse.

Accessible (adj) – easy to obtain or understand. → E-books have made reading more accessible to many people.

Background information (noun) – facts that help you understand something better. → The internet helps writers find background information for stories.

Special effects (noun) – visual tricks used in films to simulate imaginary events. → Special effects help make stories more engaging in films.

Proportionally (adv) – in relation to the whole. → Proportionally, fewer people might be reading even if numbers grow.

Genre (noun) – a category or type of artistic work, like mystery, sci-fi, or romance. → Mystery novels are a very popular genre.

Narrative (noun) – the structured story or account of events. → A strong narrative helps keep readers interested.

Engrossing (adj) – very interesting and completely absorbing. → The novel was so engrossing I read it in one sitting.

Foreshadow (verb) – to hint at future events in a story. → The author foreshadows the ending in the first chapter.

Suspense (noun) – a feeling of excitement or anxiety about what will happen next. → Mystery novels rely heavily on suspense.

Questions and Answers

Maria: What kinds of novels are suitable for a film adaptation?

Rory: Well, I suppose the easiest ones are those with simple plot lines and just a few characters and settings that don't rely on a tonne of special effects. That could be relatively easy to put together compared to something with loads and loads of characters or a convoluted story, since that takes a lot of time, money and effort.

Maria: Do most people prefer to read e-books or printed books?

Rory: Well, probably most people prefer printed books. And the reason I say that is just because they haven't gone away. In fact, there seem to be more printed books than ever. I can't quite put my finger on why. Possibly there's just something about being able to hold the physical copy and turn the pages that people quite like. You probably wouldn't get that same feeling with something on a tablet or an e-reader.

Maria: Why do some people prefer reading novels to playing computer games in this digital world?

Rory: I don't see why they can't do both, depending on their mood, really. Though I suppose they might just not see the point in playing games if there's nothing to learn from them, or if they seem childish in their view. There also just might not be any games with stories or mechanics they find engaging. Certainly not all gamers like games, so that makes sense.

Maria: Is there any difference between the popular novels now and those in the past?

Rory: Well, they're still relatively self-contained fictional pieces of writing, so I don't think the format has changed much, though possibly the language use in some of them might have changed over the years. In fact, it definitely will have, since there are some words and phrases we don't use anymore. But that's more about the content than the actual novels themselves, I suppose.

Maria: Why are mystery novels so popular nowadays?

Rory: They are? Well, I suppose people might like the thrill of reading about and trying to solve some sort of mysterious situation, and it could help make things memorable for people if they put the book down and pick it up again from time to time. They can follow on from where they left off.

Maria: How does technology help people tell stories?

Rory: It's pretty much limitless, isn't it? For example, it allows us to print things en masse, which makes things more accessible. And that could also be helped by the internet, which just about anyone can use to find out background information, to add depth to a story being told. And then from the perspective of filmmaking, special effects can engage audiences further in the plot and the action they're trying to follow. If they didn't have that, they might get bored.

Maria: And do you think more people will read in the future?

Rory: I would imagine so. I mean, in absolute terms, the population is increasing, so there will be more people reading. Although I don't know how much time they will spend reading. So proportionally speaking, it might go down if they're not spending the time. But I don't know enough about that to say for sure.