Ficlets

Looks like I’m not the only one who dreaded dragging his ass through Crime and Punishment:

As technology advances, many countries are experiencing a sharp decline in reading. But for Russia, which not so long ago prided itself for its well-read and broadly educated population, the decline is being interpreted as nothing short of a catastrophe.

Only 63 percent of Russians read at least one book a year, compared to 79 percent in 1991, according to a survey by the Federal Press and Mass Media Agency. Among young people, the figure has dropped to just 28 percent from 48 percent.

The tradition of families reading together is disappearing as well. Eighty percent of parents read to their children in the 1970s, compared with only 7 percent today. Newspapers are seeing a decline in popularity. Sixty-one percent of Russians read them every day in 1991, compared with 24 percent now.

I suspect these statistics are misleading: I’d be willing to bet that people aren’t necessarily reading less, they’re simply reading less in print and more online. I think that’s been the case in the US – I know I spend more time casually reading online than in print, and I’m well invested in the idea of seeing print survive. I do think it’s sad fewer families are reading together, however. I suspect it’s the same here as well.

The article notes that Russian authorities and educators are making attempts to get kids and adults to read more books. I fully endorse this attitude, since the Russian version of one of my novels was just released over there a couple of months ago. Yes, I’m self-interested. What can you do.