Long live the bookworm!

I am one, I'll proudly admit.

Us bookworms are a dying species.
Through highly unmathematical and informal methods, I have discovered (to no surprise) that most of my friends and peers are not.  They prefer the instant gratification of a movie. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to be obnoxious and I enjoy films and social networking as much as any modern teenage girl.
However, I infinitely prefer books.
I think this is due to my childhood, when films were a "treat", and books were the norm (in our house at least). I don't know how many books I read. Thousands sound over the top but it honestly wouldn't shock me if it was.
I think my peers (generally) prefer films, because they're simply easier to digest. They require less effort to follow and understand. You can just plonk yourself down on the sofa and watch away for about two hours. Then, congratulations, you're finished!
Films rarely make a significant impact on me, with of course a few exceptions. (there's another post in that) I thinks it's down to my (again) familiarity with books and lack of with films. (It's not that I never watched films, its just that they were less favoured in my house house than books.)
It really can't be easy for actors and actresses who act in books-made-into-films. The reader has already built up the characters in their head, what they should look like and their little idiosyncratics (I think that's the word I mean).  Actors and actresses cannot live up to everyone's imaginations.
Books, on the other hand, I absolutely adore. They're easier to get through. Take a long, complicated novel. You can get through it at your own pace, taking bite size chunks at a time. It might take weeks to get it finished but who's rushing you?
You can build up the characters as you go. If a heroine reminds you of an old pal, then you're free to picture that pal as your heroine in your minds eye to your hearts content. If you have a bit of a thing for males with glasses, then your hero can be a specs wearer. Simple as.
I have also found that books have a more interesting storyline. The author has less "clutter" (other actors, the set, background music, whatever) to deal with and can hone in on beautiful details, that may or may bot have any relevance to the plot at hand. This, I feel, makes for a more interesting experience.
Finally, (you're almost there, bear with me :P ) I find that I get nice sense of achievement when finishing a book. I put it down to actually having to learn to read all those years ago. You don't actually have to learn anything to watch a film. I actually enjoy reading a book as you have to concentrate and immerse yourself in the story. Watching a film, however can be as mindless as you please.
There's my opinion. Leave yours in the comments :)

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