Correction appended
As I struggled to keep up with my reading -- a book per week for each of my classes -- I was stunned when I found out that just over one-half of adults surveyed in a recent report by the National Endowment for the Arts have read at least one play, poem or piece of fiction in the past 12 months. While this sounds bleak, the report revealed that American adults are now reading more fiction than they have in the past 25 years, according to an article in last Sunday's New York Times.
Although the study, "Reading on the Rise: A New Chapter in American Literacy," cannot quantify just how much time its subjects actually spend reading, it is nevertheless good news for the publishing industry as it suffers alongside so many other businesses.
While The Times noted that the recent economic recession may be responsible for this upturn -- since reading is a relatively inexpensive form of entertainment and the newly unemployed have plenty of time for armchair traveling -- current trends on the big screen may also help explain the study's results.
This week's Golden Globe awards honored several films adapted from literature: "Revolutionary Road," based on Richard Yates' 1961 novel, won Kate Winslet the best actress in a drama award, and "The Reader," adapted from a 1999 novel by Swiss author Berhard Schlink, won Winslet best supporting actress.
Sales of both novels, reissued this year with motion picture tie-ins, profited from the film hype -- the two have maintained spots on The New York Times' top 10 list for paperback fiction for over a month.
Yet another adaptation, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," earned a best director nomination for David Fincher, a nod to Brad Pitt as best actor in a drama and another for Eric Roth's screenplay.
The script for "Button" evolved from an obscure short story in F. Scott Fitzgerald's collected "Jazz Age Stories," though Penguin's re-issuing of the compilation hasn't enjoyed the same renewed national success as the novels by Yates and Schlink.
This trend does not hold true in Hanover, however, as Fitzgerald's text is currently one of Dartmouth Bookstore's best-sellers.
The store's patrons may have intended to read the text in preparation for the film experience, or to guide them through a post-viewing analysis after braving the 166 minutes of screen time. For all we know, they chose to skip the movie altogether and let the Hollywood hype point them towards a little-known nugget from the celebrated author.
In any case, we can assume that Hanover shoppers are riding the popular tide and seeking literature made famous by film.
Though literary purists may cringe at this evidence of Hollywood's influence on American readership, book publishing can use any boost, however lowbrow. It's a wonder that the NEA study emerged the same week that publishing mogul Macmillan announced it would layoff four percent of its staff and hold its annual conference online in place of thetraditional luxury-hotel blowout.
Though some may think it's a shame that the country needs a push from Tinseltown to start reading, it's good news for the business of books, and it comes not a minute too late.
The original version of this article incorrectly stated that the screenplay for "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) was written by Charlie Kaufman. In fact, Eric Roth wrote the film's screenplay. Kaufman's screenplay for the film was not accepted.
