Musing Mondays

Published on by Margaret

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about reading while sick…

How does your being sick (or injured) affect your reading? Do you read more? Less? Do you pick out a different book than you had already planned? Do you have a “comfort book” that makes you feel better?

It all depends on how sick I am. If I’m just off-colour or have a cold it doesn’t affect my reading, except that I’ll probably spend more time reading, until I fall asleep. When I’ve felt really bad – when I had flu or a middle ear infection for instance (both were years ago) I just couldn’t read at all – couldn’t even lift my head off the pillow, never mind pick up a book!

lark-rise-still-glides

I don’t have a “comfort book” that makes me feel better, although when I was recovering from flu I read and enjoyed Flora Thompson’s books Lark Rise to Candleford and Still Glides the Stream and remember both with affection as comforting books.

the-sea-the-sea2When I had a really bad cold once (not flu) I was off work because of it and read Iris Murdoch’s The Sea, The Sea, which was not really a good choice if you want a book to cheer you up, but it sticks in my mind.  It’s the sort of book I like to read in large chunks and having a cold gave me the extra time – although I did keep falling asleep and having to re-read pages. It’s funny but when I’m dropping off I read words that make sense but are not in the book at all and when I read it again it’s very different – either that or I have no idea what I’ve read at all.

5 thoughts on “Musing Mondays”

  2. I tend to be one of those who would be more likely to read a short story if I was sick, or even watch a movie instead of read. The Iris Murdoch book sounds good.

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  4. I would like to try ‘Larkrise to Candleford’ anytime really. Have you seen the programmes of the same? I enjoyed the original programme last year, but the current series is not so good imho.
    What is your opinion Margaret, the book v. the t.v.?

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  5. Beth, the Thompson books are just lovely to read in bed.
    Diane, watching a movie is good too when I’m not feeling very well.
    Kim, I found them very comforting.
    Mog, I only watched Larkrise to Candleford last year as I much prefer the book. In fact I usually prefer not to watch a TV or film version of a book if I’ve already read the book.

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