Readers' preference for quick short reads is posing a challenge for authors and novelists who have to turn out literary works that cater to the demand, says journalist-turned-writer Vani.
"Quick reads are challenging writers to create a story which can be told in as many pages as the readers prefer to read these days and still leave nothing unsaid. The challenge is to portray the emotional journey of a protagonist in as many as 300 pages," says Vani.
She launched her debut fiction "The Recession Groom" here recently.
Taking a plunge into the world of fiction writing a few years ago, Vani says quick reads have not degraded the quality of literature but challenges authors to develop crisp writing skills.
"I don't think it is degrading the literature or the quality of literature in anyway. It's actually challenging the writer to write a story which engages the audience and keeps them turning the pages. The art of storytelling is just getting better and better," says Vani.
Pointing out that the social media generation of today is more into books which are page turners.
"So you have novels in the classical literature like - 'The Bleak House' which go on and narrate stories of characters, the side characters and the emotional journey of these characters. Today the reader does not have that much time and the readers are into fast food culture," says the novelist.
Appreciating the literature laurels of the classical age, the journalist-turned-author says the number of pages in a book does not hold as much importance if the story is good and artfully narrated.
"A story can also be told in a good 200 to 300 words and the readers will appreciate it," she says.
"I believe that you can have a quick read and it would still be as wonderful as a big good book for instance - 'Of Mice and Men' that's an amazing book. The smallest novel that you can get hold of 'The Old Man and the Sea' is an award winning beautifully written book," she says.
