I often find myself reading something on the bus or subway, but then not understand anything I read. This seems to be because of the constant noises. Not even instrumental music helps, as that distracts me as well and also does not always match the theme of the book.
The best working one in noisy places seems to be white noise, with complete silence being the best overall. How do yall handle such situations?
It might be auditory processing disorder. The second more than one person is talking (and books count) I begin to crave death.
No, but it depends on the sounds. I can read in a park when there aren’t people being loud. Nature tunes out. And I can read while listening to instrumental music. I can’t tune out human voices.
Not at all.
I grew up in a big family, in a busy household. My kids laugh at me because when reading (and it really is only when I am reading) I tune out everything. They would be yelling “mom! MOM!” and I wouldn’t notice.
No but I need complete silence when I fall asleep trying to read a book though.
How else would I hear the narrator in my head?
Been reading Dan Simmons Drood. There are two characters who I can hear. They sound like the boss guard in Alien 3, also the sergeant from Terry Pratchett’s Monstrous Regiment. No idea which English accent that is, can’t even imitate it IRL, but I can hear it.
Any suggestions on best Pratchett novel to start with?
Just start with the first. It’s not the best, but it’s not bad. I went in order and that worked great.
No, but I can tune out some noises better than others. There are some noisy situations in which I simply cannot get through even a single sentence.
I don’t need silence, I usually read to instrumental music. But if you throw in any lyrics or speak while I’m reading I’ll look at you angrily get up and move.
I don’t really need silence to read, but I much prefer it.
Getting really good noise cancelling headphones was one of my best qol improvement in the last years. I often wear them without even listing to anything.
For me in a way, yes. When I used to read books on a regular basis, I found it more easier to digest if I had nobody or nothing around to make noise. I can deal with small noises like random cracks or a pop here and there. Long as it wasn’t amplified or anything. When I listen to things such as music or take in sound in general, my mind goes everywhere and it can’t focus on the pages of a book.
I always hated it when people try talking to me when louder noise is present and expect me to hear them perfectly. My mind is not focusing on your words, it’s focusing on that obnoxious noise that’s disrupting things.
I need silence to read, or at least consistent noise, like the sound of a vent. The same applies if I’m trying to sleep. My mind isn’t very vivid, so I guess speech overrides it easily.
