--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The sad thing is that I only ever read…" description: "\"The sad thing is that I only ever read novels in bed and now only on the iPad, and thanks to Netflix and iTunes my reading time is getting eaten up mor..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/416/david-hewlett-10633_books_the-sad-thing-is-that-i-only-ever-read-n_88187.jpg" --- # The sad thing is that I only ever read novels in bed and… ![“The sad thing is that I only ever read novels in bed and now only on the iPad, and thanks to Netflix and iTunes my reading time is getting eaten up more and more by movies and brilliant sci-fi television, like the U.K. series 'Misfits!'” quote by David Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/416/david-hewlett-10633_books_the-sad-thing-is-that-i-only-ever-read-n_88187.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/416/david-hewlett-10633_books_the-sad-thing-is-that-i-only-ever-read-n_88187.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/416/david-hewlett-10633_books_the-sad-thing-is-that-i-only-ever-read-n_88187.jpg) > “The sad thing is that I only ever read novels in bed and now only on the iPad, and thanks to Netflix and iTunes my reading time is getting eaten up more and more by movies and brilliant sci-fi television, like the U.K. series 'Misfits!'” [David Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hewlett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Observes the shift from traditional reading to digital media, noting how streaming services increasingly consume leisure time that once belonged to books. **In simple terms:** Digital entertainment reshapes reading habits Key Takeaway Balance screen time with reading Themes media consumption technology culture attention Mood nostalgic contemplative Type observation personal anecdote When to use this quote - students juggling assignments and streaming - parents monitoring screen time - creative professionals seeking focus Key Concepts digital distraction media convergence Practical Applications - digital detox plans - curated reading lists Questions to Reflect On - How does your media diet affect your cognition? - What small change could restore reading time? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Movies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movies/) [Novels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novels/) [Novels Bed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novels-bed-1103595/) [Only](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/only/) [Read Novels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/read-novels-252725/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Sad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sad/) [Thanks Netflix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thanks-netflix-1103594/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [I'd probably play games obsessively if I didn't write, although I admit I don't read novels partly because I don't enjoy it, not just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-traviss/i-d-probably-play-games-obsessively-if-i-didn-t-write-although-i/) [Karen Traviss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-traviss/) > [From an early age, my favorite thing to read was novels. For years, when I was writing only nonfiction, still I was reading almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elif-batuman/from-an-early-age-my-favorite-thing-to-read-was-novels-for-years-when/) [Elif Batuman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elif-batuman/) > [I like very much to read novels. I like very much some writers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurizio-sarri/i-like-very-much-to-read-novels-i-like-very-much-some-writers/) [Maurizio Sarri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurizio-sarri/) > [I would like my novels to be read the way I read the novels I love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-vargas-llosa/i-would-like-my-novels-to-be-read-the-way-i-read-the-novels-i-love/) [Mario Vargas Llosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-vargas-llosa/) > [“I read novels with the utmost pertinaity. I look upon them - I look upon good novels - as a very valuable part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-o-brian/i-read-novels-with-the-utmost-pertinaity-i-look-upon-them-i-look-upon/) [Patrick O'Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-o-brian/) > [Novels with a "thesis" don't interest me. They just don't - novels that want to "show" something, that want to "argue" something specific. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergio-chejfec/novels-with-a-thesis-don-t-interest-me-they-just-don-t-novels-that/) [Sergio Chejfec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergio-chejfec/) > [People respect nonfiction but they read novels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/people-respect-nonfiction-but-they-read-novels/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [I never even had the time to read novels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mcgovern/i-never-even-had-the-time-to-read-novels/) [George McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mcgovern/) > [I think you can tell when you meet someone whether they read novels. There's some hollowness if they don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-hensher/i-think-you-can-tell-when-you-meet-someone-whether-they-read-novels/) [Philip Hensher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-hensher/) > [I don't read novels that are looking to convince me of anything. I believe that literature needs to be a machine of illusions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergio-chejfec/i-don-t-read-novels-that-are-looking-to-convince-me-of-anything-i/) [Sergio Chejfec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergio-chejfec/) > [“... we read novels because they give us the comfortable sensation of living in worlds where the notion of truth is indisputable, while the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/we-read-novels-because-they-give-us-the-comfortable-sensation-of/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [People lose it when I say this, but I'm a novelist who doesn't read novels. There are lots of good reasons for not reading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-traviss/people-lose-it-when-i-say-this-but-i-m-a-novelist-who-doesn-t-read/) [Karen Traviss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-traviss/) > [We don't read novels to have an experience like life. Heck, we're living lives, complete with all the incompleteness. We turn to fiction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/we-don-t-read-novels-to-have-an-experience-like-life-heck-we-re/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [I love fiction and read novels constantly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-imperioli/i-love-fiction-and-read-novels-constantly/) [Michael Imperioli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-imperioli/) > [I won't read novels while writing novels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/i-won-t-read-novels-while-writing-novels/) [Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) ## More by David Hewlett > [It's always a stunt acting opposite Robert Picardo, because you never know what he's going to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/it-s-always-a-stunt-acting-opposite-robert-picardo-because-you-never/) [David Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hewlett/) > [I have written, and I do write, but the truth is I don't love it. I can't stand the process!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/i-have-written-and-i-do-write-but-the-truth-is-i-don-t-love-it-i-can/) [David Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hewlett/) > [I revel in movies where the monsters tower more over the tiny budgets than the characters they threaten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/i-revel-in-movies-where-the-monsters-tower-more-over-the-tiny-budgets/) [David Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hewlett/) > [When a kid says 'I'm in astrophysics at school because of your character' that's amazing to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/when-a-kid-says-i-m-in-astrophysics-at-school-because-of-your/) [David Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hewlett/) > [The nature of filmmaking is that there are so many people involved in it, so many fingers in the pie, that part of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/the-nature-of-filmmaking-is-that-there-are-so-many-people-involved-in/) [David Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hewlett/) > [I truly love science fiction; it's feeling you're something more than your present position in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/i-truly-love-science-fiction-it-s-feeling-you-re-something-more-than/) [David Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hewlett/) > [No, I gained weight while playing the role of Rodney Mckay on Stargate Atlantis... breakfast burritos and a near endless supply of donuts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/no-i-gained-weight-while-playing-the-role-of-rodney-mckay-on-stargate/) [David Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hewlett/) > [If I was Leo DiCaprio or someone similarly gifted and successful I wouldn't be writing. I'd be too busy acting in all the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/if-i-was-leo-dicaprio-or-someone-similarly-gifted-and-successful-i/) [David Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hewlett/) > [The reality is almost everything I do I cringe about later.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/the-reality-is-almost-everything-i-do-i-cringe-about-later/) [David Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hewlett/) > [My love of science fiction comes from the idea of being able to explore ideas and concepts to an either logical or illogical extreme.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/my-love-of-science-fiction-comes-from-the-idea-of-being-able-to/) [David Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hewlett/) > ['Pin' was a creepy little movie that I starred in back when I was cool and thin and had so much hair I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/pin-was-a-creepy-little-movie-that-i-starred-in-back-when-i-was-cool/) [David Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hewlett/) > [I think what Stargate has going for it is a sense of humor about their science fiction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/i-think-what-stargate-has-going-for-it-is-a-sense-of-humor-about/) [David Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hewlett/) > [I actually am a computer nerd.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/i-actually-am-a-computer-nerd/) [David Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hewlett/) > [I always thought there were two kinds of males in the world: the ones who look good naked and the ones who look funny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/i-always-thought-there-were-two-kinds-of-males-in-the-world-the-ones/) [David Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hewlett/) > [The thing I love about YouTube is it's almost like having an instant audience for improv.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/the-thing-i-love-about-youtube-is-it-s-almost-like-having-an-instant/) [David Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hewlett/) [Explore all 64 David Hewlett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hewlett/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) [Christopher K. Krebs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-k-krebs/) > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) [Markus Herz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-herz/) > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The sad thing is that I only ever read novels in bed and now only on the iPad, and thanks to Netflix and iTunes my reading time is getting eaten up more and more by movies and brilliant sci-fi television, like the U.K. series 'Misfits!'", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Hewlett" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/the-sad-thing-is-that-i-only-ever-read-novels-in-bed-and-now-only-on/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/the-sad-thing-is-that-i-only-ever-read-novels-in-bed-and-now-only-on/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/416/david-hewlett-10633_books_the-sad-thing-is-that-i-only-ever-read-n_88187.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/416/david-hewlett-10633_books_the-sad-thing-is-that-i-only-ever-read-n_88187.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/416/david-hewlett-10633_books_the-sad-thing-is-that-i-only-ever-read-n_88187.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The sad thing is that I only ever read novels in bed and now only on the iPad, and thanks to Netflix and…” — David Hewlett", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "David Hewlett", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hewlett/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The sad thing is that I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/the-sad-thing-is-that-i-only-ever-read-novels-in-bed-and-now-only-on/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/the-sad-thing-is-that-i-only-ever-read-novels-in-bed-and-now-only-on/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```