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Now I'll sound like an old codger (even though I'm not), but a lot of the blame can be laid at the feet of the mass media. It is almost single handedly responsible for the reduction in attention span. TV shows, videos, thrill rides, comic books, etc. are simply a barage of colors, sounds & textures. In is in effect simply sensory overload. I used to love comic books, I can not bear to open them any more due to the excessive colors & complicated graphics.... it is impossible to discern the plot in the midst. So you have a generation or more raised on that mind set of continuous sensory bombardment & then you ask them to sit, read, think, & comtemplate upon a novel... just doesnt happen anymore. It's strange, as I finished re-reading Farenheit 451 the other day I thought how we won't need minorities to destroy books to control, they'll simply die from inattention due to the mass brainwashing taking place in the mass media.

Exactly right. One reason for the decline in literature today is the need for instant gratification. Look at the EC comic books of the early 50s and they have quite interesting story lines. Today the comix are mostly slam-bang with OVERLOADED graphics. From Here To Eternity takes its time in its exposition which may not be pleasing to current readers. BTW, even though it takes place just prior, during, and right after the Pearl Harbor attack, this novel can't be categorized as a historical novel. It is definitely the unsanitary nitty gritty of real people (especially horny drunk soldiers).

P.S. Dare I say that a lot of the current interest in SF and Fantasy is a form of escapism?