I'm convinced there is such a thing as a "reading muscle".
After being "lost" for many years in the "I can no longer read fiction" territory, I dove into it unexpectedly one weekend and found my fiction-for-pleasure groove again. (Ironically, it took a long non-fiction book to do that!)
But this does mean I no longer allow myself to aimlessly binge on TV or the web for pleasure. Reading certainly requires a stronger intention and attention.
The only way to counter this is to download the lectures and play them back at an increased pace - 1.2x to 1.5x, depending on the difficulty of the subject.
Perhaps the novels have the same issue for Kenji: too little stimulation to keep the mind going, even if it keeps your attention.