On not finishing books

[hamletta]

I feel strangely guilty if I don't finish a book I started--to the point that I once finished an entire trilogy while only mildly liking book one. To be fair, I'd already bought all three books on the strength of the author's name (bad mistake), but still. 

It's even worse when don't dislike the novel, or maybe even like it but don't love it. I'm a slow reader, and my to-be-read pile grows faster than I can manage. And I do feel certain pressure to, ahem, "keep up with the field." And some of there are books from people I actually know...

I'm trying to teach myself to not stress about not finishing. If I don't love the book, it's okay to just test-ride it for a few chapters and then put it away, right? In that case, I should consider it research: I've tasted enough to have an opinion, and I save the time to "research" more books.

Thinking about it, it actually would give me time to re-read the books I do love. And discover more, instead of slavishly finishing whatever I start... So here's the new resolution: I won't feel guilty about not finishing! 

Well okay, at least I'll try... :D 

Comments

[yhlee]

I used to be like that. Now, my philosophy is that life is too short to spend time reading books I'm not enjoying. XD

[hamletta]

You are so right. I think I now can put away the ones I really don't enjoy. It's the ones that I kind of enjoy but don't really love that still make me feel bad. :/

[yhlee]

I hear you.

I mean, I've mocked books I thought were terrible, but the sad truth is that even a terrible book took a lot of effort to write. It's just that effort doesn't guarantee quality (to the extent that "quality" has any objective meaning, anyway).

[hamletta]

Exactly. And I know how har it is and how long it takes, so it feels almost disrespectful.

But then, they won't know... :D