Once you finish reading it, you’ve finished needing it. Grady Hendrix
In reality, sometimes we’ve finished needing a book before we’ve finished reading it. Haven’t you read a book that you wanted to return to the library (or Amazon) by the time you were 50 pages in? Did you mourn the time you had already invested, but you persisted and eventually finished that bad boy? Why? I don’t know, either, but here’s what some websites say about that phenomenon.
Proponents of Staying the Course (finish reading)
In a piece published by Vogue, Juliet Lapidos suggests that soldiering on and finishing is a “sign of strength.” I am not sure I agree with that assessment, but let’s set aside my opinion and say it’s so. Why would I need to prove my strength by reading a book? Certainly, that method would be easier than using the leg extension machine to create quads where none exist, but why do I have to pass a mental endurance test? Yes, I’m being facetious, but still.
And in Emily Rudow’s blog, she says that reading a difficult book pushes us outside our comfort zone, boosts our confidence, and gives us a sense of accomplishment. She compares this to running a marathon. It requires dedication and time, but it’s all worth it in the end. To that, I’d say that I have indeed completed a half-marathon (walking, and thank you, Cindy, for that experience). However, I received none of the benefits suggested by Rudow. While the walk was outside my comfort zone, I only felt a sense of relief when it was over. Well, that is until someone in the Red Cross tent took a look at me and decided I was about to pass out. They kept me for an extended period, checking me out. It was hardly my fault that I was too cold for them to locate a pulse. But, no. No extra confidence and sense of accomplishment. Perhaps if I had completed a full marathon, the experience would have been more fulfilling.
Perhaps some people are loathe to put a book down because it’s a matter of pride to finish it. They don’t want to think of themselves as quitters. And what if they had already listed the book as “started” in Goodreads? Oh, my.
And the Comeback Crowd (don't finish)
As you might have guessed by now, I am not a fan of plodding through. There are no fewer than three dozen unread books on my shelves calling my name. I have options. I also have movies to watch and sentences to write and friends* I need to call so we can catch up. *Speaking of, you can thank or blame my friend, Angela, for this topic. 🤔
It isn’t only about the options, though. When I am reading or watching something that doesn’t grab me, my mind goes somewhere else, as I mentioned in a post a few months ago. This may account for the extended period it took to finish The Goldfinch some years ago. It was impossible to stay on task even though the story had promise. Sadly, that 700-page torture chamber revealed itself to me too late. I kept thinking the protagonist would learn his lesson. That there would be a happy ending. I hung on, but it won’t happen again. I don’t have enough reading time available to spend it holding pages that do not give me joy.
You?
Why are you still here?
Go make a cup of coffee and read a book.
Not enjoying the one you picked up?
Get another.
Go.
Some of us are reluctant to admitting making a bad decision. I have several of James Michener’s books unread. I want to learn but not in that much detail. Mark Twain’s short stories would be my benchmark. Tell the story, be sarcastic and be done with it.
I
Must admit, feeling a little guilty for not finishing a book or two. Feeling like I didn’t make
The grade. But then again there are several
That I have read and reread( wait does Audible count)? I often do this due to the genre of my interest , revealing something new with every revisit!
Exactly. It all depends on what’s going on at the time. There are a few books I’ve read more than five times, and others – once was enough. 😉
Agree. But also I think we want to salvage the time investment we’ve already made. Either way, I won’t do it anymore.