The words all mix together like
A lumpy soup, luke warm and sad
They don’t excite the way they should.
The pages turn so slowly with
A painful wait between the chapters
Not sure these words are understood.
I’m in a dreaded reading slump at the moment. I have two books on the go and I’m not enjoying either of them and it is one of the worst feelings that a reader can possibly suffer.
Diving into a book gives me release from a world that is sometimes not very nice, so when I’m stuck in a bad book I feel like a door has been closed to that other world. I am quite literally locked out of the place that will make me feel better.
There is the argument that I could just put the book down and start something new, but I fall into the camp that hates giving up on a book. I do occasionally DNF a book, but it hurts my soul to do that and I would rather soldier on miserably.
I am into the last 30 pages of one of the books so I am almost there and I can’t wait to get to start another. It feels like the final few miles of an ultra marathon; not very pleasant at the moment, but it will feel worth it when I post my star rating on Goodreads.
And then there’s the fact that the quality of a book is so subjective. I’m slaving away through this novel while others are lapping it up and loving every word. I wish I could like everything, but alas, being human involves having likes and dislikes and going through little dips where reading feels like a chore.
Much Love
Rachel xx
Margot Kinberg
I don’t like giving up on a book, either, Rachel. But sometimes, that’s how it is. Life is too short, and there are too many excellent books out there to spend a lot of time on a book that doesn’t draw you in. Would you keep trying on a shirt or pair of trousers that didn’t fit you the first time you tried them on?
patientandkindlove
I know. I wish that writers would slow down because I do genuinely worry about running out of time!
Pauline O'Shea
Rachel would recommend listening to last 30 pages on audible while you do other things… that way you’ve finished it but also got a job done…
patientandkindlove
That’s a good shout. At least I don’t feel like I’m wasting any of time.
juliadeniro
I know how you feel. I don’t like giving up on books either, but finishing bad ones can be a real chore. It’s some satisfaction to leave bad reviews on Goodreads though.
patientandkindlove
Hahaha, yes but then I feel like I’m being rude to the writer. I wonder if they read the reviews and then cry into a bottle of vodka. I’m not sure I can face being responsible for that 🙂
crispina kemp
I can sympathise. I never used to give up on books. And I don’t think those *hard to get into books* are badly written; they just don’t resonate with us. Another person might love them to bit. I no longer persevere. Life is too short, and we don’t know when it might end. So why persist with something UN-enjoyable. That’s my philosophy, anyway