Books Discarded Wistfully

I'm going through some of the books in my not-completed pile and have had to face an uncomfortable truth: if I live to a hundred I'll never finish some of them because, frankly, I have other things I'd rather do.

Nevertheless, guilty feelings remained until book reviewer Maya Chung gave permission to (h/t Ann Althouse), Go Ahead, Put Down That Book [bold added]

This week, Sophie Vershbow asked English teachers, librarians, writers, and readers when it’s okay not to finish a book. My answer to that question is: almost always, unless you’re writing a review of it; in that case, please read it from cover to cover. You might think that, as a book-review editor, I’d have a completist attitude toward reading. In reality, I tend to drop books early and often...

I often find that I can prematurely part ways without angst even with a volume I’m thoroughly enjoying; I know that if I’m meant to finish it, I’ll find my way back eventually. Of course, if I want to recommend a book widely or rave about it on the internet, I need to complete it, in case the story takes an unexpected turn or something happens in the last few pages that changes my perspective. The same rule applies if I feel like hating. “Not finishing a story weakens your ability to properly assess it,” Vershbow advises. “It’s fine to abandon a title, but if you do, keep the strong opinions to a minimum.”

Not long ago, one of my colleagues told me about a rule her friend’s mother’s book club follows, and I’ve been sharing it with friends when they admit that they’re struggling through this or that beloved title: Subtract your age from 100, and you’ll end up with the number of pages you need to read before dropping a book. Only 20 years old? You’ll need to read 80 pages before you can move on. But if you’re 90, you need to read only 10. By that age, you’ve earned the right not to spend a second of your time on something that doesn’t bring you joy.

In a couple of weeks the church is having a parking-lot sale, and I'm donating some of my uncompleted books (pictured). I'll discard them wistfully, much as I gaze on foods that I no longer eat. I'll follow Ms. Chung's "100 minus" rule, however, and read at least 29 pages--I have already done so with many of them--before putting them in the box.