Why It's OK Not to Finish a Book
As much as we'd all love to have unlimited hours next to the fireplace with a book, the reality is that most of us do not.
Yet I think it’s fairly common that some people tend to feel they have to finish any book they pick up — even if they don’t like it. I’m not sure where it comes from; some version of the “clean plate club” that we have to finish what’s set out before us? Or a sense that it would somehow be rude to the author? Or a waste of money if we don’t?
Today, I’d like to take a look at this idea. Our reading lives are limited and we have to make the most of any and all hours we can find for our favourite pastime!
For this reason, it can help to adopt a philosophy that it's ok not to finish every single book you start. If you struggle to walk away from a book without finishing it, I’ve collected some reasons why that might help you reconcile yourself to the idea of leaving some books unfinished.
9 Reasons to Stop Reading That Book
"There's a book for every reader. But not every book is for every reader." I heard this on a podcast but can not remember which one — the perils of listening to a lot of book-focused podcasts! But in this context, if reading is even a somewhat serious part of your life, you're going to strike a few books that just aren't right for you. And that's ok.
For me, this often happens with award winning books, and for you it might happen with recommendations from friends, family and loved ones. Just because a book has been crowned “best” by a panel of experts (or just the experts in your own life!) doesn’t mean it will be your cup of tea. And that’s totally OK.
How many more books can you realistically read in what remains of your life? Sorry to get so morbid so quickly, but as Oliver Burkeman outlines in Four Thousand Weeks, if you live until you're 80 years old you'll live a total of four thousand weeks. If you're 50 and read an average of one book per month, that's 360 more books. Why waste any of those weeks on one you're not enjoying?
You might be a different person now than when you bought the book. If you run an ever growing TBR (to-be-read) stack there's a chance that books stay there for months or even years before you get to them. Consider whether you might have changed in that time and what impact that could have had on how you feel about a book that once filled you with enthusiasm. Chalk that one up to personal growth and move on to the next book you stack!
It's ok not to love everything your favourite author produces. Even if one of their books is your all time favourite or even if you've loved most of their past works, it's ok not to enjoy the book that's in your hands right now. The same goes for versatile authors — Wendell Berry comes to mind — who produces fiction, nonfiction AND poetry! It's ok not to like them all. And for this "reason" let's also include sequels. If the movie industry has given readers anything, it's the reassurance that it's definitely ok not to like the sequel as much as the original! So put that book aside and be grateful for the experience you had with other books from that author.
Getting caught in trends waves: This one is sort of similar to recommendations from others. Like many other industries, the publishing industry has its trends. At the moment a big one is the retelling of Greek myths and legends, and Tik Tok favourites which tend to lead toward romance and science fiction stories that inspire big, camera-worthy reactions along the way.
A friend of mine took The Girl on The Train on a cruise at its peak of popularity and hated it so much she ended up throwing it across her cabin. And then leaving it in a public area for someone else to enjoy. (See below for more ideas on what to do with your unfinished books!)
If you've gotten yourself embroiled in a book trend that's not for you, here's a reminder: you're the kind of person who is willing to try anything, but you know how to spot trends and fashion that aren't for you. This one wasn't for you and now you know a little bit more about your personal literary style!
Stress or distraction might be stopping you from connecting right now. Sometimes life just gets in the way of our best efforts to read (or maintain any other hobby), so consider whether it might be something else in your life stopping you from really enjoying the book you have in your hands. Mr Blackwell has a suggestion for you below.
Here's one for the numbers people: There are approximately four million books published EACH YEAR, and that's just the books published in English. What do you think is the chance you will pick books that are 100% for you every time? (I’m not sure how to do those maths, but I’m willing to bet it’s low!)
Consider whether it could be the platform? I love audiobooks and my favourites are heavily weighted toward non-fiction read by the author. I think that in my brain it's more like listening to a university lecture or like getting to spend a few hours hanging out with someone I wouldn't normally get to spend time with. But I've not yet* found a fiction title that I've enjoyed as much as an audiobook that I have from reading on paper.
I put this one down to my imagination and I guess I've trained my brain to visualise best without other distractions — which for me is really hard when I'm listening to a story. So if you're struggling with the audiobook but think it's a book you could really like, consider switching. And vice versa, maybe the concepts explored in Stolen Focus will resonate better as Johann Hari reads them to you on your next walk.
If all else fails, consider it part of your bookshop fantasy. I know you've dreamed about throwing in your day job and owning a bookshop instead! Once you do, you'll realise that partially reading a whole lot of books — many that aren't right for you from the outset — is just part of the job so you can recommend books to readers who are looking for other things and don't read like you. So chalk that unfinished book up to your training for the day you'll own your own bookstore!
* I'm currently listening to The Covenant of Water read by the author. It may be a contender!
What to do about your unfinished books?
Well, if it's a library book or a book you borrowed from a friend the rest is easy, just return it.
If you own the book you could try one of these:
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure — give it away to someone else who might enjoy it more, or add it to your local Little Free Library. Or put it up on your local “pay nothing” or “freecycle” group online.
Mr Blackwell often does this when he feels a book has promise but just hasn't been able to get into it: He parks it, puts a note in his calendar for 6 months from the date and moves it to the "second chance" pile in his office. His top tip if you try this approach is to move your bookmark back at least one chapter to refresh where you were up to.
Turn it into art: Search 'Bookfolding' on youtube or start here.
Sell it! Some secondhand bookshops will give you cash or credit for your unwanted titles that you can put toward another read that might suit you better.
Host a book swap. This is a fun way to offer up your unwanted books to friends and family and get some new-to-you titles in return.
Donate your unwanted books. Lots of libraries have a “friends of the library” group that collects books to raise funds for the library. You may also be able to donate books to local prison libraries, literacy centres, charity stores, schools and daycares, retirement homes, and literacy programmes.
The point is, unless the book is damaged or totally out of date, it’s very likely that someone, somewhere would love to have it and get good use out of it — so don’t throw it in the rubbish, no matter how much you disliked it. ;)
