I’ve read widely my whole life but I’m a scientist by training so I never studied literature formally beyond the age of sixteen. This means there are lots of ‘classics’ I’ve never read, or came to late. For a long time this bothered me, but now I’m unapologetic. My interests are mainly in contemporary literature anyway, and I think I’ve pretty much plugged all the gaps I feel I need to. There are some books I do wish I’d read earlier – for example I only read Rebecca — which is now one of my favourite books of all time — in my forties, and only then because so many people kept referring to ‘Mrs Danvers’ and I only had the vaguest knowledge of who she was. Ditto Lolita – read a few years back, and The Great Gatsby, Animal Farm, Brave New World. The list goes on.
I also hate being asked what my ‘guilty pleasures’ are. I don’t have any
In general I read books because I want to, not because iI have to. I refuse to feel bad about ‘classics’ I haven’t read. There’s too much snobbishness in the world of books as it is. I also hate being asked what my ‘guilty pleasures’ are (I don’t have any, I refuse to feel guilty about something I’ve enjoyed, even if other people might call it ‘low-brow’), and I loathe the way some people look down on those who enjoy fiction they don’t.
Or don’t enjoy fiction they do, in fact. A few years ago I felt bad about not having read Pride and Prejudice, for example, and forced myself to read it. I hated it every moment, it was like doing homework, and I gained nothing from the experience. (I love Mansfield Park, though, so I’ve nothing against Austen. Just that book.)
One book that I gave up after two or three pages but do feel I ought to have read is Madame Bovary. A group of very good writer friends often cite it as a great book, with much to teach about writing and character, and the first time they mentioned it I was too embarrassed to admit I’d never read it. So now – even though I guess I just outed myself — I just nod along sagely whenever it’s mentioned and let them think I know it well. I’ll return to it one day; I think I just wasn’t in the mood when I picked it up.
Usually, though, I don’t give books up once I’ve read twenty pages or so. I feel committed. I wish I could abandon books. I’d get more done, and spend more time reading books I love. One good solution I’ve heard (but have yet to put into practice) is to give a book away if you’ve decided to give up on it. That way you ‘honour’ the book and the effort the author put into writing it, you give someone else a chance to enjoy it. Plus, it doesn’t sit there on your shelf, admonishing you for not finishing it…
How about you? Do you always finish books you start? Are there any books you feel you ought to have read? Any you forced yourself to finish but wish you hadn’t bothered?
Glad to meet someone who struggled with Madame Bovary as much as me. It was a book club read that I ended up skim reading to finish, something I rarely do. It seemed badly structured with a highly annoying main character and endless pages of unnecessary description. But I still feel guilty about the classics I haven’t read with an English degree that put me off reading for decades!
I was just sorting my TBR bookcase yesterday wondering how many of them I actually really wanted to read if I was honest and how many were there because they'd been lauded but probably weren't my thing. To be honest sometimes it pays off and I discover a great book. Sometimes it doesn't. I used to never give up on a book but I've started doing so, even if I'm halfway through as life is too short and there are too many thrillers out there to read!