Yvann at Reading Fuelled by Tea commented on a recent blog post here, which led me to her blog where she linked to an fantastic episode of NPR’s Talk of the Nation, where NPR’s culture blogger Linda Holmes brings up this slightly disheartening point:
“And it becomes a sort of overwhelming thought when you realize that no matter how hard you try, no matter how smart you are, no matter how much you love to read — as I put it in the piece, statistically speaking, you’re going to die having missed almost everything.”
Sad face!
Holmes argues that the remedy for this is either culling — deciding that an entire genre is not worth your time — or surrendering — acknowledging that there are many books out there that you’d probably enjoy but that you can’t possibly get to everything and you’re at peace with that.
(If you’ve got the time, read or listen to the whole interview. It’s really quite good.)
So do I cull or surrender?
I think I surrendered a long time ago, perhaps fully when I was in graduate school studying book publishing. The words the human race puts to paper is never-ending and I have to be at peace knowing that most of them will never pass before my eyes.
There must be time to read in heaven, right?
Sometimes, however, I look at my 600-book TBR list and I think I need to go through and cull individual books. I’m starting to realize that I really should only read things I’m in love with. With millions of books out there, just waiting for me to crack them open, why am I wasting so much time on books that are just “eh”?
I think part of this is review copies and book club books. I finish them because I feel a responsibility to finish them. I think I need to cull the number of books I accept for review, and perhaps only read the book club books that really capture my attention. This is culling on a smaller scale, but it might save my precious reading time for the things that truly speak to my reading soul.
So what about you? Do you cull or surrender? Do you think you’re reading too many things that are just so-so? Why?
This is discussed by many bloggers over at Should Be Reading‘s Musing Mondays.
How about never thinking on that large of a scheme? That’s where I am. I have a hard time not finishing a book if I’ve started it, no matter how bad. (See: Twilight). Though there are I never finish. (see: Great Expectations). I think it’s a sense of duty thing. I have really never considered all the books I will never get to. I’m ok with that. I have more important things to contemplate. (see: what did Judah put in his mouth NOW?!) :) maybe I’m just not that deep.
Why did I push through Twilight? I’ll never get that time back.
(I think it was a Sharpie.)
I was just going through this in my own mind yesterday. I was reading a book and it was just not capturing my attention and I couldn’t help thinking it was annoying. And yet I didn’t want to stop reading it, because I’d already invested the time into 50 some pages. I would feel as if I had wasted my time if I just stopped. But I eventually argued that I would waste a whole lot more if I finished it. So I skipped around, got the whole plot, figured out the ending, and put it down. Good riddance! On to better books!
Yes! I feel that way all the time. I really need to not count the time lost. It’s so hard though!
That is such a disheartening thought! I don’t think I’m going to cull or surrender — I think I’m going to read as much as I can, and enjoy it like I always have, and *pretend* that I will have time in the coming years to read everything that catches my eye. A girl can dream, right?
Lol, that’s why I think heaven has a really really big library. A trillion years to read it all!
I used to struggle with this. I thought about all the amazing books I might not make it through in my lifetime and would get a bit stressed and want to somehow read faster. I came to terms with it and decided I would just have to try and read quality things, with a bit on fluff mixed in for a break, and enjoy everything I could get to.
Yeah, in theory that’s where I am. But sometimes I’m like “Nooooooo! I want to read everything!” Not enough time!
I’m one of those loons that will reread a book (or series) multiple times. I say that advisedly: I haven’t just reread the Potter septology once. I’ve read each book at least 5 or 6 times. I’ve gone through The Millenium Trilogy 4 times.
With my favorite novel, John Mortimer’s “Paradise Postponed,” I still notice things I’ve missed the previous 20 or so times. What has enhanced this novel for me is that it shows the characters at a few different life points. The first time I read PP, I was a Senior at FSU. My Contemporary Lit prof loved this book, and I did too. I was XXII at the time. Now I’m roughhly double that. I’ve lived a bunch, as have Henry and Fred Simcox, who are 51 & 49 at the end.
Most books, I’m one and done. Occasionally, I find a world I want to visit at different points in my life. For example, the HP books. I read the first one with a massive hangover. Same with all the books through HP:TOotP. It’s a new POV, I suppose, but they’re just fun.
I guess my point is this. I approach reading remembering Warren Zevon’s great last words of wisdom: “Enjoy every sandwich.” No way in hell I’ll ever try every sandwich on earth, and I’ll certainly knock off a few more reubens before my arteries completely dam up.
Don’t worry about how many books you have yet to read. Just enjoy the one you’re reading now.
I like your method. I’m re-reading more now than I ever have before. I keep remembering these books I read and loved ages ago, and I’m wondering if they’ve held up. HP is one of the series I’m working through, not for the first time. :)
One of these days I’ll have to read Paradise Postponed. It’s on my TBR list…just not on my TBR shelf. :)
I have a huge to-read list on goodreads, which I recently culled based on increasing self-knowledge about what I tend to like. It’s still pretty large. I know that I won’t read them all, but I like having a go-to list of books to read next. I used to be a big film buff and I remember feeling unnecessary pressure by seeing how many films other film buffs on the internet were watching. The book blogging community seems to be more relaxed about their passion which is helpful. Still, it is sad to think of all the books I’ll never get to.
I have become fairly good at putting down books I’m not enjoying. I usually check other reviews if I’m on the fence, just to make sure that it’s just not a case of a rough beginning.
I agree that the book blogging community seems to be really relaxed in its “standards.” There are people who blog a lot and people who blog now and again and everyone seems to get along fairly well. I don’t feel like I need to compete. I read what I like and try not to worry about reading as much as some of the other more prolific readers out there. There’s only so much time in a day!