I’m about to abandon a novel. I don’t do it often, but I feel like I’m at a crossroads in my reading career. Like much in the world, it’s time for change.
The novel is Me Cheeta, by James Lever. There’s very little wrong with it. Okay, it’s a bit of a one-joke pony and I’ve no interest in the subject matter, but it’s well written and occasionally very funny.
Normally, I would happily read on to the end. But not this time. Not these days. It seems I need my fiction to do more. It needs to be extraordinary.
Here’s a list of reasons for why sometimes it’s okay to jump ship on whatever it is your reading.
- It’s not very good - pretty much a good reason to stop doing anything. Give a book a chance, of course. But don’t mess about if it’s not doing anything for you.
- You haven’t got time - this is a big reason for me abandoning Me, Cheeta. My reading time is limited at the moment, so I’d much rather spend that time with a novel I really like, rather than a novel that’s, like I say, fine.
- You’ve got what you wanted - bit of a harsh one this, but sometimes I’ll read a book to see what the fuss is about. Again, Me, Cheeta is a good example. Once you’ve got the drift, if it’s not tickling your fancy, feel free to move on.
- You made a mistake - sometimes, when you’re faced with too many reading options, it’s easy to choose the wrong one. If there’s something else you’d rather be reading… read it.
- It’s really hard work - I’m really not one for working hard with my reading. That’s not to say I’m not literary - truth is I read literary fiction almost exclusively, and I love reading writers who like to show off a bit. But I don’t like reading books that make me work hard for the sake of it. That’s just not fun.
Quick note: I first published this on a previous, largely unread blog earlier this year.
