I thought I could do it, really I did. I had this shiny newish kindle, with the power to order and read books on the fly. If your a truly avid reader who has that burning hunger, you know what a draw that is. And how could I resist? I’d read Snow Crash with glee. I’d read Diamond Age and seen a kindred mind. I even braved Cryptonomicon in a fell swoop. So when I pre-ordered Neal Stephenson’s Anathem for the Kindle, I was excited. Sure, I absolutely could not get into his last series no matter how hard I tried. But this would be different. An alien world, a new language, where could it go wrong?
I don’t blame the format of the kindle, let me say that. I’ve read a fair number of books on the kindle since I bought it, and I’ve read Asimov’s and Analog for two months running without any problems. No, I really think the problem is (now that I’m halfway through it) is that I’m just not engaged in it. Its not for me. Don’t get me wrong, its fine writing, I’m sure its compelling enough if you have the right mindset.
I just don’t
And hence my struggle. Do I quit? I don’t want to do that. But there are so many other books that I know I want to read (like the third book in the Fallen Empire series). I’ve put it aside for a few weeks now and I’m still not compelled to read it. I feel like I’m giving up. Does this ever happen to you? Not just the disinterest in finishing a book, but the guilt, the remorse at having to put it aside for a while because you just can’t bring yourself to read it any more?