Books Are Sometimes Better Left Unread

By: R. Renzo

Have you ever felt a large pressure to finish an uninteresting book, for fear of judgement or disappointment with yourself? Have you ever found yourself with stacks of books piling up on your shelves, being avoided and collecting dust?
 
The truth is, that many books are better left unread. This is not judgement to the author or the quality of the book, but the sheer act of forcing yourself to finish it takes away the magic of reading. Though, reading should not be discouraged at all – it should be an adventure where you are enthralled, sucked into the plot, and where the finish comes naturally. It is one of the most powerful tools that we have at our disposal, often overlooked in favor of technology. George R. R. Martin once wrote, "A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one".
 
It seems that many blame schools for taking the joy out of reading; instead of being presented with novels for enjoyment, we are forced into nitpicking and analyzing it every step of the way. This makes a story turn into a jumble of words.
 
Books cannot be treated like chores – so instead of forcing yourself through that book, pick it up another time. And ultimately, art is subjective, so forcing yourself to read a "must-read" classic, just to suffer through it is completely unnecessary. Just because a book is praised by critics or assigned in school doesn't mean it's universally engaging.
 
And personally, leaving a book unread may sometimes be better than finding out the ending yourself. Leaving a book unread means that there are still infinite possibilities in that story; it sparks the joy to imagine a whole journey is left and absolves readers from the feeling of emptiness when the book is over.
 
This is why there should be no pressure in finishing a book: in the end, no one gets a prize for finishing something they hated, and you only get a few seconds of pride when bragging to your friends about that latest accomplishment. So, feel free to put down that book, but don't completely give up on reading itself.