How to Break Up with a Book

It starts with a gradual disinterest.

You’re just not in the mood right now. You really need to finish this work email. Maybe after this episode.

The more you try to make it work, the more frustrated you become. It shouldn’t take this much work. It should feel more natural.

You gave it the ole’ college try, but now it's time for a clean break.

Maybe you’re just not that into that book.

We’ve all been there; slogging through a story that hasn’t captured our attention. Perhaps it's a book that is deemed so culturally significant that you feel like you have to read it. Perhaps it's a matter of pride, and you want to be able to say “Why, yes actually, I have read The Bostonians,” at the next cocktail party. Maybe, societal expectations aside, you just happened to take a risk on an unknown title. Sometimes it works out and you discover a new favorite author. Other times, there’s just no chemistry.

So, at what point is it acceptable to throw in the towel and give up on a book?

Personally, it takes a lot for me to give up on a story. I like to see things through to the end, even if I take a few detours to read more interesting material along the way. I crave the satisfaction of completing a task, checking it off the list and adding it to my Goodreads reading challenge, of course. There have, however, been a few books over the course of my life that have tested my patience. In the last few years, I find myself more willing to jump ship rather than waste my free time slogging through a book that bores me.

When I feel like a book just isn’t doing it for me anymore, I will take a few things into consideration before calling it quits.

1. Is it considered a classic? (This can be pretty subjective, but if its old, has been included on high school syllabi or mentioned on Gilmore Girls, then it usually fits the bill)

   • If yes, then I will usually do my best to finish it.

   • If no, proceed to step 2.

2. Are the characters well developed?

   • If yes, it might just be a slow burn….like a really slow burn to get to the real meat of the story. If the characters are interesting, it could propel you to keep reading to see where their journey leads, even if the climax might fall a little flat.

   • If no… I can overlook a lot of things, but if the characters are superficially developed then I have a hard time getting invested in the material. Characters drive the action; they are your eyes and ears and emotional gauge in the world of the narrative. If they are just aren’t turning you on, proceed to step 3.

3. Are you still not hooked after page 100?

   • Look, I get it. Sometimes it takes a while to get the show on the road, but I think its safe to say that if the story hasn’t managed to light a fire and pique your interest after 100 pages, it’s probably just going to end in dissatisfaction.

     
     

Picking up a book is like entering a new relationship. You are committing time and energy to get to know the characters and invest in the story. You want to read a book that makes you feel something, that makes you question the world around you and pushes the bounds of your imagination. And just like with any relationship, you have to acknowledge when it's time to go your separate ways.

Life is too short to stick with something that isn’t serving you and making you happy. Wow, maybe this could be applied to more than just books?? With this refreshing view in mind, I’m officially giving myself a permission to close the book on the stories that just aren’t doing it for me. A clean, guilt-free break. But hey, we can stay friends. Who knows, we might rekindle the spark sometime down the line. In the end, I’m prioritizing my time and my needs, being with the books I truly want to read. And that’s what I call a real happily ever after.