When the year begins (or a month, actually) I always think that I’ll read more than previously, that I’ll be less distracted by all the… stuff. And then I really do it, I spend all my free time with a book and I’m happy and proud of myself.
And then this one book comes and it slows me right down, because some books are made to be read slowly, and I start to doubt my ability to read and concentrate on a book.
I know, I know, it’s silly, but with a slow read book, I put it down regularly just because this is what this book needs, and then I’ll get distracted by something or by a thought, and before you know it, it’s 45 minutes later and I’m worried about my ability to read.
Feel free to laugh at me, I do.
I remember reading Still Life by Sarah Winman and thinking that my ability to be immersed in a book for a couple of hours is gone. But of course it wasn’t that, it was the book itself. It needed to be read slowly, it wanted me to walk slowly through the streets of Florence, to be with the people populating its pages and adjust to their pace, to how they live their lives.
Have you read it? Did you feel this way too?
And now I’m reading The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal and although I want to know what will happen next, I just can’t keep turning pages, I need to pause here and there. The thing is, I need to finish this book before Sunday evening and reading slowly makes me worry that I won’t be able to finish it on time for my book club meeting.
And the worst effect of slow reading? Looking for new books online. Which means more books waiting, more impatience with my slowness and as a result, less reading done.
How do you deal with slow reading? Or maybe you’re always reading fast, no matter the book? And how’s the beginning of your reading year? Tell me everything.
Absolutely Anna, by coincidence I am reading Still Life at the moment and feel exactly as you do. I am reading it every night before I go to sleep and really enjoying being transported to Firenze.
I'm running into this very thing currently as I explore Susanna Clarkes' Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. It is a beautifully written and interesting story, but the pace is begging to be slowly savored, but the book is over 1000 pages which means it's turning an already long read into a long AND slow read and my TBR shelf seems to be screaming at me to hurry up so I can can get to more of them!