If you want to feel stressed out as a reader, then be sure to read the article Life’s Too Short: How to Read the Right Books by Cody Adams. The article is actually doing two things, it first depresses the reader with numbers; numbers of books you are likely to read in a lifetime and just how tiny that number is compared with all the books currently in existence, a number that grows every year.
If you read a book a week, or 52 books a year, with currently about 22 million books in existence and the Library of Congress cataloging an additional 20,000 new ones every day, you might be able to finish .00000236% of books in existence before you die.
I don’t know what is more depressing though, the number of books I will be able to read or the fact that the average American reads only 20.4 books a year with the median at only 6.5.
But after Adams has the avid reader whipped into a frenzy of “OMG! I’m never going to get to the bottom of my TBR pile!” He then grabs hold and wraps you up in a straightjacket by noting that given the numbers, “every single book you read becomes an important choice.” So no pressure.
He then offers a short video and list from Jeffrey Brenzel, philosopher and Dean of Undergraduate Admissions at Yale that provides selection criteria for what makes a book a classic, classics, presumably being the books that “count.” I don’t have an issue with Brenzel’s criteria, they are pretty broad and easy to agree with. What I take issue with is Adams’ position that every book has to count and the ones that count are “classics.” It doesn’t take into account all the different reasons people read. I mean, I began reading Elizabeth von Arnim’s Solitary Summer yesterday. Is it a classic? No. What it is is funny and warm and light-hearted and every time I read it I find myself grinning uncontrollably. I’d hardly call this book a waste of time.
What Adams’ numbers should help us realize is not that we need to make every book count, but that we shouldn’t waste our time reading books we aren’t enjoying. No need to trudge on to the end and regret the time lost on a bad book. Nor should we waste time worrying about not being able to read everything. If there is a book you really want to read then you’ll read it. It does us no good to worry about what we won’t be able to read because of what we have chosen to read. Enjoy what you do read and don’t worry about the rest. Life is too short to waste time worrying about an unread book.
Fun. Such a lovely photo too.
Thanks for sharing. Wow…really, no pressure at all
Great post. Here’s an article from 07 on the same topic:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2007/aug/22/news
Could it be correct that the average American reads 20 books a year – that sounds like more than I would expect?
It looks sadly like in this survey only just over 20 people read more than 21 books and that 62 read 20 or under (mostly well under) and 27 read none at all. I suspect people might have been tempted to exaggerate too. You must be in the tiny top percentile, seeing all the books you read! I like to think I used to be up there, but having a little baby seems to have left no space in my brain – apart from gradually making my way through a Cormac McCarthy – possibly not on the list of ‘classics’? I deeply disagree with the idea of the ‘canon’. It always pretends to be objective but is generally deeply subjective. While many of my favourites are ‘classics’, you often come across beautiful little books that will never get a mention beside the Great Tomes of Yore. And who can come up with these lists without at least reading a few million books?? Totally agree with not worrying about the unread – let’s face it, after about ten years we often forget the ones we have read anyway… should we start over?
I used to be a big ‘classics’.reader. Now I read what makes me happy and I don’t waste a moment regretting books I did not finish. Unless I paid full price for a hard cover!! Since I’m cautious, that doesn’t happen too often.
So true. Thanks for reminding me!
Good one Stefanie … it is about what we want to read. As I get older it’s something I grapple with more and more as I find myself reading things that I feel obliged to read for one reason or another. Often I’m happy to read them but are the my first choice? No, not always BUT do I get something else from reading a new release sent to me, a book carefully chosen for me by a friend or family member, a book scheduled for a reading group I’m committed to. Yes, usually, and that’s usually a good reason for reading that book.
As for the median 6.5. I guess the question is, are some of those people reading other things eg newspapers, magazines. And if they are, is that valid?
Bravo! Personally, I read sentences. Millions and millions and millions of them. So I feel I get through an awful lot. I read some pretty fine sentences, too, and Elizabeth von Arnim, if memory serves me right, has some truly delicious and enchanting ones. Oh I shall look forward to that review!
You know, every book that we read is an important choice, but it is our choice. Why read the “classics” if you don’t enjoy them? Yes, it is said that we won’t be able to read every book in the world, but such is life. My new title for the piece would be, “Life is Short, Read Interesting-Looking Books.” Why waste time just being bored?
I think you took away exactly the right message from the article: Enjoy what you read and don’t waste your time on what you don’t enjoy. I realize more every day just how short life is (I’m suddenly 63 years old – how did that happen?, etc.)but I still have to make a conscious effort to abandon books that are doing nothing for me, either in terms of enjoyment or in “knowledge” imparted. Those stats are scary, but I’m surprised that the national average of books read per year is actually that high.
Richard, heh, it only lacks a dripping wax candle atop the skull to make it perfect.
misanthropologist, I know, no pressure. It’s just best to not think about it.
opheliajasmin, the average number is kind of skewed, the better number is the median because it indicates that have read more and hald read less. But as the Guardian artilce indicates, about a quarter of the people surveyed didn’t read a book at all. I am sure some people are prone to exaggeration on surveys like this because they know they are supposed to read and they don’t want to look bad so they say they read more than they do. I think having a baby exempts you from any kind of worry about how many books you read.
Elizabeth, good for you! Classics can be and are enjoyable, but we should never read them out of obligation. I’m with you, no regrets unless I paid full price for a hard cover that turns out to be a stinker.
Bokmoster, you bet!
Whisperinggums, I have sometimes resented obligation reads, but other times have been very glad for them because they end up being a good experience I would not have chosen for myself. It’s just hard to know in advance which one it is going to be! The article has a link to the survey with the questions and results and they asked specifically for how many books were read and did not include magazines or newspapers. But it also looks like a rather small sampling for a survey.
Litlove, I like the way you think! And your memory is serving you correctly, von Arnim has some marvelous sentences in this book!
Hungrybookworm, I am in complete agreement with you!
Sam, the years creep up on one, don’t they? I’m always surprised to realize that I’m not 25 anymore and am quite a long way from it. I know what you mean about having to make an effort to abandon a book. I’ve gotten better at it but at times it’s still a difficult decision to make. I was a little surprised at how high the average number is too, but looking over the survey they counted any book, fiction, nonfiction, technical manuals and cookbooks which makes a big difference.
Well said and I like all the comments on this post too. Good to see readers saying ‘your way is not my way, thank you very much and goodbye’ to one of the many how to read properly articles.
Such good advice (from you! the other guy… who needs the pressure?!). I’m thinking this year is the Year of the Re-Read. Also the Year of the Easy Read. I’m getting back into my groove (two hours of reading last night!) and now I want to keep it going with favorites. I’m going to start listening to Dickens on audio, so that will at least keep my brain going, but I agree: life is short, read the books you WANT to read. And von Arnim is soooooooo worth reading.
The older I get the more I think about the limited time I have to read all of the books I want to. I’m sure when I read the article I will think more about it but you are right about deciding the books we want to read is the most important thing and I think if we enjoy them it makes no matter is they are considered classics.
I read an article last year that says exactly the opposite of Adams. It’s entitled “The Sad, Beautiful Fact That We’re All Going To Miss Almost Everything”. I’ve linked it here because it’s just so true. I wrote a post on it, uttering similar sentiments that you’ve expressed here, and called it ‘You’ll Never Catch Up’. You’re so right, Stefanie, “Life is too short to waste time worrying about an unread book.” Excellent point!
Great post, and indeed a good one to remind us all the reason for why we choose to read. And reading for sheer pleasure and personal enjoyment is definitely one of the best reasons, I feel. Am reminded of Michael Dirda’s Classics for Pleasure, and Bound To Please. Both the titles do sum it up quite nicely, I think.
By the way, I’ve always thought that the picture of your blog’s header is an excellent one to reflect this very topic.
Excellent post! Every so often we need to take a closer look at what we choose to read and why, because life really is too short to read bad books. I’m going to read the article now… thanks for sharing.
Jodie, thanks! We readers tend to be a sensible bunch, don’t we?
wherethereisjoy, thanks! Rereading can be fun, especially of old favorites. I imagine Dickens on audio with a good reader is great fun. And yeah, von Arnim is never a waste of time.
Kathleen, there are so many obligations we pile onto ourselves, there is no sense in turning reading into one either. That’s my feeling anyway. Even with facing up to our mortality will I regret on my deathbed reading a Terry Practchett book and having a good laugh over reading some supposed classic I feel that I should? I’ll go for the laugh
Arti, yes, I remember that article. It’s a good one. I think we, I, need to remind myself about it now and then. It’s all about the journey, right?
Michelle, heh, the header does suit the topic, doesn’t it? I love Dirda and the two books you mention. He and those books are a detriment to my TBR pile but sometimes, just reading him and his enthusiastic chat about a book is pleasure enough.
JoAnn, thanks! Hope you enjoyed the article. And I agree, it’s good to think about our reading now and then.
And most likely, the reason they only read 20 books is that they’ve slogged through some “masterpiece”. One can only endure so much.
Life is too short. Read good books. I tend to mix my books – those I have to read, those I want to read (but sometimes have to hold my feet to the fire – or nose to the book to do so) and those that are just flat out fun to read.
I do think this is why I’ve gotten better about not finishing books I’m not enjoying. It helps that I use the library more too. It’s easier to abandon a library book than a book you spent money on! It’s always depressing to see these stats and think about all teh lovely books I won’t read, but it’s also a good reminder to make sure you enjoy what you’re reading!
Carrie, you are probably right about people who don’t read very many books. I mix up my books too, hard ones and easy ones. Keeps things interesting!
Lindsey, it is harder to abandon a book you paid money for isn’t it? I ran into that problem recently and slogged my way through the book because I’d bought it in hardcover. If it had been a library book I wouldn’t have hesitated to abandon it.
Wow, I think I’m glad I didn’t read that article. I get really freaked out when I think of all the books I want to read, knowing that the list is too long to finish in a lifetime (not to mention all the possibly amazing books that are yet to be written). But I like getting permission to stop reading something that isn’t doing it for me… so that helps!
Wise words. From you, that is. So I won’t feel guilty anymore about not reading TS Spivet. I’m sure most of what I read would be considered rubbish by their guidelines, but I sure do enjoy it. And best not to think of that massive TBR pile that seems to grow rather than get smaller.
Michelle, the number of books I want to read does make me wish frequently for immortality. It does put things into perspective though and helps me not feel bad about abandoning a book I am not enjoying.
Danielle, thanks! No guilt! I think you are very good at having a nice mix of books both serious and not so serious and as long as you enjoy what you read, that’s all that really matters.
Stephanie, what an awesome post. You hit the nail on the head with the “making books count” “enjoying what you read” distinction.
I seldom abandon a book [it has to be pretty bad] but I almost did it with my last one [by Hilary Mantel] because I was not zoning in on a lot of her images etc. But I stuck with it and it really paid off to hang in there.
Much less the Library of Congress but I’ve long been aware that I will croak long before I have read even the books I myself own here. And in a sense it is depressing, [I will die too soon, as we all will] but in another sense, it’s encouraging [I will never run out of terrific books to read].
Oops, after 300 times of spelling it correctly, I spelled your name wrong, I’m sorry.
Sincerely,
Ciprianus
Cipriano, thanks! Glad the Mantel book eventually paid off. It is a little depressing thinking that I won’t be able to read all the books I own, but at the same time, I’m sure going to try!