It seems breaking up with a book is just as hard as breaking up with a guy.
It just isn't working out between us.
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| No books were harmed in the making of this photo. Everneath (pictured) is actually an awesome book and should not be burned. |
No offense, right? We're still friends?
Breaking up is hard to do.
Not that I have had much experience in the real world. In fact, well maybe we had better not go there. Anyway, suffice to say I am no expert in breakups. To complicate matters my mother raised me to never say no to a boy when he asked. "You have to realize how hard it is for him to ask. Say yes once." Only she didn't stick to the once thing. "Dear, I know you have gone out with him before and you aren't interested but he is such a sweet boy. It won't hurt you to go out with him again. Besides what else are you doing?" Mother!?!
Surely this "teaching" is influencing my reading as well. I keep trying to give the book or author another chance.
I tell myself:
Just a few more pages and. . .
- it will grab my interest
- the characters will stop being annoying
- more character development will happen
- there will be less plot holes
- there will be a happy ending
- the swearing will lessen
- they will stop trying to get in each others pants and do something meaningful
- soon things will be less disturbing
- I won't wish the main character were dead
- I will stop wishing to be put out of my misery
- I will find the reason everyone else is head over heals in love with this book
Basically just a few more pages and the book will magically transform and keep my interest. The probability of that is rather slim; this isn't Harry Potter and magic isn't going to happen. But I can't seem to grasp that when in the thick of it.
Should I have to work so hard to make it work? There are at least 100 books waiting for their turn to be read. One of them might be the perfect fit but I won't ever find out unless I dump my current read and move on.
You are thinking, "It sounds so obvious when you put it that way. What is the problem?"
The problem:
- The author, in some cases, went out on a limb to give me this opportunity to read their book. They worked hard and were hoping to get a positive turn in response.
- The publisher took a risk on me and are waiting for my gushing review.
It was given to me at someone else's expense.
I feel it is the least I can do to see it to the end.
The consequences:
- If I don't like it, I drag my feet reading it.
- It takes me a week to finish, meanwhile I could have read three books.
- My desire to read drops.
- It puts me in a funk.
- I have to write a bad review
Spelled out just so it seems the only choice is to break up.
But still. . .
I can easily break up with a book I got at the library. There is no sense of obligation attached. I didn't purchase it nor did someone else give it to me at their expense.
I hate to waste money and if I purchased the book I get upset that I made a bad choice. I wonder where I went wrong and have a hard time putting it down. The one good thing about these is I can give them away and not feel too guilty. Surely someone else will enjoy it.
The hardest break ups are those attached to an obligation. Book tours especially leave me in a tight spot. I want to gush and help the author out. That is the point of the tour. But that is not going to happen. What do I do? How do I tell the author that their book isn't working out for me without offending them? Even more importantly what do I post for the book tour post? I want to post my honest opinion but I don't want to pull down the tour.
Breaking up is hard to do.
Any advice?
