I Can't Read Long Books, Part 2

[mystang52]

A while back I started a thread on this topic. Here's my update on my somewhat-successful strategies for this avid-but-previously-frustrated reader.
Best thing I did, as I wrote previously, was discard my e-reader. For me, "real" books can't be beat. I'm still limiting reading to shorter books, generally no longer than 350 pages, and quite a few considerably shorter.
So far, though, I've had to limit myself to non-fiction. Non-fiction reading allows for skimming, or outright skipping, pages. Can't do that with fiction as it's too easy to miss a key development; only exception I know of was when I read Moby Dick. I skipped a LOT in that book.
I'm normally physically active, but I am going through a difficult health stretch so currently can't do any exercise at all. At least I'm able to again feed my reading passion while I recover. At some point I'll make the brave attempt at fiction.

 

[Car-Guy]

Unless I'm really interested in the books subject matter, I can't read books anymore. A chapter or two and my eyes get heavy and I fall asleep. Heck, even some of the long winded posts on this site will get me drowsy. If I'm really interested in the book, I can read it pretty quick. So I don't buy many books anymore. I may buy one or two a year and they are usually something "political".

 

[pacergal]

Nothing better than actually turning the page of a good book!
Free books from the library can't be beat. I order several online and pick up when they are ready.

 

[W2R]

Can't believe that you skipped past a lot of Moby Dick. Moby Dick (to me) is a very long, very amazing poem, meant to be read slowly and lingered over.

Sorry, just had to stand up for my favorite book. See my sig line, in which Melville explains so much to me about retirement

 

[mystang52]

Can't believe that you skipped past a lot of Moby Dick. Moby Dick (to me) is a very long, very amazing poem, meant to be read slowly and lingered over.

Sorry, just had to stand up for my favorite book. See my sig line, in which Melville explains so much to me about retirement

We read the unabridged version in High School, and I didn't like it then. I re-read it about 6 months ago, and alas had the same dislike. A couple of years ago I tackled Paradise Lost, and didn't like that either! If it helps, I loved the Gregory Peck movie version

 

[braumeister]

My habit is to stop in often at my local library. Just inside the door is a rack of "New Books" and they are frequently just published within the last few months. I don't usually look at the fiction side, just nonfiction, but I am almost always able to find something I want to read. They do an amazingly good job IMHO of selecting for quality.

That said, there has only been one book recently from that source that I couldn't finish.

On the Origin of Time: Stephen Hawking's Final Theory by Hawking's collaborator, Thomas Hertog.

The first half was wonderful, albeit requiring some concentration, and I learned a lot from it. The author explained some things about quantum mechanics in a much better way than I had ever seen before.

But about 3/4 of the way through the book I had to throw up my hands and admit defeat. My fault, not his.