"There are five novels beside my bed, all partially read. On my phone, I am partway through 36 audiobooks, which pales in comparison to the 46 ebooks I have abandoned on my Kindle. This doesn't count the growing pile of advance copies beside my coffee table, vying for blurbs, now that I am a published novelist myself. At first glance, these stats seem to corroborate Ian Rankin's words."
"But as someone who used to doggedly finish whatever I was reading, I now consider it a human right to put down a book that I'm not in the mood for. I don't believe that this habit is due to my short attention span rather more to the feeling of life slipping through my fingers. I've always been struck by the Benedictine teaching: Keep death daily before your eyes."
Five novels remain beside the bed, all partially read, and dozens of audiobooks and ebooks are in various stages of abandonment. A growing pile of advance copies competes for attention alongside newly published obligations. Putting down a book is framed as a human right rather than evidence of a short attention span. The impulse to stop reading often stems from acute awareness of life's brevity and a desire to direct limited attention intentionally. Access to abundant, mind-blowing art makes selective reading necessary. DNF-ing can signify discernment. Publishing's class biases and lack of representational variety make it harder for many readers to stay engaged.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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