Reader's Block

[rhythmaning]

Much has been written about writers’ block; much less about its bastard cousin, reader’s block.

For much of the spring, I suffered from reader’s block. Earlier in the year, I had read prodigiously, ploughing through a batch of Christmas books, voraciously working through Steig Larsson’s “Millenium” trilogy (I liked the characters so much, I was very sad to finish the last book) – I read thousands and thousands of pages.

And then, with the spring, I lost my appetite for books.

I had to give up on two large, weighty paperbacks – Iain Sinclair’s “Downriver” and Luther Blissett’s “Q”. These are the kind of books I expected to enjoy – deep, complex stories. They came well reviewed by people I trust. Life is too short – and there are far too many books – to waste time reading things that I don’t think I’ll enjoy, and I reckoned these would be right up my street.

Alas, no. They are both dense works, and I struggled to wade through them. I tried long journeys; I tried rainy weekends away. In the end, the struggle was just too much, the reward not worth it.

So I read very little. Maybe it was just me, my mood or whatever else was going on at the time. But it seemed pointless to make myself finish these unwieldy volumes.

In the last month, my reading has picked up again: I have read a very interesting (but equally frustrating) analysis of post-punk pop music, Simon Reynold’s “Rip It Up And Start Again”; one of Colin Cotterill’s Laotian coroner series, “Disco for the Departed” (a charming novel, like Alexander McCall Smith with depth); and I’m now reading Gordon Burn’s novelisation of the news, “Born Yesterday” (actually, not so much of a novelisation as a discussion and discursion on the news). All entertaining, lively, and thoughtful.

I’ve no idea if I’m over my reader’s block, but at least I’m enjoying reading again!

***Addendum*** On the back of the couple of comments I've received, I can't help wondering whether my recent absence (or should that be abstinence?) - writer's block of a kind, I guess - from LJ is also coupled with my reader's block. I'll have to think about that...

Comments

[innerbrat]

I have been suffering from a reader's block that lasted several years, which I ascribed to stress from my PhD. It's actually picking up again now thanks to increased confidence on my part, a book club at work, and The Time Traveller's Wife.

Having the block caused me a great deal of distress, and I'm glad you may be recoverin from yours. Generally, I recommend to people suffering from it to pick up some light, fun books. Like getting back into a serious loss of appetite by using soups and smoothies that are easy to ingest.

[rhythmaning.livejournal.com]

I put it down to having lots of distractions, too - Twitter, elections, football... Fortunately, no obvious stress, though there has been a lot going on recently!

[nicnac.livejournal.com]

(I liked the characters so much, I was very sad to finish the last book)

I know exactly how you feel - although there is a little hope. SL left a 3/4 finished manuscript when he died and notes for several more books. His partner and parents are currently wrangling over his estate, but there is hope the fourth might be published at least.

Glad to hear you're back on form :o)

[rhythmaning.livejournal.com]

I must admit I thought it was very bad form to go and die like that!

Though the trilogy seems so well formed that I'm not sure if a fourth book would really work. I guess I'll read it if/when it comes out!

[matgb]

Aye, last year I was devouring books at a rate of knots.

Now it may be that the quality of books available from the library is diminished as I've read all the good ones in the sections I look at (very possible), but even books I know to be good are taking me ages to get through, and I'm much more inclined to give up on them.

I'm still stalled on Feersum Endjinn, had that out for months now, of all the books to not be able to get through, a Banks shouldn't be one of them.

OTOH, I did rattle through Shades of Gray by Fforde very quickly, so I'm thinking the quality argument has some legs.

[rhythmaning.livejournal.com]

I think quality has lots of different aspects - the two I dumped were definitely "quality" according to most! Just not very readable...

Of course, one can't tell about qualities until you start to read.

Maybe I'll go back to those two some time when I am feeling more inclined to push on through. Though I doubt it.

[matgb]

Aye, it might just be 'not in the mood'. Shades is a vaguely humourous but not actually 'funny' book, unlike his others, whcih TBH have begun to lose their appeal, the joke's good, but not good enough for a massive series.

But it was well written, clever, and intriguing, while not being too heavy going.

I'm reading another book at the moment, some sort of alt history steampunky Pullmanesque thing, and it has neither intrigued me nor grabbed me, I think I'll just dump it in favour of something else, I got out Rendezvous with Rama for a reread, but I'm worried that might destroy my childhood memories of a damn fine book.

Hopefully, the library'll get the new Stross in soon, then I can read that and be happy.

[burkesworks.livejournal.com]

I *tried* with fforde, I really did - but ultimately I just found him clever-clever rather than clever. I did love the concept of George Formby as President-for-life of a somewhat Swindoncentric Britain, though.

[white_hart]

I frequently suffer from reader's block - I blame it at least partly on a degree in English Literature making reading seem like hard work sometimes. I have reached the point now where if a book really isn't grabbing me I put it down and read something else, and if I've tried something twice and not got on with it I decide it just wasn't meant to be.

[rhythmaning.livejournal.com]

That sounds like a pretty good philosophy to me! Though I doubt I'd give many books I don't get on with a second go...

[white_hart]

If a book is well-written and appears to be reasonably interesting, but just isn't grabbing me, I'll usually give it a second try because it might just have been that I wasn't in the right mood for it first time round. Interestingly, if I do bounce off a book twice it's usually in pretty much the same place, and then I do tend to give it up completely.

[kittenexploring.livejournal.com]

Sorry, my fault. I started reading again. I must have sapped the ambient reading energy down, interfering with yours. Effectively I stole your reading energy. I'll be more careful in future.