Paul Whybrow
Full Member
This article contains some rather speculative statistics, but is still thought-provoking:
How Many Books Will You Read Before You Die?
I agree with what British novelist Hari Kunzru is quoted as saying in the article: “I used to force myself to finish everything I started, which I think is quite good discipline when you’re young, but once you’ve established your taste, and the penny drops that there are only a certain number of books you’ll get to read before you die, reading bad ones becomes almost nauseating.”
Thankfully, of the 350 books that I borrowed from my local library in 2017, there were only five novels that I didn't finish. I also read about 20 novels and non-fiction books acquired from charity shops and eBay. My voracious reading habit qualifies me as a Super Reader, by the criteria used in the article (hardly the most impressive name for a superhero, and which probably involves wearing comfy slippers as part of the outfit!).
When I returned to creative writing in 2013, I stopped borrowing library books for two years, afraid of being distracted and influenced by other authors' writing styles. Although I derived joy from my creativity, I also felt a part of my soul desiccate from a lack of stimulation that reading gives me, so I returned to scouring the shelves and requesting books.
I'll be 64 in a month, which means that, if I live to the quoted 84 in the article, I'll get through about 1,520 more books. This figure seems low to me, as I estimate I'll read 6,000—which isn't enough!
It's vital that we exercise our minds by reading, to become better writers, in the same way that athletes exercise their bodies. As William Faulkner advised:
Read everything—trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You'll absorb it. Then write. If it is good, you'll find out.
How many books do you read a year?
How many books will you read before you die?
I've sometimes thought that dying while I was reading a favourite book, gently drifting away, would be a nice way to depart this life. Damn, I've lost my place!
How Many Books Will You Read Before You Die?
I agree with what British novelist Hari Kunzru is quoted as saying in the article: “I used to force myself to finish everything I started, which I think is quite good discipline when you’re young, but once you’ve established your taste, and the penny drops that there are only a certain number of books you’ll get to read before you die, reading bad ones becomes almost nauseating.”
Thankfully, of the 350 books that I borrowed from my local library in 2017, there were only five novels that I didn't finish. I also read about 20 novels and non-fiction books acquired from charity shops and eBay. My voracious reading habit qualifies me as a Super Reader, by the criteria used in the article (hardly the most impressive name for a superhero, and which probably involves wearing comfy slippers as part of the outfit!).
When I returned to creative writing in 2013, I stopped borrowing library books for two years, afraid of being distracted and influenced by other authors' writing styles. Although I derived joy from my creativity, I also felt a part of my soul desiccate from a lack of stimulation that reading gives me, so I returned to scouring the shelves and requesting books.
I'll be 64 in a month, which means that, if I live to the quoted 84 in the article, I'll get through about 1,520 more books. This figure seems low to me, as I estimate I'll read 6,000—which isn't enough!
It's vital that we exercise our minds by reading, to become better writers, in the same way that athletes exercise their bodies. As William Faulkner advised:
Read everything—trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You'll absorb it. Then write. If it is good, you'll find out.
How many books do you read a year?
How many books will you read before you die?
I've sometimes thought that dying while I was reading a favourite book, gently drifting away, would be a nice way to depart this life. Damn, I've lost my place!
