So I was hipped to this lady named Nancy Pearl who wrote some books about books entitled Book Lust, More Book Lust and Book Crush (this one's, y'know, for the kids). These books are in their essence lists of books for whatever you are in the mood for. Hardboiled fiction, the Dark Continent (either through Western eyes or straight from the Dark Continentees themselves), rainy-day books, books about horses. Whatever you want to read about, this woman has a list of books to recommend.I can get down with that. It's clear that most people need a recommendation service outside of People or Parade magazine, me included. The best thing I got from the first book was the "Rule Of 50." And, it go a little something like this (hit it):
photographs courtesy Tudor Hulubei
IF you are 50 or younger, give a book 50 pages or three chapters to engage you. If you are not engaged after this time, kick that bitch to the curb. This doesn't mean you can't come back to the book later on, but life is too short and there are way too many books for you to be wasting your time.I really think the Rule of 50 should be stitched on every throw-pillow in America and be found inside of every fifth fortune cookie. This rule would make my Ten Commandments along with other immutable rules like "Don't drive in the fast lane unless you are passing" and "Try it, and if you don't like it, you don't have to go there again." Unlike our current Foreign Policy, this rule makes sense on every level.
IF you are over 50, subtract your age from 100 and that's how many page you wait. Easy, peasy.
photographs courtesy Tudor Hulubei
3 comments:
I love that! Now I can stop feeling guilty for all the novels I've given up on over the years. Books should be enjoyed; they shouldn't be a chore.
I have already adopted this philosophy to films. If I'm not interested, I turn it off. That's what happened to the last Mission Impossible we rented and many other Hollywood offerings.
As a reforming obsessive-compulsive, I struggle with putting down books (or turning off movies) that don't hold my interest. I usually end up dragging them out until they become like my own personal literary Vietnams, until, finally, I withdraw and feel badly about myself for a long time afterward. But not no more. I'm adopting the Rule of 50 too!
I have given up on a few books over the years (oh the guilt!) only to return to them years later and finally get it. Sometimes these things have to do with where we are in our lives. I did make it through 'Heart of Darkness' in High School because I had to. Later, I actually found the book quite riveting. I've read it a few times since. Forcing it doesn't really work. This doesn't apply if you are giving up on a Stephen King novel after fifty pages. It is just bad.
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