While I took the week off from reading, I am still very much a reader and spent my time trying to start a new book. I tried Muriel Barbery’s The Elegance of the Hedgehog, Jean-Paul Sartre’s Nausea, Thomas Pynchon’s Crying of Lot 49. I barely got through the first few pages of any of them.
People are always talking about “writer’s block,” but rarely do I hear about “reader’s block,” which is what I think I have been experiencing lately. It could be the books I’ve attempted to read are just not my cup of tea, but I think it’s more likely that I have been too distracted. I can’t seem to focus on the books, my mind racing ahead to other topics, other concerns.
I also have a rule that if the book isn’t grabbing me I’m not going to force myself to read it. There are simply far too many books in this world to waste time on ones I don’t like. I may give Crying of Lot 49 another try someday down the road, but I won’t return to Nausea and it’s highly likely I won’t ever get through The Elegance of the Hedgehog. That said, I did finish my latest issue of Poets & Writers last week, and found I could focus on the short articles. I think my brain just isn’t in novel mode right now, I’ll try to read my new issue of Tin House instead.
So what should a reader do when the block settles in? I tried taking a break from reading. I went out with friends, watched some movies, went bowling. But that didn’t stop my desire to read, even if my brain felt too tired to be bothered. I think it’s important to replace reading (if you must) with some other creative pursuit. Today I shall spend my non-reading time enjoying the sun, but also on art and maybe even my own writing. Sometimes blocks, while “blocking” one entrance, can actually be used to chuck through a window.
Bent Shelf Book Reviews 