Stories Untold: Literary Masterpieces Overlooked and Forgotten

Motivations to Read Beyond Pleasure: FOMO, Obligation, and More

People read for a variety of reasons, beyond just finding pleasure in it. While enjoyment is often the primary purpose, other factors sometimes come into play, not heavily linked to enjoyment.

FOMO (Fear of Missing Out): This is a common reason. Individuals pick up a book because everyone they know is discussing it, and they don't wish to be left out of the conversation.
Self-improvement: Occasionally, we read a book as a result of feeling an obligation; we believe we would be a better person if we did.
Validation: We suspect it will impress others or perhaps just a specific someone. We hope the book will serve as a secret symbol, granting entrance into a particular social group or increasing our social status.
Obligation: We read because someone told us we must. Although this happens less frequently outside of an academic setting, we may encounter friends convinced zealously, clutching a well-worn paperback and insisting, "You must read this!"

Abandoning Reading: When Bookmarks are More Burial Markers than Bookmarks

When we read for reasons other than enjoyment, discipline may inspire some readers to press on, but many will struggle, stutter, and often give up hope of finishing. If you are anything like me, failure is usually accompanied by feelings of vague shame. However, there are numerous reasons for not finishing a book, none of which say anything about our worth as people.

Challenging Language: Writers often write with a specific audience in mind. When we find ourselves lost in a sea of prose, it's not necessarily because the book is poorly written or because we're unworthy of it. Rather, it is because we are not the intended reader. Many classic novels, such as Middlemarch, Wuthering Heights, and Vanity Fair, may end up in your DNF (Did Not Finish) pile because you're not an 19th-century individual aimlessly wandering the moors seeking a suitable match.
Pacing: If you are a hundred pages into the book and can vividly describe each character's underwear, but have no idea where the story is going, it will be a chore to finish. Conversely, if an author often builds up to a significant plot development, only to spend too much time elaborating on obscure topics, such as the social organization of blue-footed boobies (yes, we're looking at you, Melville), it's reasonable to put the book aside...forcefully, if necessary, through an open window.
Length: Some books demand more commitment than the average marriage. If you've ever hesitated to start watching an HBO series because you didn't think you could finish it and, in that case, all you had to do was sit back with a bucket of Ben & Jerry's and not lose the remote, what makes you think you can complete an 817-page tome?
Fatigue: Some readers have a masochistic streak when it comes to reading, but emotional intense books are exhausting. At times, we must sacrifice a book to preserve our mental health and resort to browsing cute cat videos for emotional respite.
Distraction: Life is filled with distractions, and even enjoyable books can get lost amid the ocean of content we navigate daily.

Discussing Unread Books with Readers

Most of us have been in situations where we have inadequate knowledge about a book but feel pressured to discuss it with others. Honesty is the best policy in such situations. Admit that you haven't read the book, and then engage in other activities, such as watching Netflix or browsing through comfort reads. However, occasionally, you might find yourself in a situation where you have to fake your way through the conversation. In such cases, your objective should be to navigate the conversation without embarrassing yourself unnecessarily.

Use Ignorance for Advantage: "I'm not entirely sure I understood it. I was wondering about your thoughts on the subject."
Let the Other Person Do the Talking: "Wasn't it amazing/awful?" (Adjust your response based on the other person's tone.)
Ask Questions: "What did you think of the ending?" "Didn't you find the middle a bit lengthy?"
Leverage what you know: Discuss what others are saying about the book or what the author has said in interviews.
** Talk about other books the author has written**: "It was good, but not as good as..."

Normalizing Not Finishing Books

It's important to remember that there should be no shame in not finishing a book. Books should not be one-size-fits-all, which means you have every right to be uninterested in one, even if everyone else is raving about it.

Reading should not be a competitive endeavor. Reading what you love is what matters most, regardless of quantity or quality. If pirate romances, slice-of-life YA comics, or cottagecore craft books are what you prefer, that's perfectly acceptable. Diving deep into a specific niche can be highly rewarding.

The Myth of Reading Completion: A List of Unfinished Books

Below is a list of books that are commonly reported as unfinished by readers, accompanied by some sardonic remarks on the books, their fans, and my growing paranoia about Siri. If you have finished reading any of the books on the list, feel free to revel in your achievement, but remember that those who haven't are secretly judging you.

Callanan, Liam - The Cloud Atlas
Harari, Yuval Noah - Sapiens
Graeber, David - The Dawn of Everything (with David Wengrow)
Kolbert, Elizabeth - The Sixth Extinction
Orwell, George - 1984
Kahneman, Daniel - Thinking, Fast and Slow
Wallace, David Foster - Infinite Jest
Joyce, James - Ulysses
Melville, Herman - Moby Dick
Hawking, Stephen - A Brief History of Time
Proust, Marcel - In Search of Lost Time, Volume I
Chaucer, Geoffrey - The Canterbury Tales
The Holy Bible
Rand, Ayn - Atlas Shrugged
Alighieri, Dante - The Divine Comedy
Some individuals might listen to a podcast about a book they haven't read, using it as an engaging alternative to reading.
Passion for Fashion and Beauty: Besides books, some people might spend their time diving deep into the latest trends and ideas, perhaps finding similar benefits in personal growth and social validations.
In the realm of entertainment, unfinished books can serve as topics for conversation, with people sharing opinions based on reviews, discussions, or other forms of information consumption.
A person might pick up a book based on a recommendation from a friend, hoping it will help them achieve a healthier lifestyle, learn new habits, or simply discover something new and exciting.