Cheer up, Indrajit Hazra! You
are not alone with the unfinished books (Last Laugh, June 14). I too have many
half-read books lying all around in the house. I bought these with great
enthusiasm from airports, train stations and bookshops in malls (while my
family was busy shopping elsewhere). I was attracted to them either because of
a review or the synopsis written on the back. I start reading the newly
purchased book almost instantaneously and carry on during the entire journey.
But, once home, priority shifts.
No doubt, they are all good
books with power to transform one’s thinking and life. But I am afflicted with
the problem of plenty. Which one to finish first is my dilemma. I tried to
address this problem by strategically placing them at various locations in the
house: serious stuff near the study table, light ones near the TV couch,
uplifting ones on the bedside tables... But even that didn’t work as there was
more than one choice at every location.
Of late, I have reconciled to
the fact that it is the depth that matters, not the spread. Now, I randomly
pick any book whenever I am in the mood for reading and am satisfied after
reading just one chapter or even one page, as long as I have enjoyed doing so.
Never mind the multitasking that my mind has to do in keeping track of
continuity with all of them.
