HOW TO READ NOTORIOUSLY LONG BOOKS

We live in a world where long books exist. Books that we have always wanted to read,
but couldn’t, because of how lengthy they appeared to be : ‘War and Peace’, ‘Les Misérables’, your Chemistry textbook from ninth standard – the list makes up another long book.

But before embarking upon this journey, ask yourself – why do you want to read a long novel when you can easily read your phone’s instruction manual and claim to be a reader?
Is it merely something to brag about to your friends? In that case, why not!

But you could do that without reading the novel. The problem is, that some people may demand proof. They might feel that you can explain the book to them better than the author can.

In that case, it is very difficult to make up a story that goes with the title. And for the record, ‘Gone With the Wind’ is not about hurricanes.

So here are some ways that will help you to get through long books:

1. Tell your friends

• About how long the novel that you are currently reading is, and how apprehensive you are about completing it.
• Keep a sly smile on your face and your eyebrows raised while you speak of your misfortune, such that your face projects nothing but plain pretense. You might hear motivating things like “don’t read it then” or “what a show-off!”, which will help you read the book with renewed determination.
  Don’t forget to update the people on social media who are hungry to know what’s on your reading list. That one like on your status will surely add to the motivation.

2. Start small

• If you are new to reading, then picking up a long book might not be a good idea. You should begin small. Read WhatsApp’s terms and conditions and privacy policy for a start.

3. Divide the book in smaller sections

• Rebinding will cost you, though.

4. Read fast

• It is not necessary to read each and every word. You can skim through the paragraphs. But make sure you understand what’s in it. It is no use reading the segment all over again in case you didn’t quite catch the gist of it the first time. Quite counter – productive, I would say.

5. Never skip breakfast

• It is the most important meal of the day.

6. Read continuously

• The key to completing a notoriously long book is to read it continuously. Do not take breaks in between. Read your book while texting, eating, reading another book, walking – and don’t worry about falling into manholes, they provide a peaceful environment to read.

7. The quicker way

• Simply watch the movie. But you will miss out on the pleasure of saying “the book was much better than the movie”.

So there you have it.

But the most important part of reading a novel is to learn something from it.
Like ‘Gone with the Wind’ teaches you to beware of hurricanes.

Happy reading!