Don't finish that book

I love reading. Always have. Years ago I would bravely lumber through books that were dull and not at all exciting, holding out for the something that attracted me to it in the first place. No more. Now I feel nothing about halting halfway (or less!) through a book and moving on to another. There are so many really good books to read and not enough hours in my lifetime to get through them all, so I don't intend to spend any more time on books that don't keep my attention.

I've been grinding my teeth on a John Le Carre recently and last night decided to throw in the towel. The story is unfolding way too slowly, the writing is odd and from one night to the next I can't remember who the characters are - it doesn't feel like they have been developed properly. I'm moving on to a new book tonight - looks interesting; by an Indian author.

I've had Peter Godwin's book, "The Fear", on my sidetable for weeks now. Halfway through. The difference with this one is that it is well written and the flow is smooth. It's the topic that I'm finding difficult. The book is about the happenings and atrocities in Zimbabwe before the last elections. Godwin relates incidents factually and without emotion. By 'without emotion' I don't mean that he's stone cold. Far from it. He just doesn't write in a bleeding-heart, sob-story style. He just says what needs to be said, which is certainly even more powerful.

The reason I will probably not finish it is that the topic distresses me greatly. I've never been one for war movies that portray real events and other movies of a similar genre. Ja, I know this stuff happens but I don't like it and you wouldn't catch me signing up to 'defend my country'. Not a chance. (Aside, I'm not very good at following orders either!). I'm fine with CSI, crime movies and book, psychological thrillers - they're entertaining but they're also more distance and somewhat unreal - although, for sure, bad things happen in real life too. War, with people being cruel and brutal to each other... it is too real. Mass nasty stuff.

And "The Fear" is real. It was back then and it is still now in Zimbabwe. As the third generation born in Zimbabwe, this is a topic I'd rather not read before I go to sleep. I get too uptight and tearful.

Whatever your reason for putting a book down, do it and don't feel bad about it or obligated to the author, story or characters. Tick-tock. Jump into the next one instead and enjoy the story.