The book-tracking app Goodreads added a “Did Not Finish” (DNF) designation this spring so that readers can log books that they’ve put down or abandoned. The change, Erik Piepenburg reported in The Times, provoked an online debate: Is it a cop-out to DNF? As a reader who has been known to graze on books as if at a grand buffet, tasting a little bit of everything, I enter this discourse bashfully. I feel strongly that life’s too short to spend time on books one doesn’t like. But sometimes I wonder if the problem isn’t with the books but with me: impatient, seduced by novelty, impossible to satisfy.
When I told my friend Leigh that some people refuse to forsake books, she responded with outrage. “Why would you bother with a book you’re not enjoying? There are a million books,” she told me, as if I hadn’t sampled the first chapter of most of them. “This sounds like vestigial Puritanism.”
Indeed, but one needs to give a book a fair shake before deciding it would be punishing to continue. It takes a minute to engage with a book, to get a sense of the author’s voice and style, to understand what the book is doing. We like when books “grab” us, when they are “impossible to put down.” We’ve gotten used to the grabbiness of the internet, the posts and memes and videos that seize our attention and hold it hostage. I know I’m guilty of tapping out too early. I do it with books, but also with shows and movies. My attention struggles to distinguish between a novel and a TikTok video, between art and content, between being grabbed and being beckoned.
The most compelling reason to see a book through to the end is also the simplest: “It feels good to finish stuff,” one of the people Erik interviewed said. This is no small thing. Adding a book to my Completed list is incredibly satisfying. Even if I didn’t love the book, I’ve accomplished something. I’ve taken the journey the author intended. I’ve allocated my attention to something for a significant duration — a tiny modern miracle.
My friend Alice is one of the healthiest readers I know. She reads quickly and widely and is always ready with a recommendation. I figured she was a closer, a never-DNFer, the type to finish a book by hook or by crook.
“I could be 90 percent of the way through and I’ll dump it,” she told me, to my surprise. “I’ll dump anything! I’d let the fork fall from my mouth if I’m halfway through a dinner I don’t like.”
And yet Alice finishes more books than anyone I know. I never hear about the ones she abandons, because she does it quickly and without fanfare, without self-excoriation. She’s not keeping a public record of her DNFs, as Goodreads’s new feature encourages her to. Not finishing a book isn’t the same as never finishing a book. There’s no shame in putting aside a book that you don’t like, but finding a book that you do like takes commitment. You might try a few bites from the carving station or the chafing dishes, but eventually you sit down and eat a proper meal.
THE LATEST NEWS
Politics
Melon Salad With Nectarines, Tomatoes and Basil
Embodying the “do very little to perfect ingredients” philosophy of cooking, this lovely melon salad with nectarines, tomatoes and basil from Hannah Shizgal-Paris of Roman’s restaurant in Brooklyn (as adapted by Ligaya Mishan) showcases the season’s best produce. The genius here is seasoning each component separately and building flavors gradually. Capers and pecorino provide bursts of intensity against the sweet fruit, while a squeeze of lemon ties it all together.
REAL ESTATE
The Hunt: A pair of former dancers looking to put down roots in New York wanted a two-bedroom in Manhattan. Which would you choose? Play our game.
What you get for $480,000: A circa 1805 log cabin in Lexington, Ky.; a 1920 American Foursquare house in Pittsford, N.Y.; a Classical Revival house in Bradford, Vt.
Pick your favorite summer house in Iceland: Three two-story cottages offer scenic views and close access to mountains, glaciers and waterfalls.
Working with the landscape: On a hillside outside Birmingham, Ala., an architect saw a chance to create his dream house, which cascades down an incline.
LIVING
Cottage country: Our writer was drawn to Muskoka, a Hamptons-like region of Ontario, because of its connection to the hockey romance “Heated Rivalry.” But it was the glistening lakes and weep-worthy sunsets that won her over.
Basket case: The must-have accessory of the summer? A Nantucket friendship basket.
Down the shore: A beach day should be carefree, so long as you pack everything you need. Here’s a roundup of the gear that five seasoned regulars never regret toting onto the sand.
ADVICE FROM WIRECUTTER
Hacks for keeping small spaces organized
If you live in a small space, you probably need to get creative to find enough storage for all your stuff. Don’t discount underutilized places: The backs of doors, for example, can be great places for miscellaneous items that fit into hanging organizers, like craft supplies, scarves or shoes. In the kitchen, use the backs of cabinet doors to hold lightweight items like aluminum foil or sponges. Hooks or magnets on the sides of the fridge can hold knives, paper towels or other small supplies. Finally, don’t overlook the forgotten areas of your home. The little nook between the toilet and the vanity, or the awkward upper corner of your kitchen, could be the perfect spot for random bits and bobs. — Caroline Mullen
