Disliking A Book
Embassytown by China Mieville
I’d studied the immer a long time, but my first moment of immersion had been as impossible to describe as I insisted. – pg. 29.
As I noted in my copy of the book, “My sentiments exactly on this book.”
A case study in disliking a book.
It has happened. You've selected a book that, despite your intentions or better wishes, takes all the will in your brain and fingers to crack open. Somehow, time seems to pass without you progressing through its chapters. Characters seem to aggravate every unspoken rule you've developed - your time with the book moves at a snail's pace. The book's essay is still due, the discussion still needs your voice, your TBR stays unchanged, and reasons remain as to why the book must be read.
Welcome Apathetic Readers to the most brutal place we sometimes find ourselves: reading a book we dislike.
Most of us don't willingly choose books we dislike; a class assigned it. Internet friends with similar tastes swear by it, and all the world seems to like it, so we pick up the book. But as we begin reading, an inkling within whispers that we might be in for a long, arduous journey reading chapters that must be forced down.
And so, ensues the inner monologue of the apathetic reader: how will I get through this book? Will I get through this book? Why can't I make myself do it?
In this week's newsletter, using myself as a case study, we dive into approaching a book we can't stand. We'll break down how we cut through the books we dislike and find enjoyment and the fruit from something we're 99.9 percent sure we won't pick up again.
When You Dislike a Book
The book I was tasked with reading most recently was China Mieville’s Embassytown. Props given to all authors who create worlds, get published, and convey the vastness of human complexity (and, in Mieville’s case, the complexities of being both human and alien). I did not enjoy this book, and as I read, I tracked how I was getting through it in hopes that when I finished the last page, I could pass my knowledge unto other readers.
Articulate to Thyself
Oftentimes, we huff and puff through a book for an assorted number of reasons, yet in our complaints about the writing and the book, we don’t articulate to ourselves the specifics of our dislikes of said book. But I believe in doing so, we make our time reading the book worthy of our differing opinions. So, if you don’t like the book, pick a section that has you rolling your eyes and quickly break it down on why so.
In Embassytown | Chapter 30
The alien, Spanish Dancer speaks to a crowd of “addicts”, the following excerpt is what it says,
…Language spoke us. The words that wanted to be city and machines had us speak them so they could be…We were like humans. We were like plants eating light. The humans made their place like a filament in a flower. We spoke the name of their place, but we know it had another name, sitting in the city like an organ in a body, like a tongue in a mouth…
Throughout Embassytown's narrative, I was constantly frustrated with how many of the characters, including the humans, spoke about what had just occurred to them, how they viewed events and the past, and how they spoke to one another. "Convoluted speak" was what I kept saying after the characters spoke. I understand that part of this confusion and details that seemed to just multiply but not equate to me getting a clear understanding of what was said was a conscious effort made by author China Mieville to compound further the effect of his novel's theme and message, but it frustrated me nonetheless. Why?
Because when a character spoke, every time, I felt the need to reread to understand what they had said. Not enough detail is provided for readers to grasp what is being conveyed. Too much effort is exerted by us, the readers, to fill in what is being said -connecting previous segments from different chapters with each other to understand partial details not fully explained in one place within the novel.
Speak to the Characters
We may not have solid complaints about how the stories are told or its author's style. Sometimes, we simply do not like the characters. A playful way to get through a book and use some of the wisdom we've gained so far in life, is to share it with the characters that annoy us. Basically, I'm suggesting you have a made-up conversation with a character of your choosing.
In the Beginning Chapters of Embassytown, readers are introduced to Avice's husband, Scile; the centralizing interest point for me in Mieville's novel is the married couple's dynamic. In a story about communication, negotiation, and intergalactic politics, the impact of the diverging effect of communication shined best between this dynamic of a husband and wife. I found myself thinking in the beginning how much both parties were infatuated with one another and, in their falling out, what each could've done differently, though both had warring stances. Here is where I found myself thinking deeply about their relationship and how Scile could've operated to change his fate later spelled out in the book.
“Dry Bone It”
Leave the meat (rich details and pure interest) to those who enjoyed the book. What readers who enjoy the book find themselves “chewing on” you can ignore. Instead, assign yourself the task of knowing the facts, i.e., characters, plot, and setting, and keep it as bare as you need to.
Very rarely must we get through a book in our adult age; one of the benefits of being older is our ability to negotiate our priorities and our time, but there are instances where we must, and we can’t avoid our feelings, keep to the facts.
Simply Abandon
Life is too short to be reading books we don't enjoy. We can't read all the books & sometimes it's as simple as cutting your load & moving on.
I hope this short case study of what to do when you find yourself disliking a book was helpful! Tune in for next week as we delve into the many more options that open up when we don't just enjoy a book; we relish it. Until then, be well.