Stop Feeling Guilty About Not Finishing a Book: The Case Against Exhaustive Reading

If you've ever felt guilt about giving up on a book, you're not alone. It’s a feeling that stems from the myth that a diligent reader must see every text through to its conclusion. Of course, we usually begin a book with the expectation that we will finish it; and so, when we don’t, or can’t, some of us might naturally feel something between disappointment and guilt. But we need to abandon the myth that we must finish every book.

When I was a teacher in Montreal, I used to occasionally take the students on an outing to the fabulous Montreal Fine Arts Museum. On those outings, I noticed how much more of an enjoyable experience it was for all the students when I would announce that their mission was to find the ‘one’ piece that they liked the most, and the one that they liked the least—and why.

The idea was that they did not have to like, appreciate, or understand ‘everything’ or for that matter ‘anything’ in the museum. I used to reinforce the concept by stating that if they found more than a few pieces of art they liked, that was a great win. I would like to think that in this way, I helped form a few life-long museum goers on those great outings. This is the same freedom we should give ourselves as readers. The objective is not exhaustive consumption, but intellectual curation. Finding a few 'great wins' is more important than liking everything.

The Sunk Cost Fallacy of Reading as Intellectual Investment

The sunk cost fallacy is the concept of ‘continuing’ to invest time, effort and resources into something that is no longer necessarily worth it. When against your better judgement, you decide to keep watching a bad film all the way to the end, that’s the sunk cost fallacy. Continuing to read a boring or poorly written book wastes your valuable time. We simply don’t have all the time in the world to read.

Our reading life is precious. Every hour spent on a bad book is another hour lost on a good one. Fortunately, we do get to choose what we can read, just as we get to choose who we keep company with. My recently abandoned books include a biography on Napoleon III — it just did not do justice to the man or his times. It was heavy on gossip, weak on substance, and poorly written. I belatedly realized at the half-way point that I was wasting my time and decided I would find a better biography on the emperor. The other recent one was ‘Value(s)’ by Mark Carney, which I personally found difficult to read or wrap my head around. Perhaps an investment banker, hedge fund manager, or high-level technocrat might enjoy the book, but I just could not force my way past the first hundred pages. I was glad I moved on to the next book, ‘Zorba the Greek’ (which I was able to finish and enjoy).

As professionals or students, we read books or material that we are obliged to read. On our time and of our own volition, the purpose is for enjoyment or to gain knowledge and connect with ideas; not to complete a task. Ultimately, the goal of reading for pleasure is not to check off an arbitrary list, but to enrich our lives. Just like in a museum, it’s about discovering those rare, impactful pieces that truly resonate with you. It's time to release the guilt of unfinished books and embrace the freedom of a precious reading life. By letting go of the titles that don’t serve you, you’re not giving up; you’re asserting control over your intellectual life and curating a reading journey that is as intentional and enriching.