Before You Give Up on Reading

Sometimes a good dictionary or literary encyclopedia can make a dramatic difference in your enjoyment of a great work of literature. If it feels like the writer is speaking in a different language, perhaps it's because time has elapsed. You can't be expected to understand all of the literary references without a little help. Don't be afraid to open a dictionary if you're not sure what the word means. And, even if you think you know what the word means, it's sometimes not a bad idea to look it up anyway. You may find that the word has multiple meanings.

Is there something about the writer's style that you just can't stand? Have you tried reading another work by the author? If you've tried reading a novel by the author, why not read a short story? Sometimes, you can grow to appreciate a writer in small doses, when you couldn't stand the longer work. (Of course, the opposite is true as well.) Whatever you do, don't judge all of literature (or all the works by one author) by the complete hate you feel for one book.

Perhaps, the book is a romance, and you just hate romances. Or, the book is a mystery, and you don't like that genre. Some authors write in multiple genres, so it's worth a shot--to see if it's just a matter of genre. If it's in a classroom setting, you may not have a choice, but if you're reading for your own enjoyment, you can try out different genres to see which type(s) of books are for you...