In defence of reading for pleasure (A Rant)

[@CamsCampbellReads]

Couldn’t agree more! And thank you for the kind words about my channel. That was a lovely surprise 🥰

[@hardysbooks]

Everyone, this is the guy you should be subscribing to ☝️

[@thefairylibrarian3282]

"We ar enablers of joy." That's gonna become my mantra from now on.

[@astevenswrites]

"Books are not for having been read. They are for reading." Quote of the century, as it relates to books. Brilliant, and so true. And you two are lovely, so keep doing you. So much fun!

[@hardysbooks]

Thank you!

[@Kite562reviews]

I just like documenting my thoughts on what I've read. I hardly ever DNF a book I've read. I read for the enjoyment of reading. 🙂❤📚

[@jonathan.palfrey]

I think you’re preaching to the choir here: I’ve been a self-indulgent reader for longer than you’ve been alive. So I read and reread fiction because I expect to enjoy it, rather than for any other reason. Occasionally there are books I enjoy whose authors don’t write very well or have problematic attitudes; but, if I enjoy the book sufficiently, I’ll go on rereading it regardless. Because enjoyment is the main purpose of reading fiction. Reading is also educational (any experience is educational), but that’s a bonus, a side benefit. Unfortunately, I can’t help noticing that the set of books I enjoy is not the set that anyone else enjoys. There are overlaps, of course, so in some cases you and I enjoy the same book; but nevertheless you and I will have different opinions about most books that we’ve both read. I don’t do audio books myself. Perhaps they’re an acquired taste that I have yet to acquire. But I’m happy to accept them as equivalent to reading: you get the same story, delivered in a different way. The fact that I don’t like to get stories delivered in that way is just a matter of personal preference. Quite often I finish a book only to give it two stars. Well, two stars means to me that the book is OK, tolerable to read once, but not really worth reading again, and therefore not really worth buying. Occasionally I finish a book only to give it one star, which means to me that I actively dislike the book, or find it very boring. Why then did I finish it? Well, sometimes the worst part of the book is the ending, which ruins the rest of it. Or sometimes I dislike a book for most of the way through but nevertheless want to find out what happens. However, I don’t finish many one-star books; I try to avoid starting them.

[@hardysbooks]

Absolutely agreed! Thanks for such a great comment once again Jonathan! I don’t think I’ve ever finished a 1* book personally, but that might just be because I’ve never read a book with an ending that destroys an otherwise enjoyable read thoroughly enough (yet!)

[@jonathan.palfrey]

@@hardysbooks Some examples. I gave one star to Mostly Harmless (Douglas Adams), The Last Continent (Terry Pratchett), and The Argonaut Affair (Simon Hawke) because they were very boring; but I read them to the end because those authors are normally worth reading, so it was hard to believe how boring they were. I gave one star to Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion (Dan Simmons) because they were a thoroughly unpleasant experience, but I read them to the end because (a) I wanted to find out what happened, and (b) I thought there was a faint possibility that all this crap was going to be justified somehow by a wonderful ending. I gave one star to The Amber Spyglass (Philip Pullman) because I disliked most of it and hated the ending; but I read it to the end because (a) I’d already invested time in the two preceding volumes (which weren’t as bad), and (b) I wanted to find out what happened. I gave one star to Gateway (Frederik Pohl) because it has an unhappy scenario and an unlovable protagonist, and I found it a dreary experience. But I read it to the end because it won all the awards when published in 1977; it has a high reputation. I didn’t get around to reading it until 2004; maybe I left it too late. But in any case I think I’m not a Pohl fan.

[@Emiliemooles]

I loved this. I rarely need to DNF a book but I have in the past struggled to stop reading if I’m not enjoying a book. Sometimes I still struggle so it is lovely to have the reminder. Thanks for enabling our joy! Sometimes I think it is worth pushing through but mostly I agree with you. I found a few parts of War & Peace annoying and slow but I am so glad I finished the book because I cared so much for the characters and it is probably my favourite classic. It is so interesting that DNFing and audiobooks are things that people have really strong opinions about. It is really bizarre! The bottom line as you said: DNF if you want to and audiobooks are books! Oral tradition of storytelling is so much older than the written word so it is a bit weird that we have this strange notion of physical books being better. Consuming stories in any form is a worthy pursuit! I also love the reminder that you’re reading is for no one else but you. I have definitely leaned into that I am loving seeing what I am drawn to read.

[@peach9265]

this is my first time watching you guys, the algorithm just happened to recommend you and I'm so utterly charmed by the both of you! also your comment about not having children cracked me up!! 😂

[@hardysbooks]

Thank you, and welcome to the channel! Unfortunately for us, we are actually like this all the time 😂😂

[@LaughingStockfarm1]

Yep, I got 75% of the way through Empire of Silence and just couldn’t suspend disbelief any further and DNF’d it.

[@hardysbooks]

As much as I love Empire of Silence, I also love that you felt free to do that. DNF! DNF!

[@anges_book_chatter]

Hi 👋 Just found your channel. As a parent love your use of the word lucky you don’t have children and can spend your reading in a shepherds hut. 😃 Great video and I have found some readers to be ableist in there view around what reading “should” be. I believe in reading for joy in format you want.

[@hardysbooks]

Thank you for your service 🫡 haha! And absolutely agreed ❤️

[@Aniron99]

I only started reading about 2 years ago and I agree with everything which was said... However, I have not been able to DNF a book so far, no matter how hard I hate it. If I spent money on it, I feel the need to finish it. Even though I don't want to. Maybe some day I will learn it.

[@LaughingStockfarm1]

You might want to look up sunk cost fallacy.

[@alanamccool7409]

Subscribing for "DNF that sh*t". Best advice. Ed.: also if you are having the problem of "can't finish anything", another solution is to read shorter books, read novellas. Novellas too long? Read short stories.

[@hardysbooks]

💯! Great advice, welcome to the channel ❤️

[@asroriadraws]

Thanks for enabling our joy :D

[@hardysbooks]

Hahaha yaaay thank you for watching!

[@Kathyluvsgoats]

I have arthritis in my fingers so bad I can’t hold a physical book without a lot of pain. Thank you for this video. New subscriber ❤

[@hardysbooks]

Welcome ❤️ thank you for your lovely comment!

[@charliereadabook]

Incredibly rude of you to call me out with that line about watering your plants.

[@hardysbooks]

Love yooou

[@Scimitar55]

I just like to finish a book. That too brings me a sense of achievement. Apart from the 2nd book in TWOT, I did not finish that. 😊

[@hardysbooks]

A common story it seems 😂

[@jakelewis1752]

I loved this 😂! The new James S A Corey book, with your permission is……getting put away to try again another time!

[@hardysbooks]

*quiet chanting* DNF DNF DNF

[@TimeTravelReads]

I know you mean your comments to apply to fiction, but I can't help but apply them to my struggle. I was always taught that I had a responsibility for lifelong continuing education. That includes nonfiction reading. Sometimes it's not particularly fun. What's the balance between necessary reading for being an informed adult, and pleasure reading? I get some fulfillment out of educational reading, but I also keep putting myself into reading slumps.

[@hardysbooks]

That's a great question and I don't think we could possibly make an informed comment! If you don't already try audiobooks, it could help you by separating your educational reading from your non-educational reading by method.

[@darkwitnesslxx]

I won't, or can't, dnf a book but i will a series. I absndoned Wheel of Time, i abandoned A Song of Ice and Fire. Not mid-book, but i definitely decided to not pick up the next in the series. As far as i can recall there have only been two books ive started and dnf'd and those are The Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway and Roadwork by Stephen King.

[@hardysbooks]

I DNES Wheel of Time lol (Did Not Even Start) 😂 Old Man and the Sea is one of my favourites- you wound me! It’s not for everyone though, which is absolutely valid.