Unread Books

The Literary Saloon reports that the Brits have figured out that they only read half the books they buy.

This doesn't surprise me in the least, and I don't think it's a bad thing. Maybe I buy more books than the average person, but I certainly haven't finished half of all the books I've bought. Frankly, I can't fault people for that impulse--the "Oh! I want to read this!" I feel it whenever I enter a book store. It's one of the most pleasant things about being a book-lover, and it's the reason why I have so many unread books. It seems a healthy sign that book culture is still alive.

Besides, imagine if people only bought books they read. That sound you just heard was the overnight implosion of the book industry.

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[C.M. Mayo]

In his book SO MANY BOOKS Gabriel Zaid so consolingly writes, "the truly cultured are capable of owning thousands of unread books without losing their composure or their desire for more."