"For much of my life, whenever I've spotted a neglected novel in my periphery, I've looked away. I'm not an "extreme empath," but I can't help feel guilty - like the book's sitting there wondering when the hell I'm going to get my act together. Despite my editorial profession, I'm actually a really slow reader, capable of only finishing 12 books a year."
"What kind of nonsense philosophy is that? It's actually rooted in a Japanese practice called tsundoku, which is an efficient portmanteau of the words tsunde-oku (letting things pile up) and dukosho (reading books). The term originated in the 19th century to chastise teachers who never seemed to read the books they owned, and shares some cross-cultural DNA with "bibliomania," which was tossed around in England at a similar time to describe obsessive book collectors."
A reader experiences guilt upon noticing neglected novels and often looks away to avoid confronting unread books. The reader is a slow reader, finishing about 12 books a year and up to 15 with short volumes, and frequently rereads pages to ensure comprehension. The reader loves bookstores, maintains wide-ranging reading interests, and has a partner who regularly brings home galleys. Acquiring books can confer psychological and intellectual benefits even if they remain unread. The Japanese practice tsundoku—letting books pile up while reading—originated as a 19th-century critique and has since taken on a positive connotation as a fruitful relationship with knowledge.
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