Tough Reads

How long do you stick with a book when you’re not enjoying it?

I’m currently 15% of the way through Don Quixote, which I’m reading as part of a challenge to read The Telegraph’s top 100 books of all time. I’m finding it incredibly hard going, though, and I have a desperate desire to give it up and move on to something I like better.

In general, I read for enjoyment, and I’m not enjoying Don Quixote.

What worries me is that if I give up on this book, I’ve got a built in excuse to give up on any others I struggle with, in which case I might as well give up on the challenge now. If I stick with the book and the challenge, however, there’s every chance it will take me many years to get through it, and that isn’t a prospect I like.

I’d love to hear what you think; would you stick with the book, or allow enjoyment (or lack thereof) to be the deciding factor.