fade theory

I think I may have lost the ability to read a book. For the past 1-2 months I have been so involved in research that I haven’t been able to read a book “for fun.” My book use involves quickly scanning the table of contents and then jumping back to the index to look for key words. Then I’ll flip to the pages suggested there to see if there’s anything relevant to my research. Because I’ve become so used to using a computer for most of the day, and my book use is so odd (from a reader’s standpoint), it is really difficult for me to just sit down and enjoy a book. Granted, I didn’t just jump right into the research, so I’ll also have to transition back to normal reading.

I only know I’m having the above difficulty because I decided to allow myself to read one book while completing my thesis work: Mati Unt’s Things in the Night. Father Inch bought this book for me back in January, but I just haven’t had the time to read it before now (though I don’t have the time now, either). But, I’m particularly motivated to read it now because (1) the folks over at Words Without Borders are discussing it this month and I’d like to participate, and (2) I am most likely moving to Estonia (Mati Unt was Estonian) in August, so I’m particularly curious about the contents of this novel.

So, should I put the book down and return to it in a few weeks, after I’ve finished my thesis? Or, should I keep at it?