I have a terrible time remembering plots of books save for a few notable exceptions, so only being 70 pages into Pi again this time, I can’t speak to the religious storyline much. I do recall, however, that for me the book was never really about religion, so in that sense, perhaps the author’s commentary on the subject was not wholly successful.

Interestingly, there were two other well-regarded books I disliked for those same reasons: inauthentic child voice and uninteresting (to me) religious themes: Father Melancholy’s Daughter and Secret Life of Bees. I could be jaded about religion, though, since I have an MA in it.

Sutherland’s book sounds very good. I like the point about putting its down and picking it up later. I could see picking up Savage Detectives again, especially if I read something that gave me insight into why it’s others find it good and important. I adamantly disagree about the hardcover, though. They’re large and unwieldy. I need a book that fits into my bag without straining my back, and one I can read wherever without straining my wrists.

I tend to be pretty reluctant to put books down, as well, but I think the rule of 50 is generally a sound one (although I might extend the number of pages if the book itself is longer than say, 350 pages). Interestingly, I also feel that once I’ve invested a certain amount of time/effort/myself into a book then I feel obligated to see it to its conclusion… I guess maybe if I’ve hit the 1/3 mark?

You might be interested John Sutherland’s book “How to read a novel”. He was a high-ranking member of the Booker Prize committee, and pretty much goes through the world of publishing and books, discussing things readers should be aware of when choosing a novel, such as the cover art, the blurbs on the back, and what book awards are actually good for. He also suggests the page 60 rule: if you pick up a book and enjoy what you read on page 60, chances are you will enjoy the book. He also heavily discourages people from reading the last sentence or paragraph of a book first (something I have never done, but something an avid reader friend I have does when deciding whether to buy a book)… Anyway, I really enjoyed his book, even if I didn’t agree with everything he said (e.g., buy all of your books in hardcover if you want the ultimate reading experience), so you might too!