Why good books take longer to read

Joe Queenan is a hit or miss for me, but I think he is just right on reading here:

I used to think that I kept stopping and starting books because I could never find the right one. Untrue. All these books are the right one. It’s the fact that all these books are generally so good that makes me stop reading them, as I am in no hurry to finish; the bad ones I whip through in a few hours. The problem is, there are just too many good books. Reading is like being in a candy shop, or the Frick: Just because you love the Rembrandts and the Van Dycks doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be tempted by the Titians and Bellinis.

Yes, I find that I as I get to the close of a mediocre book I pick up speed and burn through it so I can put it down, while a good history will take a long, long time to finish.

Book addicts will find the whole article worth reading.