Reading a book without knowing anything about it
I recently unearthed an old ereader to use while on an extended trip. After denying it the ability to install three years worth of updates (eye roll), I flicked through my old library to see what I could see. I wasn't sure what I was in the mood for, but I thought the usual practice of seeing an interesting book, reading a few pages, and letting my gut decide if I should continue would serve me well.
What I stumbled upon was Neverness by David Zindell. I had apparently added this to my library as long as 15 years ago (like I said, old ereader) thinking it was a book I'd enjoy. I didn't remember the name and I didn't recognize the author. I shrugged and started reading. 814 pages later I finally finished, and wow...I'd like to thank 15-years-ago me for knowing my taste in books. What a fascinating journey this book was.
We have this tendency to look for information about things we're interested in. Crazy, right? The problem is there's so much data available, and so much of it doesn't or shouldn't impact us in the slightest. It's just noise. Facts we surround ourselves with so we think we're informed when in reality we stranded ourselves on the surface. There are waves there, lots of them, and if you're obsessed with how exciting they are, you'll never know what lives in the depths below.
I had the instinct to look this book/author up after my first reading session, as I was curious what I had stumbled upon. Was this a standalone novel? A series? A one-off by an author who vanished into the night after publication? I didn't know. I wanted to know. But I resisted.
Instead of stuffing my head with stupid facts I just enjoyed the story. All that existed were virtual pages and the words Zindell himself placed there (not AI--this was written in the 1980s). There was something deeply satisfying about that. Maybe because it's a rare chance that we can indulge ourselves in blind enjoyment these days, what with the internet spoiling every thing from every angle.
What did I think about Neverness? Thoughtful and deeply enjoyable. It dragged at times, especially when Zindell waxed on about mathematical theorems and described battles turn-by-turn, which I always hate in books. But I never wanted to stop reading, and I didn't want to skip anything. I actually felt interested in what was happening to the characters and how the greater world would evolve by the end of the story.
After finishing the book I did some basic research about it and the author. My main goal: see if he had written anything else, and see if there were other books in this universe. I was pleasantly surprised on both counts and now have a fistful of other reads to look forward to. If they're anything like this tome, though, I'll want a physical copy. Digital pages are never as good as the real thing.
I don't know how many more forgotten books like this exist on my ereader. I do know that the next time I encounter an unknown, whether on that eink screen or in a used book store, I'm going to let my curiosity guide me instead of trampling off to the web.