Do You Actually Have to Finish That Novel?

Let’s say I have bought a book, a novel. I wait for a quiet hour, close the door to my room, sit in the most comfortable chair I have, maybe put up my feet. I know virtually nothing about this novel, about its characters and themes, nothing about the tone. Since I don’t know what to expect, I can expect everything. It’s all anticipation and promise, the delicious moment when the lights go down and the curtain rises. But as soon as I begin reading, there is a disturbance. It’s a voice in my head, and it’s asking: How long is this going to take? When will it end?