16: Incarceron, by Catherine Fisher (2007 paperback)

A few years back I heard Seattle Public Library's rock-star librarian Nancy Pearl give a formula for book reading that has stuck with me ever since.  When asked how much of a book to read before setting it aside, she suggested that readers take the number 100, subtract their age from it, and use the remaining number to determine the number of pages to read before making  a decision to continue or trip.  The idea is that the older we get, the more we have read and the better we have become at gauging whether or not a book is to our liking. And, the older we get, the fewer books we have left in our reading lives, so the less time we should spend reading things we don't like and focus on those we do.

For me, 100 - 43 = 57 pages. 

I've always thought Pearl's suggestion was sensible, and I like the idea of having "permission" to quit a book I don't enjoy--from a leading librarian, no less.  After reading Incarceron, my faith in the formula is stronger than ever.

The premise of the book seemed interesting to me: a prison filled with society's weak and unfortunate and then sealed forever, leaving them in a paradise.  Or, that's the party line.  In reality, the prison broke down years ago and is overseen by a warden with immense political power--and a young and inquisitive daughter. The world they live in is technologically highly advanced, but to maintain control the ruling powers force people to live in an anachronistic society, loosely resembling the 19th century or so.

Despite the promising description, the first 40 or so pages of the book were dull and  unappealing.  It was all I could do to force myself to continue, and the only thing that was keeping me going was the promise of page 57.  Amazingly, round about page 50 or so, my impression began to change.  The characters started to become complex, the technology and political intrigue captured my attention, and the plot became more compelling.  With a sense of almost giddy relief, I sped through the rest of the book and look forward to volume two, entitled Sapphique.

Thanks, Nancy.