Why are big books so intimidating?

Why are big books so intimidating? Is it because of the time it will take us to read? Or is it because they are usually literary classics?

Though I’m a big reader, I’d be lying if I denied that some of the big books can get tedious. If I want to finish a book that has over 500 pages, I have to come up with a plan. Maybe read 50 pages in the morning and other 50 by night, or maybe one chapter per day, or just stay up night after night reading because I can’t put the book down… Either way, these books are worth it because it is amazing how the authors can build up on their own stories, characters and worlds in so much detail. It would be a shame to miss the imagery and the message conveyed in these books just because you were rushing through them. But these can’t be read like you would read a short novel or a poetry collection.

On the other hand, taking too long to read them won’t work either. All the information, the details, and the events would lose their essence if you keep discontinuing the reading. They get lost, they fade away, and ultimately, they are forgotten.

But I don’t know if this is just my personal opinion on reading big books. I would have to know what other readers do with these. How do you get through a big book, or a classic? And what is the biggest book you have read?

Manos literarias 4/2/2018