When did you last read for four hours without stopping? For most of us the answer is a holiday, years ago, and even then the phone was close by.
Attention is a muscle
The first hour is restless. The second is better. Somewhere in the third, the book takes over and the room disappears. You cannot skip to the third hour. That is the whole point.
How to make room for it
- Choose the book the day before, so there is nothing to decide.
- Leave the phone in another room, not just face down.
- Have tea, a blanket and, ideally, a dog.
What you get back
A finished book, obviously. But also the strange, calm feeling of having been somewhere else for an afternoon, and coming back rested.
