On NOT Reading "Wolf Hall"

I've decided NOT to read the novel "Wolf Hall" (Henry Holt, 2009), by Hilary Mantel. Yes, it is about an important and interesting topic (the time of, and interactions among, Henry VIII, Thomas Cromwell, Thomas More, and Anne Boleyn). Yes, it is by an esteemed, award-winning author. Yes, it has been well-reviewed. Yes, it is one of the "big" and important books of the past year. And yes, it is a bestseller (the latter not necessarily a point in its favor!). I put it on my request list at the library. But when I got the message that it was ready for me to pick up, a curious unwillingness came over me. "Do I really have to read this?" I asked myself. And soon found myself -- with a sense of relief -- giving myself permission not to read it. I hate to admit it, but it was partly because the novel was so dauntingly long (560 pages). But that doesn't stop me when I really want to read a book. Maybe it was because I don't generally read a lot of historical fiction. Or maybe because this is a topic I have often read about before. In any case, the commitment was too much for what I anticipated the rewards to be. I am sure it is a wonderful novel, and I do not want to discourage others from reading it...not at all. But it won't be on the pile on my bedside table.