I think there is much heresay and little research in this whole issue. I look forward to the coming technical innovations by the E-Publishers which will make available statistics on how many pages are read in a novel, by what gender and over what period. Then we will see the substance separated from the Hype. I believe we will find many ‘Bestsellers’ that are discarded half way through and perhaps what is the gender effect, if any.

Slightly off topic but I also must comment on the absolute fraud being perpetrated on many readers where well known authors have their name emblazoned on a book written by someone else.