A friend recommended Durrell's "The Alexandria Quartet" in 1982. I check it out from the library and read it. Over the intervening years I acquired a very nice softcover edition. Last Christmas I began reading it again. For some reason I was pissed off at the soap opera bassinet who haven't we bonked narrative that began the fourth book.
So I ripped up the softcover edition and threw it away. Now I'm re-reading the third book. I wanted to buy just that one. Except it's something like forty dollars. I learnt my lesson. Don't tear up good softcover editions of books just because you don't like them at the mo. It'll cost ya.