When Do You Give Up On A Book?

[BookGoddess]

I'm reading this book by an author whose earlier work I loved. That book was highly acclaimed. This book is just not grabbing me. I've read the same chapter twice and I really don't care about the character or what's going to happen to him. I think I'm going to give up on the book. I'm not even 20 pages into the story.

I'm wondering if others just push themselves to finish a book or at some point do you, like me, say I'm giving up on this story.

[ollyoxenfree]

Until very recently, I always finished every book. Often I found that I couldn't appreciate something until the last half - or even the last few chapters. There are quite a few books that I'm glad I stuck with to the bitter end, although I can't recall any titles off the top of my head, lol.

These days, there are so many books out there that I want to read, I'm more willing to put something aside. I figure I may read the whole thing some day, but my patience seems to be getting less as I age. It's still relatively rare for me to abandon a book though.

[kirstenb]

I read all books to the end. I have read many books that took me awhile to get into, but they turned out to be really good books. I'm afraid of stopping a book too soon so I just read through.

[hippiechickinsing]

I used to feel obligated to finish any book I started. Then I wondered why? I couldn't come up with a good enough answer to waste my time. I usually give a book 50 pages. If there's not anything that I care about in that many pages, I pass it on.

[Viola]

I read a book almost to the end, quitting 23 pages before the conclusion. I was going to finish it, but then I realize I had hated the whole thing and why bother? So I never did finish it. But it was a John Grisham novel, so who cares.

[LaLaLaLa]

I'm an obsessive reader and almost never put down a book. However, all of my books come from the library. If I've had a book for two weeks (and haven't been bogged down by other books) and it comes due and I haven't been able to get interested in it, I return it. This has happened a couple of times recently.

[greeny]

Life's too short to read boring books.

I've given up on books within the first few pages if they didn't grab me.

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by BookGoddess

I'm reading this book by an author whose earlier work I loved. That book was highly acclaimed. This book is just not grabbing me. I've read the same chapter twice and I really don't care about the character or what's going to happen to him. I think I'm going to give up on the book. I'm not even 20 pages into the story.

I'm wondering if others just push themselves to finish a book or at some point do you, like me, say I'm giving up on this story.

It varies wildly. I've put books down in as little as 20 pages a couple of times. I've forced myself through one whole book (quite long) and 9 or 10 books of a particular series, though.

In the case of the book, it was so awful that I just kept thinking it had to get better. It was written by an acclaimed SF author and got a lot of good press, but it was just bad.

The series was recommended to me by lots of people. I've had more people recommend those books to me than anything else I've ever read. I read the first book years ago, went "meh" and didn't bother. When dh and I got together, he thought the first book wasn't so bad, so I decided to give the series another try. I plugged through an easy 6000 pages, probably much more (can't remember at the moment)...and didn't like it. I still don't get the hype. I was just really, really hoping the evil bad guy would escape and kill off all the annoying, tedious, ridiculous characters. No such luck...that would have involved something actually happening.

So, yeah - I usually finish it, but sometimes give up pretty early. I think it depends on exactly what I'm not liking. If they just don't grab me at all, I usually put them down pretty quickly.

[TEAK's Mom]

Originally Posted by Storm Bride

It varies wildly. I've put books down in as little as 20 pages a couple of times. I've forced myself through one whole book (quite long) and 9 or 10 books of a particular series, though.

In the case of the book, it was so awful that I just kept thinking it had to get better. It was written by an acclaimed SF author and got a lot of good press, but it was just bad.

The series was recommended to me by lots of people. I've had more people recommend those books to me than anything else I've ever read. I read the first book years ago, went "meh" and didn't bother. When dh and I got together, he thought the first book wasn't so bad, so I decided to give the series another try. I plugged through an easy 6000 pages, probably much more (can't remember at the moment)...and didn't like it. I still don't get the hype. I was just really, really hoping the evil bad guy would escape and kill off all the annoying, tedious, ridiculous characters. No such luck...that would have involved something actually happening.

So, yeah - I usually finish it, but sometimes give up pretty early. I think it depends on exactly what I'm not liking. If they just don't grab me at all, I usually put them down pretty quickly.

Let me guess, Wheel of Time books?

[2lilsweetfoxes]

I usually read through to the end, but I can polish off a 600 page novel in about 3-4 hours.

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by TEAK's Mom

Let me guess, Wheel of Time books?

How'd you guess?

[Alyantavid]

Originally Posted by greeny

Life's too short to read boring books.

I've given up on books within the first few pages if they didn't grab me.

I've finally gotten to that point. If I'm not into within the first chapter or two, I quit. But I used to always finish books, no matter how bad or uninteresting they were.

The last one I couldn't get through was The Time Traveler's Wife. I've heard nothing but good about it, so I had high hopes, but I couldn't do it.

[Aridel]

Originally Posted by Alyantavid

I've finally gotten to that point. If I'm not into within the first chapter or two, I quit. But I used to always finish books, no matter how bad or uninteresting they were.

The last one I couldn't get through was The Time Traveler's Wife. I've heard nothing but good about it, so I had high hopes, but I couldn't do it.

I read that whole book, hating it the entire time! I usually do finish, but have found myself giving up on boring books more quickly lately.

I will give a little more leeway to an author I've liked before, at least early on in the book. Some stories are just better once they get going, but I have to trust that the author may be able to pull it off to put in the work to get there.

[midnightwriter]

Originally Posted by Alyantavid

I've finally gotten to that point. If I'm not into within the first chapter or two, I quit. But I used to always finish books, no matter how bad or uninteresting they were.

The last one I couldn't get through was The Time Traveler's Wife. I've heard nothing but good about it, so I had high hopes, but I couldn't do it.

I just read the first 10pages of TTTW and I think what I read on the book jacket was enough. I love the premise, but I found the first pages quite boring and poorly written.

So yeah, I give up on books easily and with no guilt. Life's too short!

[meemee]

i do give up.

depends on where i give up.

when i start itching to read the end to see what happens i give up. or read the end.

usually non fiction if i am interested in the content i give up after about 75% of the book.

when i find i am struggling to pick up the book, just pick it up i give up after a few tries.

i cannot handle reading thru the end a book i didnt like or watching a movie to the end i didnt like.

[MusicianDad]

If it annoys the crap out of me or I put it down and don't have to desire to get back to it then I don't bother finishing it.

I don't reread any part while reading a book the first time unless I need to clear something up. If I have to go back and re-read an entire chapter I wouldn't finish the book, obviously there is something about the writing that isn't making sense to me.

I don't put a whole lot on what others say about a book either. I have too many times been told about "wonderful books" and "one of the best" books of all times and just found the book itself to be nothing but crap that it really means very little to me by now.

[sapphire_chan]

I used to push through. Then I tried to read Villette, and 3/4 of the way through realized I'd read the same thing 30 times without rereading so much as a paragraph. So I put it down and walked away and since then have given myself permission to just not finish the : book when I find my self think of a book as :

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by midnightwriter

I just read the first 10pages of TTTW and I think what I read on the book jacket was enough. I love the premise, but I found the first pages quite boring and poorly written.

Ah, well that's good, I was feeling badly about being 389th on the hold list for that one now I don't have to be impatient.

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by TEAK's Mom

Let me guess, Wheel of Time books?

Those, I read the back cover of one of the paperbacks, glanced at all the huge books on the shelf and stepped away.

[Freud]

I usually HAVE to finish a book. The very first book that I did not finish was Twilight. I thought it was just plain horrible from the beginning. Put it down after chapter 4. I felt no connection whatsoever and the writing was just so horrid that I could not fathom wasting 2-3 hours to finish the book. When you are dreading picking up the book, step away.