According to my reading history, I realized that I rarely do not finish books. There are a few books that I remember not finishing and I can count them on one hand. Right now I don’t have any standards on when I decide not to finish reading a book, because I feel like I should always finish reading one. I don’t know why, but I just feel like I owe the book that much to finish it up to the last page even if I was already having a hard time reading it.
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Of course that means that it would take me time to finish reading a book. Perhaps I may even take a break from reading it and resume it at some point, but I still try to finish before passing judgment. I think I started doing that after I finished reading How to be Single by Liz Tuccillo. Halfway through the book and I hated all the characters. I was more than ready to give up reading it, but I pushed myself to read up until the end. While I still didn’t end up liking the book overall, I thought the last two pages kind of saved it.
I guess what I really want to say is there are some books that take the first page to be really interesting while others get better as you move on. Some have a shaky start but then become deliciously amazing at the end. Of course, the reverse can be true, too. I know some people who have mountains and mountains of TBR books who can decide not to finish reading the book because it’s a waste of their time, and that’s pretty understandable. My TBR is still pretty manageable, so right now I’m willing to give all the books I’m reading a chance and read up until the end because I hope the book can still prove my initial impressions wrong.
So my question is: when do you decide when it’s over? When do you decide that you don’t want to finish the book anymore because it’s not worth it? How many chapters or pages do you allow the book to woo you and reel you in? First 100, 150? First 5? Does it depend on the thickness of the book? Or are you like me who give the book up until the end to prove itself?
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I don’t really ever plan on not finishing any book I’ve started reading. I mean, we’re talking about novels here, right? Because I do read a lot of other books too and I don’t read those cover to cover obviously. :P
Anyway, I stop reading a book when (a) I lose interest in it; (b) a more interesting book catches my eye; or (c) I simply don’t have time to read it. More often it’s letter C. But just because I stopped reading it doesn’t mean I won’t ever finish it someday. I happen to like about 99% of the novels I’ve bought. And given enough time, I know I’ll get to finish them all someday.
At some point, I really wanted to read these books. Regardless of whether they live up to my expectations or not is not really much of an issue to me. Well I guess this is the consequence of really being choosy with the books I buy. I don’t think I’ve ever been hugely disappointed by a book after finishing it. I always see some redeeming value in them.
I have the same reasons as you about when I stop reading a book. And yes, I try to still finish reading the ones I left hanging, even if sometimes I have to start from the beginning again.
I don’t think I’ve ever been hugely disappointed by a book after finishing it. I always see some redeeming value in them.
I’ve been disappointed a few times, but like you, I still try to find something good about the book even if as a whole, I didn’t like it. I don’t want to think of them as a waste of time because it’s still reading, and after reading a disappointing book, I come out wiser knowing more about what I like and do not like.
Thanks for your comment, Patrick. :D
I’ve never not finished a book yet.. except for one horrible horrible autobiography that i erased the title and the author from my brain’s memory. Actually I still remember the book cover tho!
If I decide that I don’t like something then I put it down and come back to it eventually when I’m in the mood. If it’s still horrible until the last page then I’m one of those rare bloggers that posts negative reviews. What kind of world is it if no one posts any negativity so others may judge if they like something or not for themselves?
If it’s still horrible until the last page then I’m one of those rare bloggers that posts negative reviews. What kind of world is it if no one posts any negativity so others may judge if they like something or not for themselves?
I have no qualms about posting negative reviews, too. It’s just a matter of preference, and not everyone will like the same book. I think negative (or sometimes, lukewarm) reviews balance out all the raves and gushes about other books, and it shows that the readers really think about the books they read.
For me, books are luxuries. That’s why I only buy something I’m sure I’ll read. I’ve only ever had one book I couldn’t finish: Wuthering Heights. And it’s not because the book wasn’t good–it was just too darn hard to read. I had the same problem with The Iliad, but I had to finish that book for school. Haha.
But I understand about losing interest in books. Up to a certain point in time, I readily accepted friends’ recommendations. Until Twilight happened. I was able to finish that book with a few head-scratching, but the second and third book really made me lose my patience. So yes, I lost my interest. And what’s worse, for a time, I also lost my will to read.
Now I tend to be picky with recommendations as well.
So yes, I finish (almost) all the books I start reading. Aside from your reasoning, that you feel you owe the book that much, I also have the added guilt of having spent money on the book only not to finish reading it.
Hi Jason! Ah classics — I tend to drag myself through those, but still, I manage to finish the few that I have read. Doesn’t mean I like them all, though, but it’s always a good reading experience to finish a hard to read book.
I also have the added guilt of having spent money on the book only not to finish reading it.
I totally agree! That’s why I try to steer clear from impulse buys because I’ve had bad experiences with them. Sometimes I still do that, but I’d like to believe that I’m smarter with my impulse buys now. It’s really different when you’re spending your own money on books as opposed to, say, having your parents get them for you. I remember the books my mom got me when back when I was still in school — I don’t think I’ve even read half of them! :o
It’s really different when you’re spending your own money on books as opposed to, say, having your parents get them for you.
I think this goes for things that aren’t books as well. Haha. :) So I think I know what you mean. But growing up, while books were readily available to me, I only had a personal budget of one book a month. That’s why I treat books as a luxury.
My dad was against buying books as he thought it wasn’t a wise investment. Growing up, I read a lot of encyclopedias and other educational books because those were the only books I haven’t read yet. For some reason, I was very averse to my older sister’s growing romance books collection.
My mom was an enabler though. Hence the one book a month. Two if we can push it. :) She let me buy whatever I wanted–which is how I learned how to be picky. Because I wouldn’t get to pick again until the following month.
It’s kind of a reverse for my family. My dad gets me books more, but my mom imposed the limit of one book a month. Of course, I got away with it by asking for books as rewards for high scores on quizzes and all that. ;) My dad is the reader, and I shared that with him even if we don’t really share books. When I got an extension from my parents’ credit card, I’d get books using that and pay them after. :D
Haha, if only I had the sense to have asked for books whenever I got high scores. But my dad wouldn’t have gone for it, as high scores are a norm. [The Chinese are very particular about high scores. My sister has a friend (who used to be a neighbor, hence why I know this) who would get reprimanded if she gets less than a perfect score.]
Also, I was a big fan of action figures and robots when I was a kid. So I couldn’t ask for books after an expensive robot purchase. :)
There’s only one book I didn’t finish, and that’s “The Shipping News” by Annie Proulx. It was years and years ago, and looking back, all I could remember was that I didn’t like how it was written, so I chucked it off my bedside table.
After that, though, I’ve never picked a book I didn’t finish. :)
I think the only book I didn’t finish was The Catcher in the Rye. ^^ I gave my copy to my friend who wanted to read that more, and then I never got it back from him. Never felt compelled to read it again.
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