# Do you give up on a book or keep going?



## B Regan Asher (Jun 14, 2011)

For the first time in a long time I am reading a book that is horribly slow.  After the first 30 pages I was going to put it aside but I hate the idea of giving up.  I'm now past page 100 and, although it's a little better, I still find my mind wondering as I read it.  I suspect I'll finish it because I'm stubborn but I can't help thinking I'd be better off reading something I enjoy more.

What does everyone else do?  Do you give up or stick with it?


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## Michael Cargill (Sep 12, 2011)

If I was still bored after 100 pages I would probably give up.  There is little point wasting more time with something that you don't enjoy very much.


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## Harry Shannon (Jul 30, 2010)

I'm stubborn, but 100 pages is a lot. If it hasn't grabbed me by then, I'll move on.


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

I definitely give up on some. No names, but recently I put down a novel simply because I found the writing style irritating. And another novel -- horror, and well-praised -- descended into chapter after chapter of internal monologue. Which is not to say the novels were no good, simply that they didn't do it for me personally. A writer can't please everyone ... nor should he/she even try to.


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## AnelaBelladonna (Apr 8, 2009)

I read for enjoyment so if I am not enjoying it, I move on to something else.  Life is too short to read bad books.


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

AnelaBelladonna said:


> I read for enjoyment so if I am not enjoying it, I move on to something else. Life is too short to read bad books.


Ditto. I've given up on 8 books so far this year. I did rate/review some of them, depending on how far into them I got or how strongly I felt about them.


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## WilliamEsmont (May 3, 2010)

I have a collection on my K3 called 'Unfinished Books." I've probably moved 8-10 books in there over the course of the year. Every once in awhile I'll pull one out and try to finish it. If I can't do it on the second try, I delete it. Works for me.


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## youngadultfiction (Jul 28, 2011)

I would give up. I give a book about 100 pages and if i'm not getting into it then i move onto something else. Life is too short, and there are always too many books to read.


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## Rie142 (Oct 28, 2009)

WilliamEsmont said:


> I have a collection on my K3 called 'Unfinished Books." I've probably moved 8-10 books in there over the course of the year. Every once in awhile I'll pull one out and try to finish it. If I can't do it on the second try, I delete it. Works for me.


I do this too. I haven't given up on many this year but some just can't keep me interested. So I put them aside pull them out later and try again. If I still can't get into them. Then they are gone for good


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## theraven (Dec 30, 2009)

I have such a limited amount of time for reading for fun that if a book doesn't draw me in (I find it unlikeable) after a couple of chapters, I move to the next one. I have such a huge TBR pile of physical and ebooks I know I'll find something that I'll really enjoy reading.
.


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

I have been known to give up on books.  Even Stephen King, my all-time champion favorite writer, I once gave up on one of his books (Rose Madder).  I just could not get into it and found the characters uninteresting.  With the 99 cent thrillers and Kindle books I have been into, I don't mind scrapping the book if I find the writing uneven or particularly bad and I have had that happen at least three times.  I mean, I don't even worry about refunding it.


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

AnelaBelladonna said:


> I read for enjoyment so if I am not enjoying it, I move on to something else. Life is too short to read bad books.


This. And with no regrets. If I think it might get better or if it was rec'd by someone I know, I might skip ahead or even go to the halfway and give it a try. But usually I just put it aside. My reading time is limited and valuable!


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## teralpar (May 18, 2010)

I try to stick with them, as I hate to not finish a book. But if I'm about 75-100 pages into it and I'm keep falling asleep every time I open the book, I usually move on to another book.


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## Todd Trumpet (Sep 7, 2011)

I've done a complete 180.

When I was younger, I refused to give up on a book that I had started.  I suppose this was semi-useful when I was going through my "classics phase"...

...but it became untenable as the years wore on.

Now, I'm completely the opposite.

Books are inexpensive.  And there are WAAAAAY more than anyone could possibly read in a lifetime.  Combine the two with limited time for reading...

...and I'll ditch a book after a few pages if it's really a train wreck.  For while my target is usually about 50 pages to give a book a chance, after so many years of reading, I know what I like and don't like, and can often tell in very few pages (even paragraphs and sometimes - Horrors! - even sentences) whether something is going to work for me or not.

The days of "forcing" myself to finish a book are long gone.

Todd


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## B Regan Asher (Jun 14, 2011)

Well, the verdict seems pretty much unanimous that it's time to give up on the book. I've never read a book _voluntarily_ that was so slow but, now that I'm almost half way, I will finish this one. I think the lesson is to bail earlier next time.

As an aside, I think this may have been the first novel I've read that was a translation. Perhaps that's part of the problem ...


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## ArtMayo (Sep 13, 2011)

I once met someone with a splendidly ruthless rule: no matter the book, if it hadn't gripped them by page 64, they cut their losses and dropped it - whether mainstream bestseller, classic, beach read, etc. No doubt there were some terrific reads that only got into their stride by page 65, but on the whole I think that's fair enough. There are more books published than there are days issued in an average lifespan.

I haven't been able to adopt in my own habits, though. If a book is just sloppily put together, I drop it quicker than page 64, and don't look back. But I do think there are some books that are best read at certain ages, or in certain moods, or in specific circumstances, and sometimes the time just isn't right and one doesn't get on with them for whatever reason. Whilst I will drop these rather than KBO through them being grumpy, I won't drop them into Oxfam. They go back on the shelf and await another time.

For example, I have tried - repeatedly - to read the Master & Commander books. I love the idea of them. The premise of the whole series - a kind of English Iliad on the seas - makes me tingle with anticipation at the very idea. Dozens of people I really respect have recommended them. My father has re-read them three or four times (as C. S. Lewis said, this is perhaps THE unmistakeable sign of great book). I have a suspicion they will go down in history as some of the greatest works of the past century.

But I always get lost amongst the focsles and mainbraces of the first one, and have never yet cracked the spine more than half a centimetre in. I just can't get into the world. I have a terrible time visualising half of the different kinds of sails and ropes. When it sticks to men, it has me; but as soon as it is onto anything remotely technical, I have to open up Wikipedia on my laptop (or keep flicking back to a diagram on the first page), and the illusion is broken. 

The fault is with me rather than the books, and they are definitely ones I will explore again as soon as the series hits Kindle - the dictionary and linked TOC functionality will be a great help!


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## S.M. Boyce (Sep 13, 2011)

If a book doesn't grab you, don't feel bad about setting it down. You're not going to like every book you pick up and that's all right. 

If a novel doesn't grab me in the first few chapters, I usually put it down and move on to the next book. That's why I love $3 ebooks -- I don't feel like I wasted $10 if I don't finish it.


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## Todd Trumpet (Sep 7, 2011)

ArtMayo said:


> For example, I have tried - repeatedly - to read the Master & Commander books. I love the idea of them. The premise of the whole series - a kind of English Iliad on the seas - makes me tingle with anticipation at the very idea. Dozens of people I really respect have recommended them. My father has re-read them three or four times (as C. S. Lewis said, this is perhaps THE unmistakeable sign of great book). I have a suspicion they will go down in history as some of the greatest works of the past century.
> 
> But I always get lost amongst the focsles and mainbraces of the first one, and have never yet cracked the spine more than half a centimetre in. I just can't get into the world. I have a terrible time visualising half of the different kinds of sails and ropes. When it sticks to men, it has me; but as soon as it is onto anything remotely technical, I have to open up Wikipedia on my laptop (or keep flicking back to a diagram on the first page), and the illusion is broken.


Yes!

Someone else who couldn't get through "MASTER AND COMMANDER" - and I tried _twice_! [Once before, and once after the movie, which I enjoyed.]

For me, it wasn't the nautical terminology - which I am also unfamiliar with but actually find musically poetic - but the storytelling itself, which I found to be flat and uninvolving.

Contrast this to the "HORATIO HORNBLOWER" series of books which are also technically superb - but rip-roarin' yarns as well!

I know there are those that consider Patrick O'Brian's books to be the be-all end-all of seafaring tales, but give me C.S. Forester any day.

Aye?

Aye-Aye!

Todd


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## MMancey (Sep 8, 2011)

Hate to give up on a book, usually I have found that some of the most enjoyable books have a relatively slow start, but if things don't pick up by pg 100 then that's something. I would probably skip through a bit, and read a few pages in each chapter to the end. Don't remember cutting any reads short.


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## B Regan Asher (Jun 14, 2011)

ArtMayo said:


> I once met someone with a splendidly ruthless rule: no matter the book, if it hadn't gripped them by page 64, they cut their losses and dropped it - whether mainstream bestseller, classic, beach read, etc.


64 pages is the limit? I love it!! That "someone" must be a computer type. There's something magic about base-2 numbers ... so we choose between 32, 64 and 128 pages?


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## ArtMayo (Sep 13, 2011)

Todd Trumpet said:


> Yes!
> 
> Someone else who couldn't get through "MASTER AND COMMANDER" - and I tried _twice_! [Once before, and once after the movie, which I enjoyed.]
> 
> ...


The film - the film I _love_. Thought it genuinely terrific, and I think it's a bit sad they never made a sequel or two with that cast and director. The music, too! One of the few movie soundtracks I've bought on CD. You can enjoy the characters and atmosphere so much more when not trying to visualise specific forms of knot.

(Again, for Aubrey-Maturin fans, I'm aware this is a deficiency in me as much as anything!)


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## GerrieFerrisFinger (Jun 1, 2011)

Michael Cargill said:


> If I was still bored after 100 pages I would probably give up. There is little point wasting more time with something that you don't enjoy very much.


I set aside a book that bores me and maybe try again. Many times my mood has changed and I can get into it. Sometimes not, though. I won't waste my time if it doesn't work out.


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## Guest (Sep 13, 2011)

I'll give it a shot, but if it really sucks, I move on.


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## Tara Maya (Nov 4, 2010)

I seldom consciously refuse to continue a book, but I do start more books than I finish. Some just get left by the wayside. I sometimes come back to them, sometimes not.


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## Todd Trumpet (Sep 7, 2011)

ArtMayo said:


> The film - the film I _love_. Thought it genuinely terrific, and I think it's a bit sad they never made a sequel or two with that cast and director.


The reason for no sequel is simple: That was a _very _expensive film to make. It did well...

...but not well enough.

Throw in extremely pricey talent (star Russell Crowe, director Peter Weir) who will expect a bump in pay for any sequel work...

...and you hit an impassable barrier at "THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD".

Todd


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## Not Here (May 23, 2011)

I have very little time. If I find a book boring I just don't plan on spending much time on it. If I'm really trying I might go to the 3rd chapter but sometimes I know it's just not worth the time by the end of the 1st chapter.


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## WriterCTaylor (Jul 11, 2011)

I've given up on a few books in my time, but I try not to. As some people have said, life is too short to force yourself to waste time on something that isn't grabbing you. I have quite a specific routine when I buy a book, so most of the time I'm fine. It's usually when I buy a book on someones recommendation that I give up. I will learn one day.

I would never get to page 64 let alone 100 if I didn't like a book. I get too frustrated.


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## Nancy Beck (Jul 1, 2011)

B Regan Asher said:


> What does everyone else do? Do you give up or stick with it?


I used to feel obligated to finish whatever book I was reading, but after awhile, I decided, no, why am I obligated to do that? I got thru the first 4 books of the Wheel of Time series before giving up in the 5th book; I couldn't stand Nynaeve pulling on her braid anymore. 

Haven't gone back to that series.

I enjoyed Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, so I thought I'd try American Gods. After about the 3rd chapter, I couldn't take it anymore. (If he'd stuck with the gods/goddesses things at the end of each chapter, I probably would've read the entire book.) Never went back to it.

Life's too short to deal with cruddy books.


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## JeanneB (Aug 31, 2009)

My time is to precious to spend on a book that doesn't catch my interest.  Why would I waste my time?  I could be reading something else.


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## CNDudley (May 14, 2010)

Todd Trumpet said:


> The reason for no sequel is simple: That was a _very _expensive film to make. It did well...
> 
> ...but not well enough.
> 
> ...


Had to jump in on the MASTER AND COMMANDER sub-thread--finished the first, inspired by the movie, but couldn't get through the next. Not just for the technical jargon mentioned above, but sometimes I couldn't even figure out what was going on in a _scene_! Too elliptical a style. Looking forward to trying HORATIO HORNBLOWER. And have to throw in a plug for this great non-fic about Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar:








$13.99 on Kindle but SO GOOD.

As for the actual thread discussion, someone gave me a formula. Take 100 - your age, and that's how many pages you give it. Because we're not getting any younger...


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## S.A. Mulraney (May 20, 2011)

I almost always finish a book I start reading. However, there have been a few that I closed and refues to open. The most recent was a book that appeared to have promise, but read like it was written by a 17-year-old. Maybe it was part of the style, but it drove me crazy after about 25 pages. I left it out at work and it disappeared...only to return a few days later. Apparently, I wasn't the only one with that opinion (or they read it _really_ quickly).


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## Todd Trumpet (Sep 7, 2011)

@CNDudley:

Hope you enjoy "coming aboard" with the HORNBLOWER series!  They seem vastly more readable to me than Aubrey-Materin books.

A few quick facts:

- There are 11 books total in the series.  You follow the main character, Horatio Hornblower, from teenage Midshipman all the way to elder Admiral of The Fleet!

- The books were not written in chronological order, though I think chronological is the best way to read them.

- C.S. Forester wrote the "middle three" books ("BEAT TO QUARTERS", "SHIP OF THE LINE", and "FLYING COLORS") first, then went back and filled in the before and after stories with 8 other books.

- If you start with Book #1:  "MR. MIDSHIPMAN HORNBLOWER", know that this book is somewhat different than the others in that it is told in an anthological style, i.e., a series of short stories that illustrate this early period in Hornblower's career.  All the other books are more traditional narratives, starting with Book #2, "LIEUTENANT HORNBLOWER".

- The other "anomoly" in the series is Book #4:  "HORNBLOWER DURING THE CRISIS", because author C.S. Forester died while writing it.  It is left incomplete, with a one-page synopsis from his notes to indicate how he would have finished the second half of the book.  As somewhat of a compensation, a wonderful Epilogue chapter is included that presents a snapshot of where Hornblower ended up at the end of all these books.

Actually, I should just start a separate thread about all this!

Todd


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## liafairchild (Apr 2, 2011)

I would definitely give it up and I have. With so many more choices available and with the click of a button you are reading something else, then why not?


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## B Regan Asher (Jun 14, 2011)

Thanks everyone for your replies.  I'm now two thirds of the way through the book and it has gotten a little better, although not enough for me to say I shouldn't have stopped at page 64.


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## Gregory Lynn (Aug 9, 2011)

Nancy Beck said:


> I used to feel obligated to finish whatever book I was reading, but after awhile, I decided, no, why am I obligated to do that? I got thru the first 4 books of the Wheel of Time series before giving up in the 5th book; I couldn't stand Nynaeve pulling on her braid anymore.
> 
> Haven't gone back to that series.
> 
> ...


My time is more important to me than my money. I listen to audiobooks quite a lot and have listened to all of the wheel of time books multiple times. I never once got bored.

Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth on the other hand...I was listening at work and was somewhere in the third book when I lost track of what happened. I asked if it was worth it for me to go back and pick things up where I remembered leaving off so it would make sense. When I realized it wasn't, I figured that meant the book wasn't worth my time and started listening to something else and have never had the remotest shred of a feeling that I made a mistake there.


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## Verbena (Sep 1, 2011)

I guess I will give up immediately, if it is not a classical one. Sometimes you have to read certain hard books only because they are classical.
But I think persist on every book purchased is also a good habit. I've got a very bad one to give up book after book and now find myself too flippancy to dedicate in even good stories.


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## SylviaLucas (Sep 14, 2011)

Unless the writing is terrible (and by "terrible" I mean lacking skill or imagination), I really, really try to slog through it, because I've found more than once that by the time I reached the end, I realized I just read something pretty incredible. I bought a book a few months ago, read the first two chapters, and put it down. It's been down ever since. But I haven't given up, yet. I still have it in my head that I will pick it up someday - I will! - and finish it.


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## B Regan Asher (Jun 14, 2011)

Gregory Lynn said:


> My time is more important to me than my money. I listen to audiobooks quite a lot and have listened to all of the wheel of time books multiple times. I never once got bored.


Gregory -- I'm glad you brought up audiobooks. I just realized that my attitude to audiobooks is completely different vs printed books. I used to do a lot of driving and so I went through many, many audiobooks. With an audiobook I wouldn't carry on if, after about 15 minutes, it didn't grab me. And yet when I read a book I find it hard to give up. There must be some disturbing psychological reason for this ...


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## BrianPBorcky (Aug 7, 2011)

I'm in the 'if it doesn't grab me, I'm out' camp. I'm also more likely to abandon nonfiction than fiction.


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## William G. Jones (Sep 6, 2011)

IMO, life's too short to waste on a boring book.

I'd say I give up on 75% of the fiction I start, simply because I don't find it interesting.


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## Todd Trumpet (Sep 7, 2011)

wgjones3 said:


> I'd say I give up on 75% of the fiction I start, simply because I don't find it interesting.


I'm glad someone said it before me.

The truth is, I buy a lot of cheap books through library sales, swap meets, garage sales, goodwill stores, etc., where the average price seems to be about $1 for paperbacks and $2 for hardcovers (and often less). The upshot is that I'll try a lot of books/authors that I might balk at trying if I were paying more for the book. This also means that I abandon a TON of fiction if it's not engaging me.

In other words, my Abandon Percentage is even higher than yours!

As comics say, I'm a tough audience.

Todd


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## AllisonKraft (Sep 13, 2011)

I very rarely give up on books, which sometimes leads to wasting a lot of time on crap, but occasionally rewards me with something good. Last week, I came close to giving up on The Lantern, which sounded like the kind of book I would love, but was really slow until about halfway through. At that point, things finally picked up and I ended up reading the rest of the book in one evening.

On the other hand, there have been times I've become too disgusted with an author's writing style, or too bored to go on. In one case, I was on the second book in a YA series that I had initially liked (I won't name names), but in the second one, the style of writing got to be so irritating, I had to stop. Everything was written in sentence fragments! It got to the point where I couldn't even concentrate on what was happening, because the constant half-sentences were so distracting.



Nancy Beck said:


> I enjoyed Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, so I thought I'd try American Gods. After about the 3rd chapter, I couldn't take it anymore. (If he'd stuck with the gods/goddesses things at the end of each chapter, I probably would've read the entire book.) Never went back to it.


Nancy, I stuck with it to the end. I wish I had quit like you did, because it did _not_ get any better! I haven't read Neverwhere, though. Maybe I'll give it a try. The only other Gaiman book I've read is The Graveyard Book. I enjoyed it, but after American Gods, I was a little leery of trying anything else.


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## CNDudley (May 14, 2010)

Todd Trumpet said:


> I'm glad someone said it before me.
> 
> The truth is, I buy a lot of cheap books through library sales, swap meets, garage sales, goodwill stores, etc., where the average price seems to be about $1 for paperbacks and $2 for hardcovers (and often less). The upshot is that I'll try a lot of books/authors that I might balk at trying if I were paying more for the book. This also means that I abandon a TON of fiction if it's not engaging me.
> 
> ...


Todd--thanks for the info on HORNBLOWER. I'll def read in chrono order, although, that said, I generally dislike short stories, so MIDSHIPMAN will be a slog for me.

As for cheap books--love those Goodwill sales! If I hate it, I dump it guilt-free!


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## wakincade (Apr 16, 2011)

I won't give up in the first chapter, but if it hasn't hooked me by chapter 6 or so, I normally will. I just don't have the time or energy to spend reading a book I don't enjoy. Even when I edit pre-publication books for people, I read an excerpt and get a feel for it before obligating myself. I also tend to frequent the cheap ereads for 2.99 or less so that I don't feel obligated to finish a book just because I spent so-and-so amount on it. However, I rarely have to give up on a book. Normally, the reviews and condition of the synopsis give me enough that I don't even need to read an excerpt to know whether I will like it. I think I have given up on 1 book in the last year. But, if it needs to happen, I won't waste my time on it. It expect the same from a reader of one of my books. Why subject yourself to something you don't like?


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## joshtremino (Jul 31, 2010)

If it's really bad, I give up. I hate doing it though.


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## Marata Eros (Jul 23, 2011)

I won't give it much; fifty pages, max. Time is too valuable to waste on a work that doesn't "trip your trigger!"


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## That one girl (Apr 12, 2011)

I put down more books than I pick up. Sometimes I'll even put down a book for a few months and cone back to it hoping that it wad just my state of mind that turned me off to it. I think writing style is one of my biggest turn-offs. If I see a lot of extraneous words, it makes me think that there will be extraneous paragraphs and possibly chapters.


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## That one girl (Apr 12, 2011)

Ugh... Typos. Damn you, iPhone!


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## Veronica Li (Mar 15, 2011)

I don't believe I've ever given up on a book.  It's the obsessive-compulsive streak in me.  I'm also a writer, so I can't help making notes of what works and what doesn't work.  Sometimes I learn more from negative examples.


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## Mark Young (Dec 13, 2010)

Life is too short, Regan. I would give it up. If an author does not grab my attention and force me into their world of fiction by the first ten pages ...I'm history. Reading should be enjoyable, not agonizing.


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## B Regan Asher (Jun 14, 2011)

Well folks, I finished the book.  And I must say that, even though I'm like Veronica in that my compulsive streak forced me to finished it, I can say now that I would have been better off not reading it at all.

For those who are interested, the book in question is The Saturday Morning Murder: A Psychoanalytic Case by Batya Gur.  On Goodreads it actually has a rating of 3.68 even though I gave it a 1.  Just goes to prove that not everyone likes the same material ...


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## Amyshojai (May 3, 2010)

I used to force myself to finish any book I started--especially if I bought the book. Later I stopped if it was a library book and returned it unfinished, but still felt compelled to read the bought ones.

No more. Life's too short. I'll read a chapter or two, and then MAYBE force myself to read up to 50 pages. But that's enough.


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## Selina Fenech (Jul 20, 2011)

If a book isn't grabbing me, I'll often try and finish it but might skim it as quick as I can. But then I feel guilty that I'm not giving the book a real chance- by skimming I might miss what makes a book good. There have been a couple of books recently that even when skimming, I kept watching that reading status bar at the bottom of the screen and thinking "Can there really be that much more to go?!", and ended up giving up about half way through.
Downloading free samples from Kindle has been good though since I've gotten into ebooks. If the sample doesn't grab me, I just don't buy it, and it doesn't feel the same as not finishing a book I actually bought.


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

I have no problem quitting a book that's not holding my interest. It may happen in the first chapter, halfway though, or longer. I sometimes skip to the end and read that, but even that's pretty rare. The number of times I've gone back and re-tried one that I've quit over the last 55+ years of reading can likely be counted on the fingers of one hand.

Mike


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## herocious (May 20, 2011)

Give up usually. But this doesn't happen consciously. I just kind of forget about and after I start reading something more engaging.


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## Lursa (aka 9MMare) (Jun 23, 2011)

WilliamEsmont said:


> I have a collection on my K3 called 'Unfinished Books." I've probably moved 8-10 books in there over the course of the year. Every once in awhile I'll pull one out and try to finish it. If I can't do it on the second try, I delete it. Works for me.


I have the same thing, but I named it Limbo.

It's empty so far tho.


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## JFHilborne (Jan 22, 2011)

Depends how far into the book I am before I start to drift. If it's early on and nothing changes to improve the reading experience, I quit. If I'm more than half way in before the story goes bad, I'll hang in 'til the end. I used to finish every book I started, but not any more. The last doozie I read made me so irritated, I realized it was a waste of my time to hang in.


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## lisalgreer (Sep 17, 2011)

I have a book review blog where I review gothic romance novels and Gothic novels, so I have a standard method. I give a book up to fifty pages. I'll quit if it stinks.   There are too many good books lying around to read a terrible one.

~Lisa


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## Guy James (May 2, 2011)

When I was younger I would make myself finish a book that I started no matter what.

Now I need to be hooked within the first 5-10 pages to keep going, and I prefer sooner.


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## Russell Brooks (Dec 23, 2010)

It's happened that I forced myself to finish a book, only because I paid for it. And throughout only wishing that I had not bought it at all. The last two books were borrowed, and when I lost my patience with them I simply put them aside and returned them to the library.


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## amandamay83 (Apr 11, 2011)

9MMare said:


> I have the same thing, but I named it Limbo.
> 
> It's empty so far tho.


Mine is called "Languishing." I only have two in there so far: "A Secret Adversary," by Agatha Christie, which I do intend to finish someday, I just lost interest one day. The other one is, "Soul Identity." I'm not sure about that one. It's got great reviews on Amazon and GoodReads, and the first 25% was really good. But I'm about half way through it now and this last quarter is just....boring. A lot of nauseatingly dull background info that not even the main character seems interested in. I mean, if you can't make your _character_ care about this stuff, why should I?

Generally speaking, I firmly believe that life is too short for s****y books. But strangely, since I've gotten my Kindle, I feel much more guilty about abandoning a book. One that springs to mind is, "The Peculilar Sadness of Lemon Cake." It hasn't quite been relegated to "Languishing." It sounded really good; I was excited about buying it. But I'm about 10% in and I'm just not loving it. Part of me feels like I should perservere and see if it gets better....the other part looks at all the books in my samples collections and thinks I should just let it go.


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## A. S. Warwick (Jan 14, 2011)

Given that Master and Commander is one of my favourite movies of all time, set in a time period I really enjoy, I too have struggled with the books - only read the first 3.5.  What has happened is what invariably happens _ I start a series and never complete it.  I tend not to give up on individual books, but series as a whole.


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## Andre Jute (Dec 18, 2010)

I generally know before the third page whether I will be so irritated by a book and its author that I should stop reading it.


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## Guest (Sep 22, 2011)

I keep going. It's a point of pride, dangit!


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## yingko2 (Jul 26, 2011)

Before I became a writer and editor, I would force myself to finish a book no matter how much I disliked it. Now, though, if I can't get into it after about fifty pages I give it up and move on to another book. I hate it when it happens, but it's harder to read for enjoyment now, so I am more particular about what I finish.
Cheers,
Howard


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## Tickety Boo (Sep 20, 2011)

Selina Fenech said:


> Downloading free samples from Kindle has been good though since I've gotten into ebooks. If the sample doesn't grab me, I just don't buy it, and it doesn't feel the same as not finishing a book I actually bought.


I love my Kindle for that reason. The samples are usually long enough to let me know whether I'm going to enjoy the rest of the book. (I also love being able to increase the text size if my eyes are a little tired!) Seems like a lot of us used to make ourselves read books to the end, but have become more discerning. With millions of books at your fingertips, you've got to learn to be ruthless!


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## leadbelly (Aug 27, 2011)

I don't generally give up on a book if it's slow (sometimes but not usually). However, give me a book with bad dialogue and out it goes. I particularly dislike modern books that use the following types of dialogue:

"If I am to be the best at something, then you will respect me for that."
"Yes, but I am better at this than you are and you are never going to be better at this than me."
"I disagree, there just is not enough space for the two of us. If you have any regard for excellence, then you will leave now."

Instead of something more natural, like:
"If I'm gonna be the best at something, then you'll respect me for that."
"Yes, but I'm better at this than you are and you're _never_ going to be better at this than me."
"I disagree! There just isn't enough space for both of us. If you have _any_ regard for excellence, then you'll leave. Now!"

Not the best example but stilted non-contracted dialogue just chaps my...ahem. It's like some author's allowed MS Word to tell them not to use contractions.


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

My motto is "Life's too short to read bad books". If I abandon a book, I move it to a collection called Started -- Did not Finish) and I'll attempt it again later.. If I still think it's bad, I delete it at that point.


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## RuthCardello (Jul 10, 2011)

I used to finish a book no matter how I felt about it, but Kindle changed that.  There are so many books cued up waiting to be read on my Kindle that I will walk away from a book if it is not holding my attention.  Not sure if the change is a matter of availability or that I don't feel like a tree died needlessly....lol


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## N. Gemini Sasson (Jul 5, 2010)

Luvmy4brats said:


> My motto is "Life's too short to read bad books". If I abandon a book, I move it to a collection called Started -- Did not Finish) and I'll attempt it again later.. If I still think it's bad, I delete it at that point.


I'm in this camp. Just like if I rent a DVD, start watching the movie and don't find it enjoyable. I stop it and go do something else. I give a book three tries, because sometimes my mood or attention span affects whether I can get into a particular book.

There are some books I really wanted to like and enjoy, but just couldn't. Usually, the blurb was interesting, the writing was technically good and I could see why others liked it, but for me the story moved too slowly and there wasn't enough emotion or conflict to engage my interest.


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## rmbooks (Sep 19, 2011)

For me, it's like exercise.  I'll make every effort to continue, even if I don't like it.  I keep hoping for the reward at the end.  Sometimes, the reward is great and I've reached my goal.  Other times, well, I just can't justify the effort


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## LKWatts (May 5, 2011)

I'll do my best and try to finish it because I'm not a quitter but if it's really that bad I will move on.


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## TaraBenwell (Sep 16, 2011)

I give up more easily on an eBook than on a paper-based book. I think it's because I work all day on a screen and I get tired of reading on screens. What about audio books. I always love when authors read to me.

-Tara

_sorry--no self promotion outside the Book Bazaar_


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## TaraBenwell (Sep 16, 2011)

TaraBenwell said:


> I give up more easily on an eBook than on a paper-based book. I think it's because I work all day on a screen and I get tired of reading on screens. What about audio books. I always love when authors read to me.


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## B Regan Asher (Jun 14, 2011)

I also like audio books but only when I can't read the book myself (eg. in the car).  I find that the author is not usually the best reader, however.  And a bad reader can ruin an otherwise good book.  Some of the professional readers are truly excellent.


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## AlexW52 (Sep 24, 2011)

I'm in a book club, so I find myself reading a few books that I wouldn't normally read...and some are definitely not in my wheelhouse.  I used to always finish a book no matter what, but I have found myself giving up lately.  I feel incredibly guilty about it, but sometimes I just can.not.finish.  One book that took me about 2 years to finish was Shantaram by David Gregory.  Oh wow.  I HATED the main character and he spent a lot of time philosophizing and yawning on about lord knows what, because I skipped through most of it.  But, I finally did finish it and I was quite proud to do it.

I guess the moral of my story is that I should finish more books, because it makes me proud and gives me a sense of accomplishment.  I am glad I'm not alone


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## Todd Young (May 2, 2011)

I never used to, but in the last few years I've gotten more picky. If a book isn't doing it for me, I just give up. Usually, I will give a book around ten to twenty per cent, though I often give up later than this, sometimes when I'm three quarters of the way into it.

I figure it's my time and I don't want to waste it.


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## emilyward (Mar 5, 2011)

I usually give it about 50 pages. If it doesn't snag my attention, I put it down and read something else. There are so many books I WANT to read, why would I waste time with something that's boring? Usually if I get past that point, I'll finish it. 

There were a few times when I quit halfway through. Recently this happened with Matched by Allie Condie. I didn't really care about the character and I kept comparing the world to Lauren Oliver's Delirium. It was due at the library, and I couldn't even bother to renew it. :-/


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## Kathelm (Sep 27, 2010)

I try to give any given book a fair chance, but I don't really see the virtue in reading a book you hate just because you got past the title page.


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## barbarasissel (Jul 4, 2011)

Luvmy4brats said:


> My motto is "Life's too short to read bad books". If I abandon a book, I move it to a collection called Started -- Did not Finish) and I'll attempt it again later.. If I still think it's bad, I delete it at that point.


I'm in this camp, too. I used to feel obligated to read even if I was bored or didn't especially care, but there is only so much time and it seems wasteful to spend it that way. Not every book is for every person. I think it's true, too, that Kindle makes it easier. Hit delete and you're done. There's no towering stack of unwanted books, what are, hopefully, another reader's treasures, to haul to the library or whatever.


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## Julie Morrigan (Jun 29, 2011)

Like a lot of people here, it seems, I now give up if something doesn't engage me having been given a fair chance, whereas once upon a time I would have persevered come hell or high water. Maybe I can hear the clock ticking!


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## Nicki Leigh (Aug 25, 2011)

I've read books where some scenes were horribly slow. Whenever this happens, I catch myself skimming over them. I hate doing this, but like the OP, I hate giving up on a story. Like movies, some just have a hard time getting started. However, 100 pages is a very long time to struggle through the pages, so I'd probably stop and maybe come back to it later.


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## leearco (Jul 17, 2011)

Only recently I started not finishing a book.

Life is short and I want to read the best out there.


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## brianrowe (Mar 10, 2011)

I give up on books all the time. With movies, if I'm not hooked in by SOME aspect by the 30 minute mark, I usually turn it off. With books, I'll usually know by page 50 or so if it's something I want to continue with. I think life's too short to read a 400-page novel that ultimately isn't worth reading.


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## JackDAlbrecht (Sep 24, 2011)

I stick with a book for the most part, I have only read one book that I just could not finish. I established that I could not finish it when the first chapter failed to provide interest of any kind.


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## WriterCTaylor (Jul 11, 2011)

Just read The Omen and nearly gave up three of four times. I saw the movie years ago and the remake a few years ago, so I may have been spoiled by them because they were pretty good. This book was very dry and unexciting and the characters were all unlikable. I put it down twice with the intention of reading something else, but despite my previous post, I forced myself to keep reading. I don't know why. The other two times I just needed a rest from it, even though it is very short. Most of the time I will give up if I don't like the book. I think on this occasion I liked the films so much, I was hoping the book would have the same result.


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## Alexis-Shore (Feb 20, 2011)

I tend to persevere, simply because I nearly gave up on a Martin Amis book that turned out to be incredibly brilliant. And the second half was only so good because of the setup in the the first half.


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## B Regan Asher (Jun 14, 2011)

Alexis-Shore said:


> I tend to persevere, simply because I nearly gave up on a Martin Amis book that turned out to be incredibly brilliant. And the second half was only so good because of the setup in the the first half.


Great point Alexis. I have not experienced that much of a turnaround but I have enjoyed books that I almost gave up on at the beginning.


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## Kate R (Apr 7, 2011)

I very rarely give up on a book, but that's because I only buy/borrow books that have been recommended or that I've read a sample before buying. I'm a slow reader and therefore have to be pretty sure but sometimes people have given me books as presents which I've not even started, because they've not engaged me.


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## djgross (May 24, 2011)

MMancey said:


> if things don't pick up by pg 100 ...I would probably skip through a bit, and read a few pages in each chapter to the end.


Ditto.

If I get drawn back in by the later chapters, I will go back and read all the way through.


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## Joseph Robert Lewis (Oct 31, 2010)

There are two reasons that I read books. The first reason is pure entertainment, so if that sort of book falls flat, I bail instantly. 

The second reason is to push myself in some way, to learn something or appreciate a type of writing, etc. And that sort of book I will keep reading to challenge myself and expand my horizons.


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## Meka (Sep 8, 2011)

I give up. I read for enjoyment not torture.


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## BrianJJarrett (Aug 25, 2011)

I used to stick it out, but with time so limited now I'll give up if I can't get into it.  I've found that the sample on the Kindle is usually enough for me to know if I'll like the book.  I can get an idea of writing style, skill, and pacing from that.  So far I haven't been unpleasantly surprised.

Personally I think writers should try to hook readers by the first chapter.  By the second or third, at the latest.  Cut to the chase and engage early, in other words.

I apply the same logic to my own books.  If you're not engaged by the end of the preview then you probably shouldn't buy it.  I've already done my best to hook you.


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## mcalvani (Jul 9, 2011)

I recently gave up on A Discovery of Witches after several chapters. I should have paid more attention to all the 1-2-3 stars it got on Amazon. The premise seemed terrific, and the book was so heavily hyped, but once I started reading it turned out all the negative comments I'd read were true. I think the turning point was when I realized her vampires didn't have fangs. The idea is so ridiculous to me I had to stop reading.


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## Vanessa Wu (Sep 5, 2011)

There is nothing sacrosanct about a book. I gave up on Shantaram after 10 pages and threw it away to lighten my suitcase.

There are too many good books for me to read them all. I certainly won't waste time on a bad one. I long ago noticed that I read less when I have the attitude that I have to finish everything I start. It is better to be reading than not reading, in my view.

These days we have to be even more selective. I download a lot of samples to my kindle. I don't read reviews any more because there are so many lying ones. You have to read the books. So I'd rather read a few paragraphs of twenty books and pick one, than twenty reviews of one book, only to discover it's garbage.


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## Labrynth (Dec 31, 2009)

It depends on the situation and what it is about the book that I don't like.

If it's an author I usually like, I'll typically drag myself thru it.  Koontz is one of my all time fav authors, but he's got a few I just didn't click with, but I've finished them.  I'm much more apt to put down an author I don't know.

I'm notorious for finishing a series if I start it (Yes, I finished Twilight and hated it), which is one reason I'm kind of picky when it comes to series...

But since the Kindle, I've put a few down because I just couldn't get into them.  So far I'm batting zero in the classics dept, even tho I finish them I haven't found one I liked yet.  Like many others I"m more willing to put them down if I didn't pay a lot for them.  Some of it depends on the reason too... I tried reading a book where the author used the main character's name no less than 2 dozen times on the same page.  There was no "He did this".  It was all "David did" or David said... I made it maybe 6 pages in and couldn't take it any more.  IMO it was just so poorly written that I couldn't deal with it.

Sometimes bad formatting will make me avoid a book... I'd love to reread Stephen King's It, but all the Kindle comments note how bad the formatting is and I know it will kill the story for me.


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## GerrieFerrisFinger (Jun 1, 2011)

Lately, I've been giving up sooner than a couple of years ago. So many books (to write and read), so little time. (No cliche is too over used)


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## Ben Dobson (Mar 27, 2011)

I'll for sure give up on a book if I'm not enjoying it. Life's too short. But I'll also stick with it for long enough to make sure I should give up--I don't like judging by the first ten pages or whatever unless it's like, _really_ bad.


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## Jon Olson (Dec 10, 2010)

AnelaBelladonna said:


> I read for enjoyment so if I am not enjoying it, I move on to something else. Life is too short to read bad books.


Ditto.


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## Tamara Rose Blodgett (Apr 1, 2011)

Every book gets the "thirty page test." If I find my attention wandering or just flat-out don't care for it, if it doesn't "engage me," it's gone. There are too many books to waste time on a work that doesn't resonate with me as a reader.


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## VickiT (May 12, 2010)

Give up. Life is too short to spend hours reading a book that doesn't grab me for whatever reason. Sometimes it just comes down to the head space I'm in and if I revisit the book a few months down the track, I'm right into it.

Cheers
Vicki


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## WriterCTaylor (Jul 11, 2011)

I have just forced myself to finish a book that I was getting into, but I couldn't help but think the plot twist had been done so many times before in both movies and books. But, the story was so well written I read though it, but I had to force myself. I did find myself at the end wishing it would hurry up and finish. I think the result is I won't buy that author again.


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## Marie S (May 20, 2011)

I keep going until I realize I just can't do it anymore. Life's too short and I don't find much time to read these days because I'm too busy writing or researching.


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## Marilyn Peake (Aug 8, 2011)

It depends on the book. If it's well-written but a challenge to read with lots of wonderful intellectual ideas, I usually accept the challenge because I love books like that - books like *Moby Dick* by Herman Melville, *The Glass Bead Game* by Hermann Hesse, and *Encounter with Tiber* by Buzz Aldrin and John Barnes. Also, I usually keep reading if the book's been highly recommended by someone with whom I share similar taste in books - *A Game of Thrones*, the first book in *A Song of Ice and Fire* series by George R. R. Martin, is an example of this. There were so many characters and unclear situations for so many pages at the beginning of *A Game of Thrones*, I almost gave up on ever getting through this book; but it had been so highly recommended, I took pages of notes on the large number of characters until I was able to keep straight who was who ... and, wow, was I glad I kept reading! George R. R. Martin is one incredible writer, and the series of *A Song of Ice and Fire* is amazing!


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## Jim Krieger (Oct 8, 2011)

Sometimes you just keep reading, thinking, _It has to get better sometime._ Of course they never do and then I resent the author for wasting my time when, in actuality I should have tossed it sooner. I was scanning the stacks at B&N and picked up a small thriller Murder is my business, or something like that. Oh My God! It was awful. I'm probably wrong but I can't remember having been redeemed for Patience in a slow book yet.


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## evie_d (Sep 13, 2011)

I used to feel obliged to finish every book I started, even if I wasn't that into it. I'm much less patient nowadays - if a book feels like hard work, I'll put it aside. Sometimes I do go back and try again, especially if I see particularly good reviews, but I just have too big a TBR pile to keep reading bad books!


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## tom st. laurent (Jul 22, 2011)

Ditch the book as soon as possible. Often, this can be after a few pages, when you decide that you don't particularly like the thinking of this person who's writing to you, or you're just plain bored.
The exceptions would be classics and current blockbusters, which you might be curious about--as to what the fuss is about.


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## James Conway (Jul 7, 2011)

I firmly believe the writer has an unwritten agreement with the reader to present the most engaging story possible. It is the writer's responsibility to keep you engaged, not your responsibility to keep reading if you are not interested. You have no responsibility to be polite to the writer. The onus is completely on the writer. I do not want to go as far as to say that I have put down most of the books I have started. But I have put down a lot. The Last Temptation of Chris and Death in Venice stand out.

Writing is an act of love. If a writer truly loves his subject that love will shine through to the reader...and then you have a book worth reading.


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## JonathanDAllen (Mar 30, 2011)

I used to believe so much in going with a book, no matter how bored it might have made me. I think I felt some sacred duty to the author to see their vision through to the end, in the belief that it also might get better. 

These days, as others have said, my time is valuable. I still feel something of a pang of regret when I give up, but I just have to do it for my own sake, even if the book is a "classic". It may not even be that I dislike the book, it's just not my cup of tea. No need to torture myself if I'm not gaining anything from it.


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## brianjanuary (Oct 18, 2011)

If a book doesn't grab me on the first page (no hook, or bad writing, for example), I am gone.

Brian January


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

I'm pretty good at knowing what I'll like, and with samples it's rare that I start a full book that I end up not liking at all.

Only exceptions would be classics, and I generally force myself to finish those once starting them.  I usually don't hate them, but they're pretty dry reads a lot of the time IMO.


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## Andre Jute (Dec 18, 2010)

James Conway said:


> I firmly believe the writer has an unwritten agreement with the reader to present the most engaging story possible. It is the writer's responsibility to keep you engaged, not your responsibility to keep reading if you are not interested. You have no responsibility to be polite to the writer. The onus is completely on the writer. ....
> 
> Writing is an act of love. If a writer truly loves his subject that love will shine through to the reader...and then you have a book worth reading.


Excellent analysis of the compact between writer and reader. "Engaging" is the right word. According to his needs, the reader may wish to be engaged by being entertained, informed, shocked, horrified, titillated, stroked by having his prejudices confirmed, etc.


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## acellis (Oct 10, 2011)

Life is too short to continue to read books that don't hold up their end.


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## flipside (Dec 7, 2011)

There's a point where I give up. Lots of books in my To-Be-Read pile.


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## Darlene Jones (Nov 1, 2011)

When I was younger, I thought I HAD to finish a book if I started it. Now I refuse to waste time with a book that doesn't hold my interest. Older and wiser maybe.


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## GerrieFerrisFinger (Jun 1, 2011)

Too many books, too little time. But if a book is highly thought of, I'll go back to it again. Sometimes my mood isn't exactly right for a particular plot or genre.
Happy hols,


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## James Conway (Jul 7, 2011)

ArtMayo said:


> I once met someone with a splendidly ruthless rule: no matter the book, if it hadn't gripped them by page 64, they cut their losses and dropped it - whether mainstream bestseller, classic, beach read, etc. No doubt there were some terrific reads that only got into their stride by page 65, but on the whole I think that's fair enough. There are more books published than there are days issued in an average lifespan.
> 
> I haven't been able to adopt in my own habits, though. If a book is just sloppily put together, I drop it quicker than page 64, and don't look back. But I do think there are some books that are best read at certain ages, or in certain moods, or in specific circumstances, and sometimes the time just isn't right and one doesn't get on with them for whatever reason. Whilst I will drop these rather than KBO through them being grumpy, I won't drop them into Oxfam. They go back on the shelf and await another time.
> 
> ...


I like CS Lewis's definition of what makes a book a classic. Also, I must say that any book that actually comes with a diagram is probably doomed from the start.


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## A.A (Mar 30, 2012)

I give up ...

Although lately I've been reading people say that some books are worth pushing on with. The last book I heard that said about was Jellicoe Road (Melina Marchetta) - lots said it gets amazing after page 100 or so but bored them before then ...


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## Susan Alison (Jul 1, 2011)

Reading is my entertainment more than anything else, so I pack it in if it hasn't grabbed me almost straightaway. These days I don't finish more than I do. Life is too short and there are so many books I want to try. When younger I would make myself keep reading. Now I wonder why I did that. I'll never get those bits of life back. 

It's not just about being grabbed by the story - it's also about NOT being irritated by things - a lot of things in fact - not just the words used but the mistakes, formatting errors etc etc. I can keep reading through all those though, if the story itself has grabbed me sufficiently to pique my curiosity as to how it'll turn out.


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## OdiOsO (Nov 12, 2010)

I did that mistake once... giving up with a very important cyberpunk writer... couldn't make head or tails of what was trying to tell me, and it was too slow. I left the book on a shelf, unopened, for the next 5 years. One rainy afternoon, bored and with nothing else to do I grabbed that novel and decided to tackle it, no matter what the cost... That time, I found it riveting... and it's now one of my favorite books.


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## ChrisWard (Mar 10, 2012)

I probably only finish about half the books I start the first time out.  I always have such a pile to read that the moment I get even a little bored I start reading another.  Some I give up on completely, but others I'll go back to sometimes after a couple of years.  Some books I've given up reading recently are Wizard's First Rule, 'Salem's Lot, and Gardens of the Moon.  I hope to finish them all at some point, though.  

Chris Ward


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## LilianaHart (Jun 20, 2011)

I'm one of those people who won't stop reading even if it's slow. I've tried to make myself quit books in the middle, but I've never succeeded. I have to finish what I start, because part of me feels like I might be missing the best part if I quit too soon. Fortunately, I read fast so I'm not wasting a lot of time, just a little


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## Rick Gualtieri (Oct 31, 2011)

I usually give about 50 pages to at least marginally reel me in. If so, I'll finish it.  Fortunately, I can count on one hand the number of books I've started that failed this.


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## SSantore (Jun 28, 2011)

Years ago I would never have given up on a book.  If I started it, I finished it, even if it was awful.  Today, no more.  In the past year, I've picked up and put down two different long fantasy books by highly rated authors.  I tried and did read them about 50 to 100 pages.  These books just didn't grab me.  Anymore, if I'm not "into" the book by 50 or so pages, then I usually don't finish it.  "So many books, so little time."  I'll spend my time on books I enjoy.


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## Jon Olson (Dec 10, 2010)

B Regan Asher said:


> For the first time in a long time I am reading a book that is horribly slow. After the first 30 pages I was going to put it aside but I hate the idea of giving up. I'm now past page 100 and, although it's a little better, I still find my mind wondering as I read it. I suspect I'll finish it because I'm stubborn but I can't help thinking I'd be better off reading something I enjoy more.
> 
> What does everyone else do? Do you give up or stick with it?


I have this affliction, too. Reading a book all the way through and being angry with it the whole way. I need a cure.


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## Richard Parks (Feb 29, 2012)

I'm kind of in the same boat as SSantore. There was a time I'd finish a book I'd started simply because there weren't that many books available to me, and I was such a reader that anything was better than nothing. These days I have the luxury of almost too many choices, but a lot less reading time. I'm simply not going to waste that time on a bad book.


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## Andre Jute (Dec 18, 2010)

I admire the people here who will give a dull writer a 100 or even 50 pages of their time -- for their perseverance at least, a valuable quality.

But I have a hard time conceiving of any dull writer being worth that much of anyone's time.

Personally, both privately as a reader for entertainment, and professionally as an editor and teacher, if a writer hasn't taken a firm grip on my imagination by page three, or shown enough promise of doing it by page ten to hold me until there, by page three I'm gone, often before, as I won't even last through a single page of dull description, which idiots still open their book with. The witless, the stupid, the dull, the grim, the mindlessly earnest, the emotional blackmailers, none of them have done anything to earn one second of my time as a right, nor of yours. 

Every precious second of a reader's time must be earned.


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## Neil Ostroff (Mar 25, 2011)

If I'm not hooked by page 25 the book is done for me. There's too much good stuff out there and so little time to waste.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Andre Jute said:


> Personally, both privately as a reader for entertainment, and professionally as an editor and teacher, if a writer hasn't taken a firm grip on my imagination by page three, or shown enough promise of doing it by page ten to hold me until there, by page three I'm gone, often before, as I won't even last through a single page of dull description, which idiots still open their book with.


I'm not usually in that much of a hurry. I don't see a book as a sprint but as a journey. And if the journey wanders a bit, well that's pretty much how I travel in real life, too.  I do want to get there eventually, however...and there better be some good scenery on the way.

Betsy


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## Shawn Mackey (Mar 28, 2012)

Once I start a book, I always finish it at some point. Even if it's really boring, I'll move onto something else for a little bit, but I'll still go back to it.


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## flipside (Dec 7, 2011)

I have a certain threshold; I won't put down a book if I don't like the first chapter--and some books don't redeem themselves until midway into the story--but there's also a point where you're too disheartened from it that it's best to stop and move on to a different book.


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