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First 10 pages or more?

F

freedom

New Member
When I start reading a new book, after 10-15 pages I usually can see if I'll like the book or not. Sometimes I read more pages, but only if I heard that this is a good book. :) How many pages do you need to read to see if you'll like the book? Would you read to the end if you don't like the book?
 
Before I start reading a book I make the mental commitment to finish the book. A recent very bad read has caused me to consider changing my philosophy.
I usually make the determination whether I enjoy or dis-like a book when I am about 1/3 to 1/2 way through it. This may fuel my compulsive want or need to finish the book because I figure I have read 1/3 of this book already I might as well read to the conclusion.
 
I usually look at a few pages before even thinking about reading a book. If I start reading and it isn't so appealing after all, then I'll usually give it 60 to 100 pages before I think of giving up on it. And then there are some books on topics that I simply won't read, despite the recommendations; they get put down fast.
 
My general limit of giving books the benefit of the doubt is around 50 pages, although there are times that I go as far as 100 pages.
 
I'll read as much as 100 pages sometimes if I think there is a good possibility the book will improve. I used to think I had to finish any book I'd started, but I simply cannot justify the wasted reading time on a dud. Or at least what is a dud from my point of view.
 
What REALLY irks me is when I plow through a book and get to the very last chapter and the author drops the ball and makes the characters do something out of character and totally ruin the ending. Or worse, ties up the story and leaves out elements that mattered all throughout the book, forcing me to backtrack to see if I'm the only one who lost their last two marbles and missed something obvious..it's one thing to find I missed something. Something else altogether to see that the author just dropped the ball and hurried to end the story.
 
abecedarian said:
What REALLY irks me is when I plow through a book and get to the very last chapter and the author drops the ball and makes the characters do something out of character and totally ruin the ending. Or worse, ties up the story and leaves out elements that mattered all throughout the book, forcing me to backtrack to see if I'm the only one who lost their last two marbles and missed something obvious..it's one thing to find I missed something. Something else altogether to see that the author just dropped the ball and hurried to end the story.
Click to expand...

It happens to me too. :)
 
freedom said:
It happens to me too. :)
Click to expand...

I seriously wondered about my sanity with Nevada Barr's Firestorm. She spent so much energy getting Anna Pigeon and her team down the side of this mountain that was afire..making several references to them trying to preserve the body of a murder victim, then once they got down the mountain, never mentioned the corpse and the supposed evidence on it again. I still read that series, but I pay close attention when I do.
 
Recently, I've gotten in the habit of stopping if a book is absolutely horrid, unless I'm supposed to be reading it for a specific reason... work or amazon review or something.
 
I usually need more than ten pages to determine my feelings on a book. Usually I can start formulating an opinion by 50-60 pages or so. There are two exceptions that I can recall: The Magicians' Guild and Never Let Me Go. Both novels had me struggling just to get through the opening pages. I had enough and quit. No regrets there :).
 
Sometimes I don't start to get into the book until around 50-100 pages, that's around the usual point I quit a book if I still don't like it around then. If I make it past that mark, I usually finish the book.

p.s.

it's pretty interesting how most of you give books about 50-100 pages too.
 
Books are like people right? Sometimes you may get put off by them at first meeting, and then they grow on you.
I remember struggling intensely with Richard Ford's "Lay of the Land" and almost chucked it a few times. I had to get about 200 pages in before it really took hold of me. I am so glad I stuck with it. I went on to read everything else he's written and if I had to choose one author as my favorite, it would probably be Ford. But boy, at 50-100 pages in I never would have guessed....
My rule is, if it is something I picked up randomly with no review or recommendation, I give it a 100 pages. If it comes recommended strongly from a good source, I will knuckle down for the long haul.
 
I typically read a random page somewhere in the middle when I'm in the book store before buying the thing. Not 100% safe, though, books still manage to bore me sometimes and then I just put them down as there's more, better books for me to spend my time on. :)
 
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