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When do you give up on a book?

Libre

Libre

Member
My question is, how long do you give a book, after you realize you hate it, before throwing on the compost heap? Some people NEVER give up on a book. I find I have to give a book 100 pages before making a decision about whether it's worth the effort or it's a waste. By then, I usually want to finish it in any case - but not always.
THe book I'm reading right now, After The Flood, by P. C. Jersild is so depressing I'd like to toss it. But after all, you can't expect too many laughs in a book that is set on a desolate island 40 years after an all-out nuclear war. But it's even more bleak than I thought possible. I will finish this one, though.

Do you easily toss a book if you don't like it, or do you feel compelled to finish a book once you've started it?
 
Libre said:
My question is, how long do you give a book, after you realize you hate it, before throwing on the compost heap? Some people NEVER give up on a book. I find I have to give a book 100 pages before making a decision about whether it's worth the effort or it's a waste. By then, I usually want to finish it in any case - but not always.
THe book I'm reading right now, After The Flood, by P. C. Jersild is so depressing I'd like to toss it. But after all, you can't expect too many laughs in a book that is set on a desolate island 40 years after an all-out nuclear war. But it's even more bleak than I thought possible. I will finish this one, though.

Do you easily toss a book if you don't like it, or do you feel compelled to finish a book once you've started it?
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For some reason I just can't bring myself to give up on a book. I think I'd end up thinking about it over and over until I picked it up again. I have had books that I hated until a few days after finishing them. Suddenly, after giving it a few days to sink in I'll realize that the book was actually quite good.
 
Yes, that has happened to me. While I was reading Tortilla Flat, by John Steinbeck, I was thinking, this book is going nowhere, and is pretty worthless. After I finished it though, I decided it was pretty good. Same thing with Cannery Row, also by Steinbeck. But with those books, I had the foreknowledge that they are "considered" modern classics by a Nobel Prize author with a huge reputation.
I've also experienced that in movies and plays - during the experience, I'm bored and want to leave but I stick it out. Next day, I find my mind returning to the experience over and over.
Maybe it's my nervous system - some burned out synapses - too many bumps on the head, too many brain cells fizzled out.
 
It really depends for me. I have given up on books at all stages. 30 pages in, 100 pages in, right in the middle (one time even in the middle of the 2nd book of a trilogy), and there were two times I left the final 20 pages unread.

Mostly is has to do with caring for the characters, or even caring what the outcome is. Sometimes it is just things that I think are ridiculous within the plot.

I never liked the idea of giving up on a book. But someone at another forum said that life is too short to waste on books that you don't like. If you find that you are not enjoying yourself or are truly compelled to keep reading, then toss it. So many good books to read out there. :)
 
I used to throw away books as soon as I felt even the smallest inkling of boredom as I was reading it, but I find that I'm giving books more of a chance now. I'll try reading about 50 pages after I first get the idea to just throw it away to see if the story picks up a bit before I really do just leave it.

I havn't not finished a book in awhile now, so maybe being patient has paid off a bit, especially since some of the books that I thought about giving up have turned out to be really great books (a major example being Life of Pi, which is now one of my favourite books).
 
hm.. my english teacher had us reading some sort of novel for the first 20 min of class 3 days out of the 5... she had a 30-page rule.

with some books i gave up within a few pages or a couple of chapters. i remember giving up on Beer mainly b/c i couldn't stand the dialogue. it was like a crappy after school special. you can tell the author has been away from high school for too long. with The Hobbit i never got past the first page, but i was about 11 back then =P

most books i finish i suppose. i just pause with reading them and read another book. its kind of an annoying habit now, but at least i dont give up on books that easily

scooter13 said:
Mostly is has to do with caring for the characters, or even caring what the outcome is. Sometimes it is just things that I think are ridiculous within the plot.
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that reminds me of my 9th grade writing teacher lecturing about the importance of characters. a writer has to make the reader care about the character in order to give a hoot about the plot.

scooter13 said:
I never liked the idea of giving up on a book. But someone at another forum said that life is too short to waste on books that you don't like. If you find that you are not enjoying yourself or are truly compelled to keep reading, then toss it. So many good books to read out there. :)
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haha, i do agree with that. why waste time on a book you cannot stand while you can discover a book you love
 
I have only ever given up on two books. I have to really hate it in order to just toss it. I will usually force myself to finish it no matter how bad it is. I am still curious as to how, even a bad story, ends.
 
I give up about 200 pages in and then feel disgusted with myself for waiting that long!
 
I have only given up on reading one book!

It was Patricia Cornwells Portrait Of A Killer!

Its her own Investigation Re Examing the Evidence Of Jack The Ripper!

I got about 100 pages in and just could not get into it!
Thought it was just me but my sister felt the same!
 
Do you easily toss a book if you don't like it, or do you feel compelled to finish a book once you've started it?
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I read a few books at a time. Some take longer than others, which explains why I'll be "reading" a book for a year or longer. I don't throw it away or anything, but it does a good job of taking up space in my book collection.;)
 
Scottishduffy said:
I have only ever given up on two books. I have to really hate it in order to just toss it. I will usually force myself to finish it no matter how bad it is. I am still curious as to how, even a bad story, ends.
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Same here - I've only given up on two books as well. Though there are a few more I should have given up on *cough* The Taking by Dean Koontz *cough*
 
I don't give up on books. My selection process is well thought out enough that I don't usually end up with something I don't like. The one book I did stop reading was Moby Dick. I tried reading it as a young teen and while I understood what was going on I knew that I didn't have the capacity at the time to truly appreciate it so I stopped. Have to admit I was damn tempted to ditch The Great Gatsby when I read it a short time ago. If it were much longer l probably would have.
 
Oops! I lied. I also gave up on the first book of Guy K. Kay's Fionavar trilogy. Bored the hell outta me. Tried 3 times and never got passed 70 pages.
 
I used to insist on finishing a book even if it was crap. now i'll can a book as soon as it becomes clear i'm not going to like it. life's too short to read all the GOOD books out there, so why waste time on cack?
 
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