How Many Books Do You Not Finish Reading In A Year?
I blog a lot about reading books, and one category I don't think all that much about is the books I don't finish reading (the acronymn often used is "DNF") for one reason or the other. I know I don't like to give up on anything, including the books I select to read. It's like a form of admitting self-defeat, and who needs that?
Goodreads even offers us a list of the popular didn't finish reading books: http://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/d.... Some surprising titles pop up there for me. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, for instance. Huh? That's like The Great American Novel. Anyway, I like to re-read it every few years because it is such a rich, powerful novel about the Jazz Age. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption also places on the list. I liked that World War II book, and I only read a few nonfiction titles every year.
What are the biggest reasons why you give up on reading a novel? No plot is probably mine. I've got to have a narrative arc with a start, middle, and ending to keep my interest. Good prose is a must, too. I like an original voice, but not one that's too far out there. It's difficult to describe here, but I know it when I read it. The other reasons I give up a book fall under the general category of "just not my cup of tea."
Books mentioned in this blog:
Goodreads even offers us a list of the popular didn't finish reading books: http://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/d.... Some surprising titles pop up there for me. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, for instance. Huh? That's like The Great American Novel. Anyway, I like to re-read it every few years because it is such a rich, powerful novel about the Jazz Age. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption also places on the list. I liked that World War II book, and I only read a few nonfiction titles every year.
What are the biggest reasons why you give up on reading a novel? No plot is probably mine. I've got to have a narrative arc with a start, middle, and ending to keep my interest. Good prose is a must, too. I like an original voice, but not one that's too far out there. It's difficult to describe here, but I know it when I read it. The other reasons I give up a book fall under the general category of "just not my cup of tea."
Books mentioned in this blog:
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Temple
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Feb 17, 2013 08:53AM
For 2013 so far I've read 6 and gave up on 1. If my mind wanders while I'm reading a book it's a sure sign I won't finish it.
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I probably finish less that 50%. Reasons: hate the voice, dislike the characters, plot seems too familiar, too violent, a better book comes along (most often), it's due at the library, writing not very good (second most common reason), seems derivative. It is easy to find reasons to put a book aside since I pick up almost anything.
Temple wrote: "For 2013 so far I've read 6 and gave up on 1. If my mind wanders while I'm reading a book it's a sure sign I won't finish it."If I have something else on my mind, I get distracted from reading a novel. Not the same thing, I guess. But I can see how your wandering attention would mean a novel wasn't working for you. Thanks, Temple.
Patti wrote: "I probably finish less that 50%. Reasons: hate the voice, dislike the characters, plot seems too familiar, too violent, a better book comes along (most often), it's due at the library, writing not ..."Hi Patti, Books due at the library is one reason I didn't think of. That happens a lot. If the book has sat around that long, it probably means it won't get read. I see a lot of books on our home shelves with the bookmarks left in the first quarter. I assume one of us got that far, ran out of gas, and moved on. No wonder we keep running low on bookmarks!
It's rare when I don't finish a book. I use a three strikes policy. If a book doesn't strike me at first, i lay it aside and go to another. I'll come back to it later and repeat the process. I only give up after three shots at it.My thought is it may not be the book at all, but me. My frame of mine. A health issue that blocks concentration. A style of writing if it's a new author that might grow on me.
But three times is enough to make up my mind.
I may not finish more than three or four a year.
Very few. I see most books through to the end even if I hate them. However, there is the rare book that I abandon. The most common reasons are that the book either bores me to the point of tears or disgusts me to the point of nausea.
Randy wrote: "It's rare when I don't finish a book. I use a three strikes policy. If a book doesn't strike me at first, i lay it aside and go to another. I'll come back to it later and repeat the process. I only..."I really like your three strikes idea, Randy. It gives the book and author a fair-minded chance. Thanks.
Ella wrote: "Very few. I see most books through to the end even if I hate them. However, there is the rare book that I abandon. The most common reasons are that the book either bores me to the point of tears..."I can identify with the tenacity you describe. I hate to give up on something I've started. Thanks, Ella.
Hey, Ed!Interesting question.
Mostly what I want from fiction is an escape from the train wreck of my life. I've definitely abandoned more books than I've finished. Not sure exactly why. Some books suck me in and hold me. Other books bore me; I skip ahead, and am still bored; I skip ahead some more. I'll usually give a book a few skips--especially eBooks, many of which seem in desperate need of a professional editor.
Some writers, like Tom Robbins or Vonnegut's novels (I LOVE-LOVE-LOVE-LOVE Junior's short stories, and rank him above Bradbury) are so creative and surprising, that even though they don't work for me as "escape," reading them is better than a semester of writing classes.
If the writer can engage me and surprise me, I almost always keep reading. But obvious outlines converted to novel's prose usually make me close the book. I like the kind of depth and surprises that come from the writer having thought at length about what s/he was going to write before s/he actually hit the keyboard.
With nonfiction, I'm usually "after" some specific bit of knowledge, but again, utility isn't sufficient: the book must surprise me. Hell, if new information doesn't surprise me, what good is it? It's just the same old, same old.
Cheers!
@hg47
Harv wrote: "Hey, Ed!Interesting question.
Mostly what I want from fiction is an escape from the train wreck of my life. I've definitely abandoned more books than I've finished. Not sure exactly why. Some..."
I totally agree about some of the ebooks needing better Quality Control. Thanks for the comments, Harv. Lots of good points made.
I am about to put The Black House in the DNF category. Some books are good intentions and barely started, some are great disappointments. My particular dissatisfaction goes to audio books which I keep for long drive to class and rowing workouts. When one of those go bad I am sometimes left humming. A bad voice job, a boring line, an improbable plot line, will cause me to hit eject.
I used to finish every book I started. but when I turned 60, I realized I would not live forever and there were better books to read than ones I did not care for. If the plot is confused, if the dialogue is wooden if the characters just are unappealing...well, there is always another book out there waiting for me to read and if not, plenty to reread.
Michele wrote: "I used to finish every book I started. but when I turned 60, I realized I would not live forever and there were better books to read than ones I did not care for. If the plot is confused, if the di..."Concur, Michele! If the opening doesn't grab me, I'll skip ahead a bunch of pages and try again. Still not interesting? I'll probably try another skip-ahead or two. But I've abandoned more books than I've finished. And I am a great re-reader. The books that really thrill me, I want to go there again. @hg47
Michele wrote: "I used to finish every book I started. but when I turned 60, I realized I would not live forever and there were better books to read than ones I did not care for. If the plot is confused, if the di..."Me too, the age thing. No time to waste on not interesting (to me anyway) books. It could be it's just not the right book at the right time. Whatever the reason it's not hard to go on to something else because these days I use the library exclusively.
Alan wrote: "I am about to put The Black House in the DNF category. Some books are good intentions and barely started, some are great disappointments. My particular dissatisfaction goes to audio books which I..."Interesting. I hadn't thought of audio books. I used to listen to them on cassettes on my long commutes. Most of the readers were pretty good. One guy narrating the Mrs. Pollifax novels hammed it up a lot. Thanks, Alan. Hope your next audio book is better for you.
Probably finish 90-95% of what I start, just put down Hour Of Peril by Daniel Stashower, heard him speak and he was wonderful, the book dragged. Could not finish either of Erik Larson's last two books Garden Of Beasts and Devil In White City. I read on an average of 110-130 books a year, (either read or listened ) I have no life LOL
Mark wrote: "Probably finish 90-95% of what I start, just put down Hour Of Peril by Daniel Stashower, heard him speak and he was wonderful, the book dragged. Could not finish either of Erik Larson's last two b..."Wow. That's a pretty high percentage, Mark. I haven't tried Erik Larson's books. We saw him interviewed on TV, and he sounded like an engaging author. He does a lot of research. I don't read enough nonfiction. Anyway, I hope your next reads pick up and are better ones.
I have to finish every book I start even if it turns out to be really boring or badly written. I'm weird that way. LOL
Heather wrote: "I have to finish every book I start even if it turns out to be really boring or badly written. I'm weird that way. LOL"Not at all. Writers appreciate readers like you. At least I do. Thanks for your tenacity and comments, Heather.
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