What Makes You Put Down a Book?

Terry wrote: "Edit: Not to say that Moby Dick or War and Peace are bad books. My husband thinks Moby Dick is the best novel ever written. Just not my cup of tea."

I think I'm the only person in history to stop reading Moby Dick 50 pages before the end. I thought it was a grand book, but finally I said, "Okay, I got it." I told an English professor that, and he got the vapors! Almost had to get out the smelling salts.

the girl with the dragon tattoo is one of my favourite books, although i was about to give up, too. it's like going up a ride in an amusement park, you're going up, up, up, up and then

WHOOOSH! - you're in for a ride!

tolkien i liked, ditto atlas shrugged but that was a few decades ago. maybe i ought to reread it...?

Okay, I'm enjoying this so much I have to post again. I have read the first 35 pages of Gravity's Rainbow ten times. I'm always entertained, always feeling like I'm getting into the rhythm of it, and suddenly I reach the list of banana-based dishes. And I make it through...and then I'm done. I have a friend who used to give the book to me every couple of years because he knew I had given away my copy. "You have to read it," he said. Maybe in his honor I will someday!

Zee wrote: "There were only a handful of books that I have abandoned. One of them was the Girl with a Dragon Tattoo - albeit the fact that my boss brought it to me and told me that it's a great book, I never r..."

I wouldn't call any of the rapes in the book porn- but I haven't seen the movies. Mostly because I didn't want to see them mishandle the rapes by making them soft-core porn. There's nothing soft- core or enjoyable about them in the books so on that it's good you didn't read them.

Ok I will put down a book without even reading it now if it is written by the famous intolerant bigot Orson Scott Card....

I use to NEVER put down a book I started but I get a lot of free books on my kindle and I have had to make a new rule of thumb. If it was free and its bad I just put it down I have yet to finish one that all of a sudden got better. I always finish a book I pay for!

gabiiescobar wrote: "I used to read every single book I started, until a teacher told me that "life is too short to read a bad book. Put it down, and move on." I never forced myself to finish a book after that."

That's my philosophy! I don't see the point in finishing a book I don't like when there are so many excellent books out there waiting to be read. :)

Cool stuff here. I would love to know the age breakdown on the 38.1 percent of readers who say they always finish reading a book. I'm curious because when I was younger, I always finished, but now that I'm older, I'm willing to abandon a book that doesn't work for me.

I usually abandon a book with bad grammar and too many typos, a difficult reading style that does not flow easily. Unlikeable characters that are poorly developed don't help and unnecessary and gratuitous violence and sex scences that add no real value to the book or plot. A book that does not grab you in the first few chapters is seldom likely to improve, although there are exceptions

I stop reading lots of books. "Freedom" by Jonathan Franzen struck me as an uninteresting story about uninteresting characters. I stopped reading (listening) to "Telegraph Avenue" by Michael Chabon after the umpteenth recitation of some obscure record album details. "The Art of Fielding" by Chad Harbach I dropped when I just got tired of the tired plot. I don't have a problem dropping a book unless I paid a lot of money for it. But then I don't usually pay a lot of money for a book that I am uncertain I will like.
Also..I could never get through "Lord of the Rings".

gabiiescobar wrote: "I used to read every single book I started, until a teacher told me that "life is too short to read a bad book. Put it down, and move on." I never forced myself to finish a book after that."

I used to do the same thing, but after a while I learned to just let bad books go and not waste my time, there are so many good books I can read and so few time...

I did abandon Casual Vacancies. I knew it wasn't anything like Harry Potter, it was just plain boring.

Bill wrote: "Cool stuff here. I would love to know the age breakdown on the 38.1 percent of readers who say they always finish reading a book. I'm curious because when I was younger, I always finished, but now ..."

I agree, Bill. It was the rare book I wouldn't finish when I was younger. I remember one in particular, though. I came upon something I thought was so preposterous that it infuriated me. I jumped off the bed where I was reading, opened the door of my closet, threw the book inside and slammed the door closed! Here's the kicker. With age, I have realized that I thought what was so preposterous actually happens more often than you think--a mother abandoning her child to go and fight for a cause. At the time I couldn't imagine a mother abandoning her child voluntarily.

I abandoned Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow. I made it to 200 pages before I realized I had no inkling whatsoever of what those 200 pages had yielded. worst book experience ever.

Jonathan wrote: "I abandoned Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow. I made it to 200 pages before I realized I had no inkling whatsoever of what those 200 pages had yielded. worst book experience ever."

Jonathan, I'm laughing. I read Pynchon's "V"--took me a month. I'm still not sure what it was about, but it was fascinating, and some of the images still stick with me.

I realized Casual Vacancies wasn't harry potter too when I bought it. I didn't like the subject matter and it didn't grip me.

I abandoned Eat, Love, Pray. It took me a while to get into Girl with Dragon Tatoo but the I was hooked.

Kate wrote: "The Casual Vacancy is so good. Too bad people didn't read the description and understand it was NOT Harry Potter before trying it."]

I am reading it now, and I agree with you completely. I loved the Harry Potter books that I did read as a kid, but I stopped after Book #5 and probably should have stopped after #4. I just lost interest in the series by the time Book #6 came out - I was 19 and in college and felt there were other books more worth my time. I commend J.K. Rowling for creating such a beloved and popular fantasy series of novels and her richly detailed and imaginatively magical universe, but it became tiresome for me. I've realized I don't usually like to read any series longer than a trilogy, as they tend to get repetitive and often lose the magic of the first books.

I did not expect The Casual Vacancy to be anything like Harry Potter at all. In fact, that's why I was excited to read it.

I am so irritated by all of the people that 'review'/complain about The Casual Vacancy and compare it to Harry Potter. How many times did poor Ms. Rowling have to tell people that this book is absolutely nothing like Harry Potter and will not appeal to most Harry Potter fans? 99% of the readers that bought The Casual Vacancy didn't listen. The book practically comes with a disclaimer, dubbing it her first adult novel. Inference? This is not a children's book, so yes, there is a lot of adult material and quite a bit of cursing in the dialogue.

I may just be a cynic but I've found myself laughing out loud at a few points throughout this book so far. The characters are all so imperfect, dislikable, and realistic. The subtle ways Rowling describes the characters' inner thoughts, behaviors, interactions, and mannerisms makes for some pretty great dark humor.

I find it refreshing. There is no hero or protagonist, but there certainly are a lot of confused, petty, selfish, and repressed characters, some so depressingly predictable and others disturbingly unpredictable - just like people in real life.

I have yet to finish the book, but that's my take so far. I am excited to see how it turns out and have no urge to put it down.

So many interesting comments. I wondered how many folk out there had read a book by an author and was so smitten, so go and buy another and find it really not good at all? Does this ring a bell? I read Douglas Kennedy's book 'A Special Relationship' which was such a surprising book in so many ways. For me it was a real winner! So I bought another: 'Woman in the Fifth' which has been turned into a film. I think I was tempted by the Paris connection. Huge mistake. I stuck with it but finished it feeling cheated and the language - the bad stuff - was over-done and so unnecessary. Unsettled me so much for days. It will be very difficult for me to try another one now.

Life is too short to read bad books.

Annie wrote: "So many interesting comments. I wondered how many folk out there had read a book by an author and was so smitten, so go and buy another and find it really not good at all? Does this ring a bell? I ..."

Happened to me a few times. One book is great and the next one is lousy. Sometimes even by very popular authors too.

One page, that's all they get. If I don't see a character I'm going to enjoy learning about, I'm outa there. I've read hundreds and hundreds of good books, why waste time on the ones I know will be a chore.

It's funny that Casual Vacancy is mentioned. It's been sitting on my nightstand since December and I haven't gone beyond the first 3 pages. I will finish it - just not right now.

The one book I've tried - I've tried a number of times to read but just can't is "Wuthering Heights". I've read "50 Shades" no problem. I read very fast so I don't have a problem with finishing a book that isn't great but I just did not care about anyone in WH enough to move forward.

Patrick wrote: "Life is too short to read bad books."

Too true. So many books, so little time!

Annie wrote: "So many interesting comments. I wondered how many folk out there had read a book by an author and was so smitten, so go and buy another and find it really not good at all? Does this ring a bell? I ..."

Yes, I find that one of the main things that turn me off from books is poor use of language, including overuse of profanity, an abundance of trash talk, a lot of anger being presented as righteousness, and of course just plain bad editing of grammar and spelling. It's echoing the culture, of course, but I just don't need any more of it in my life.

So agree. I cannot understand why writers think that we need to be assaulted with bad language in order to reveal something aggressive for instance. There are ways to do this with language without profanity. I think one of the best and maybe unexpected writer who achieved this was Dick Francis. Such a very good writer. I always used to find that second page and you really got the character and the personality of the character. Usually I liked them all, some more than others, but I always liked them. It is perhaps about hard work rather than lazy work?

Not to over-share but if I just can't get into a book, I relegate it to the bathroom. It'll get finished, eventually!

I'm struggling to finish the Wheel of Time series now. I've been wanting to put it down about 5 books ago.

I too abandoned Eat Pray Love and Dragon Tattoo Girl. I forced myself to finish Dan Brien's Inferno and ended up liking it okay after about 60%. Some books irritate me with so so writing- City of Bones- but I am too curious to know what happens to put them down, so I skim a little. Anyone else do this?

Annie wrote: "So many interesting comments. I wondered how many folk out there had read a book by an author and was so smitten, so go and buy another and find it really not good at all? Does this ring a bell? I ..."

oh that's happened more than once. annoying...

life of pi... from other peoples' comments i've surmised i'm just too stupid to get it. oh well...

i'm also one of those who USED to finish all books. now i refuse to waste time on something that stinks.

Dana wrote: "I too abandoned Eat Pray Love and Dragon Tattoo Girl. I forced myself to finish Dan Brien's Inferno and ended up liking it okay after about 60%. Some books irritate me with so so writing- City of B..."

i do! and then i have to go back because i've lost the plot....

I like the simile of liking or not liking books in the same way that we like or don't like food. It says a lot about the reader. If we only finish a book once in a while, it means we're picky eaters, probably. If we finish every single book we start, maybe we're compulsive eaters. (I say this tongue in cheek.)

gabiiescobar wrote: "I used to read every single book I started, until a teacher told me that "life is too short to read a bad book. Put it down, and move on." I never forced myself to finish a book after that."
Absolutely! Life is too short -- I used to finish every book, regardless. Not anymore -- I'm 71!!

I have to find something about the MC (or other important character) that grabs me. If nothing happens in the first 50 pages, I'll put it down, but I might try again some other time.

What I found interesting about the findings is that 18.8% say they stop reading due to weak writing and 46.4% say because it is slow and boring. I think it's quite fascinating that people say they will continue even if they don't like the main character if the story or writing is is interesting enough. Of course, quite a lot of people say they will go back a book when they are ready to try again, so it might be revealing to find out how many times people return to a book.

In a way an unfinished book is actually a much 'truer' story than one you finish. In real life you never get a character's full story because we just see glimpses of what people choose to share or what other people tell you about them, obviously filtered through their perceptions. we certainly don't know lots of people thoughout their entire lives and we don't know about all their interactions with other people and their inner thoughts. And we don't even really get our own true story because we filter our own experiences though memory and the 're-telling' of our stories to ourselves to shape it the way we want to be - in particular I'm thinking here of the very necessary 'narratives' we craft for ourselves when a relationship ends in order to keep ourselves sane and give us a way to move on. Perhaps the library of unfinished books, whilst being a sad place of lost connections, is also actually the most exciting of all libraries as it is ripe with potential...

I hate not finishing a book, so when I come across a book that despite my best efforts, does not catch me, I skim chapters until I get to the end. But this is not always the rule as I did actually give up after 1 chapter of a Danielle Steele novel. Too much prose, not enough action.
Question to you guys: I have written a love story that is fairly long, over 500 pages. What is the consensus on long books? Are you turned off to a book of that length?

Having read HOUSE OF LEAVES, THE PASSAGE and THE TWELVE, I think I can safely say that the size of a book doesn't begin to bother me. Give me good characters, a good plot and good writing--and I'm in to the finish.

I am SO glad so many people said Casual Vacancy because I didnt want too spend the money for it

Interesting. Re Wicked: I am a fan of both the book (series) and the musical, and any time one of my friends who loves the show tells me they're going to read the book, I always tell them, "it's very different from the musical...same characters, both otherwise very different and certainly darker." This usually throws them a bit.

The only books I've ever abandoned have been All the King's Men and Vanity Fair. Just could not get past the first few pages of each.

I won't say what books I've abandoned but it tends to happen if I feel the author is preaching to me or trying to convert me. This being said I can change my opinion if the author writes a compelling argument; it's preaching without reason.

Linda wrote: "I'm having that problem with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo right now. I'm on page 59 and am just forcing myself to keep on. It must get better at some point. I've read a lot of great books that..."

It doesn't get better. I only kept at it because there was a review in the front from "The advocate," and I thought there was a gay subplot somewhere. But that was some new olreans magazine, mot a gay one, and I will never ever get those hours of my life back. :p I find the author was a misogynist and violent, yuck,

Linda wrote: "Anthony Trollope

here's a story: I purchased Barchester Towers during grad school, but couldn't get into it (I quit after about fifty pages if a book bores me, offends me in some way, is poorly wr..."

Love Anthony Trollope and I, too, started with Barchester Towers. Don't be too hopeful that Moby Dick will get better with age. I read it a few years ago (in my 50's) and it did not get better with age. I spent most of my time saying, "This should have been edited, eliminated, etc." Yikes, what an over-rated book.

I did finish Dooms Day Book by Connie Willis, but only kicking and screaming. I *hate* a book for of repetition. Did you know that the plague started in China in 1333? Eeeeek! I should have abandoned that book 100 pages in. The only book I have recently put down is Silence and Shadows by James Long, because of the highly flowery language. Couldn't cut through it with an axe!

Very interesting. I too used to always finish every book, but came to the realization on my own that life was too short. I still find myself compelled to finish many though. 50 Shades of Grey, worst book I ever read...poor writing, pathetic character development...if I want porn I will read porn! Made it through the first two books hoping for something. I will never attempt to finish the series. I did make it through Casual Vacancy. Wicked took two tries and I'm sorry I tried again. Based on the above information I won't bother with Eat Pray Love. :)

Looks like plot, plot, plot, young writer.

I agree. Preaching is a real turnoff, even if it is a cause I support it can be a drag to read.

Suzanne wrote: "I hate not finishing a book, so when I come across a book that despite my best efforts, does not catch me, I skim chapters until I get to the end. But this is not always the rule as I did actually ..."
I love long books -- the longer, the better. But that's probably because I'm a fast reader and I get to the end too fast! Books under 300 pages, I avoid -- they don't last long enough.

Brook wrote: "Very interesting. I too used to always finish every book, but came to the realization on my own that life was too short. I still find myself compelled to finish many though. 50 Shades of Grey, w..."

I couldn't agree with you more. 50 Shades is the only book I've ever stopped reading, and i read alot of books. Worst book ever written and the biggest overrated book I've known. I stopped it 2 chapters in.

Dragon Tattoo takes about 200 pages to really get going, like a Dickens novel, and, no , it is not as good as Dickens. And, although I love LOTR, after the first chapter--the party--it gets a lot darker and more complicated. I know this is blasphemy, but in some ways the movie is actually better.

I used to give every book 100 pages before I quit, than I heard a professore recommend 50 pages. Well, I quit after 100 pages of Northern Light, then changed my mind and finished it. I found it to be a masterpiece.