What Makes You Put Down a Book?

Is it bad that I actually abandoned Rabbit Run? And I do like Updike's short stories.

Interesting article based on this infographic courtesy of The Guardian is found here.

Very interesting. Thanks for the survey. I'm currently trying to read My Father's House and it's touch and go.

I loved Casual Vacancy, I read (and disliked) 50 Shades, Dragon Tattoo and, Eat Pray because I'm a librarian and felt I needed to because of their popularity. I did abandon Wicked (and I'm a very fast reader and almost never abandon a book). I loved Moby Dick and have reread Lord of the Rings multiple times. I forced my way through Ulysses because I thought as a literature major I should have read it. Never tried Catch-22 or Atlas Shrugged.

We are all different, are we not? I abandoned Casual Vacancy but enjoyed (not loved) Dragon Tattoo!

It takes a *lot* for me to abandon a book. In the last five years, I can only think of two books that I abandoned (both were library books, and were due back, and I didn't care enough to get it again to finish the books)

Amanda wrote: "I used to always try to finish a book, but life is too short and some books aren't worth finishing, not with so many gems out there.

The main reason I abandon a book is bad writing. A good friend..."

Claire wrote: "Karolyn wrote: "As a self-published author I try to support other self-published authors. However, when there are spelling mistakes and grammatical errors on the first page (which is far too often)..."

People have such different tastes in books as well as movies that you can't count on recommendations. That's why I rely on the library. Also the amazon first pages can let me know whether I might enjoy the writing style. One person's page-turner might be a total yawn for me.

The Corrections should be on this list, I think. The first book I ever abandoned was Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children...and, Oh, the liberation!

It does get good soon ...

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..."

oh yes... salman rushdie's satanic boredom...

I abandoned Eat,Love,Pray, too. I have tried four times to get past chapter 4 in War and Peace. Each time I abandoned it. Finally, I gave up and saw the movie. I did love Moby Dick; however, my husband and I read it aloud in the evenings. That helped get through the super-detailed parts.

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..."

If you can keep on through the BORING banking business stuff, it will get better...somewhat. The movie was much better. Even the foreign version with subtitles. I didn't read the other two in the series, but my husband did.

Jodi wrote: "I usually try to finish everything, no matter how much I dislike it. However, I recently came very, very, very close to abandoning Kate Atkinson's "Life After Life". Not only did the story move at..."

I totally agree but I stopped much earlier and I rarely do that.

Great study. I usually read library books, so if I don't finish it before the check-out expires, I'll never finish it. With non-fiction I have often found great enthusiasm for the first half - then skip to the final chapter.

I am reading "The Martians" by Kim Stanley Robinson now. I hated the first chapter - full of dripping pseudo-psychology and all the women were beautiful (even "goddesses" - so silly). I almost put it down - but the 2nd chapter has a completely different tone and story line, so I am still going.

John wrote: "The ONLY book I have ever abandoned was Eragon...and as it turns out the movie was a flop as well :|"

Eragon,although wordy at times, is an excellent read. Try to give it another go,things pick up after the first few chapters.

Cheryl wrote: "Wicked is an interesting one. I remember when I read it, I found the first 100 pages a bit of a slog, and then it took off like a rocket. Should the first 100 pages been edited down, even though it..."

Thank you Cheryl! This exactly right. The beginning was slow but necessary for the reader to understand why Elphaba was the way she was.

I never abandon a book once I start reading it. I cut down on the horrible wastes of time by looking it over thoroughly before I start. Some authors catch me completely. I have read everything I could get my hands on by Terry Pratchett, Michael Crichton, R.A. Salvatore, and Louis L'Amour. Some authors can't fool me twice.

I dropped Sometimes a Great Notion and East of Eden, in spite of loving other works by the same writers. The draw seemed to be whether or not the protagonist got to one-up his older brother. I don't have a brother, so maybe I had no resonant frequency. Maybe I missed some larger point, but I got halfway through each without finding one.

Jenn wrote: "That 38.1% of the population/ people who finish a book no matter what are the reason why there are so many 1 star reviews on Goodreads.

If you hate a book, stop reading it! Nobody wants to read yo..."

Jenn wrote: "That 38.1% of the population/ people who finish a book no matter what are the reason why there are so many 1 star reviews on Goodreads.

If you hate a book, stop reading it! Nobody wants to read yo..."

I wouldn't say no one. I like one star reviews. Personally. I learn a lot about the book that way.

I rarely abandon a book because usually I find something redeeming if I continue on until the end (The Girl Who Fell From The Sky falls into that category. It all came together towards the end, but the beginning was hard to slog through). I had no problem putting 50 Shades aside after 10 pages because the writing was so incredibly bad I couldn't get past it and the storyline didn't call out to me at all. I also gave up on the entire Sookie Stackhouse/Southern Vampire series, even though I'd invested in the first books & enjoyed them as light summer reading, Charlaine Harris was/is just pumping out books to meet a contract & you can tell. Red House by Mark Haddon was AWFUL. I got halfway & had spent most of my time going back to re-read passages to make sure I hadn't missed something, but no, the author just changed perspectives in the middle of paragraphs & rambled on about everything.
I read & enjoyed The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, but felt that the series went downhill & Stieg Larson could've used a good editor that really EDITS!

I never used to quit a book, because I had spent money for it, I felt I should read it. Now that I have a Kindle, and can access so many free books from many places I no longer feel guilty about dropping books. I will drop a book usually in the 1st half of the book, by that time you can usually tell if you will like it or not.

Robertrays wrote: "I dropped Sometimes a Great Notion and East of Eden, in spite of loving other works by the same writers. The draw seemed to be whether or not the protagonist got to one-up his older brother. I do..."

Oh! Reminds me of Robin Hood and the Three Musketeers, both of which were free on Kindle. I tried reading them both, and they both seemed to be adolescent male fantasy and posturing, and this was supposed to be fun. I kept thinking there must be more to it than that, but couldn't find anything, just annoying, and decided that pissing contests aren't my cup of tea, to mix metaphors perhaps a bit distastefully. Deleted them both. At least they were free, and didn't take too much time.

Pnmp44yahoo.com wrote: "I rarely abandon a book because usually I find something redeeming if I continue on until the end (The Girl Who Fell From The Sky falls into that category. It all came together towards the end, bu..."

Tried the first Sookie Stackhouse book, and it was okay, but not compelling enough to continue. Library book, so again no money, and won't spend money to continue the series. Thanks for the info on the others, validating my decision.

Claire wrote: "Marilyn wrote: "Suzanne wrote: "Karolyn wrote: "As a self-published author I try to support other self-published authors. However, when there are spelling mistakes and grammatical errors on the fir..."

Yes. And I enlisted all of that help. Still, typos slipped through. Hell, my husband -- a professional journalist -- read the entire book out loud and still missed a few. It is a frustrating task and no author should edit and proofread his/her own book. You don't see errors. You see what you meant, not what you said. Help you get from friends and family is well-intentioned and better than nothing, but it isn't the same as a professional edit by someone who has new eyes. I ignore a lot of typos because even books that are NOT self-published often don't get a professional proofing or editing. What used to be the publisher's responsibility now falls on authors. The only difference between many self vs. not-self publishing is a bit of PR and an imprint. Max Perkins died a long time ago and hasn't been replaced. Publishers expect authors to deliver print-ready manuscripts. I have read books by well-known authors as full of typos as so-called amateur manuscripts. I have seen plenty of typos in the Boston Globe and New York Times. I think I'm smart enough to recognize a typo when I see one and know what was intended. I prefer to give authors the benefit of a doubt. Anyone who writes a book and puts in the effort to get it published deserves at that much.

Personally, I think punishing people for imperfections like typos is throwing the baby out with the bathwater. If it's someone who writes well and makes typos, you really feel they shouldn't publish unless they can get by hook or crook a professional quality edit? Really? Seriously?

Generally, if a book can't keep my interest, I'll "skim" the rest of it, just so I don't feel like quite as much of a failure.

If I completely abandon a book, it's serious. 1. I hate the main character (Thomas Covenant). And, even with Thomas Covenant, whom I absolutely despised, I finished the first book in the series.

Or 2. The author doesn't supply enough detail to "visualize" the book in my mind. If I can't see it, I can't follow it. I once started a book with the main character standing in front of the mirror looking at herself, and yet the author didn't supply me with any information on what she looked like. Stopped that one before finishing the first chapter.

I also stopped reading "Eat, Pray, Love" after the "Eat" portion. Later I listened to the audio version on a trip and thoroughly enjoyed it.

"Life After Life" - I tried both audio and print and could NOT get into either format.

I can't believe wicked is on that list! It's my favorite book...so haunting. I read it twice. I couldn't stand Eat Pray Love though as the character is so self absorbed and out of touch with reality of people who actually suffer.

I find this fascinating, both as an author and a reader. Before I started writing fiction, I rarely left a book unfinished. Now, I don't have the patience.
For me, it's usually about pacing. (Like the majority in the survey.) I write fast-paced books, but as a reader, I also can thoroughly enjoy a slower paced book with beautiful or witty prose. I need one or the other to grab and keep my attention.

I'm one of those compulsive must-finish-the-book people. I have abandoned a few books, and some others I've abandoned by way of skimming the last half and reading the last page. Silly, yes, but that way I don't feel like I've really abandoned it.

I'm also pretty selective about what I start reading, so I think that helps minimize the potential for abandonment for me.

I'm surprised to see that so many people just have to finish a book, even if it's going nowhere. I have no qualms about putting a book down, I'd rather not waste my time reading drivel.

Huh...I actually liked "Wicked."

I don't have a rule for pages - I usually dump a book when something happens that I think it utterly stupid, out of character or has an "Oh come on" feel to it. Did that with The Story of Edgar Sawtelle and South of Broad. Just couldn't believe either a bit of the story or that characters would behave the way the author described.

Judy wrote: "I also stopped reading "Eat, Pray, Love" after the "Eat" portion. Later I listened to the audio version on a trip and thoroughly enjoyed it.

"Life After Life" - I tried both audio and print and c..."
Some books are much better in audio. Some really need print. I often read the same book in more than one format.

My stick-with-it tolerance depends entirely on the height and gravity of my triage book stack as the unopened ones silently clamor to replace the one at hand. When I have a nice pile of long-awaited titles it is easy for an author to make a fatal mistake that would be forgivable with less competition, such as when Barbara Kingsolver, in Lacuna, described the spooky sounds of the howler monkeys in the jungle as "toothsome." NOPE! Snapped it shut on page two.

Joan wrote: "I may be the only one but I hated The Kite Runner, boring, boring"

Here, here! After hearing so many supposedly smart people on npr just fawn over it, i thought it was going to be an illuminating look into Afghan culture, instead of reading like a long treatment for a predictable Hollywood movie, complete with the gay child-molesting super-villain whom I expected any minute to cackle with evil glee while petting a cat and then *whoa* he pets the arm of the sofa "like a cat" while giving the "I'm evil indeed mwah-ha-ha-ha" speech. I finished it so I could make fun of it.

This whole stick-to-it/abandon-the-read debate is quite fascinating. I used to be solidly in the finish everything I started camp, but over the past ten years or so, I find myself abandoning books on a much more frequent basis. If an author can't really intrique me in the story, characters or writing within 60 pages, that's my breaking point.

What about everyone else who abandons -- is the infographic accurate for you?

Marilyn wrote: "Claire wrote: "Marilyn wrote: "Suzanne wrote: "Karolyn wrote: "As a self-published author I try to support other self-published authors. However, when there are spelling mistakes and grammatical er..."

I think it depends on the typos -- how many and how egregious. You can tell the difference, I think, between sloppy writing/editing and occasional honest mistakes -- we all do that, let's face it. I read an otherwise pretty good book on Kindle that was talking about billboards with "20-foot-tall feces." Stopped me in my tracks. Finally figured out it was supposed to be "faces," but what an image! I finished the book and liked it, but that unfortunate image will forever be associated with that book in my mind.

Genko wrote: "Marilyn wrote: "Claire wrote: "Marilyn wrote: "Suzanne wrote: "Karolyn wrote: "As a self-published author I try to support other self-published authors. However, when there are spelling mistakes an..."

Would like a laugh button.

I have abandoned a handful of books- 50 shades of Grey; The Cave, Eat, Love, Pray; The Poisonwood Bible are the ones I can think of. Life is to short to waste time on a bad/ non-compatible book. Besides that there are hundreds of thousands good books waiting to be read!

I always try to finish books. The only few I've put down are tear jerkers, I hate them. SOmetimes you don't know a book WILL be a tearjerker. I put down "Marley and Me" -first book I EVER walked away from. I loved it up until Marley started to get really old. I would have just cried through the rest. I just put down another book (forget the title) once I realized the main character was going to die of cancer...after being in remission.
I would have avoided these if I knew in advance. LOL!!
I've 'suffered through' many of the books above. I liked "Girl with The Dragon Tatoo", but never picked up the third one. The second one was too much work for me. But I did finish it.

Interesting study. Other then 50 Shades of Gray (15 pages in I found it unbearbale, and the sex had nothing to do with it) the only other one I can recall is Lovett's "The Bookman's Tale". Twee is the first word that comes to mind in describing it. Being a bookbinder and rare book conservator, the references to the trade itself were so off as to be insulting. On top of that you have a protagonist who is extremely socially inept and offensive in his mannerisms, yet attracts not one but two beautuful, extraordinary and wealthy women. What planet does this author live on?

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 had this advice too and I stick to it! Life's too short. You may miss out on reading four good books while you struggle with one bad one.

Genko wrote: "Marilyn wrote: "Claire wrote: "Marilyn wrote: "Suzanne wrote: "Karolyn wrote: "As a self-published author I try to support other self-published authors. However, when there are spelling mistakes an..."

That's really funny. I think the image is now stuck in MY mind. Oy. Such an image.

Some reasons I stop reading are:

Inconsistencies,when something contradicts what the writer wrote earlier.

When the writer downplays a character because he/she beefed them up to much earlier.

When the characters do things but the reasons are not plausible, you see the writers will rather than a naturally evolving story.

When technological facts in a book picturing today or the future, do not even match what can be done today.

I devoured 50 shades, but abandoned the 2nd one. I devoured Girl with the Dragon Tatoo, trudged through the 2nd one and never bothered with the 3rd. I have no qualms about abandoning a book and have a shelf for those. Occassionally I will go back to a book and bond with it the second time. The most acclaimed book that I abandoned was Cutting for Stone. Loved the first part of the book when they were babies, but once they were grown, I just didn't care about it.

I put down a book I don't like once I figure out just what it is I don't like about it ("bored" or "doesn't grab my attention" are only part way there - must be more specific).

Some books aren't really meant to be read completely, certainly not serially, and Ulysses is probably one of them. It's like popcorn - or maybe grilled Brussel Sprouts is closer, for those of us who don't like Brussel Sprouts and are amazed to discover we actually like them split in half, grilled, and brushed with oil. Joyce was playing games - a different one in each chapter. If you don't get the game or get it and don't particularly like it, then it's time to go on to something else. Like popcorn, you don't keep eating it each meal.

Ezra Pound's Cantos is something like that. It's kind of like being inside someone's head, watching/hearing it jump around. Eventually I think everyone gets to the point where one says "OK, I've had enough of that for now. Maybe I'll come back sometime." And maybe you will, and maybe you won't. It's like listening to Bach or Sun Ra - even if you enjoy, there's a place where you stop.

Genko wrote: "Robertrays wrote: "I dropped Sometimes a Great Notion and East of Eden, in spite of loving other works by the same writers. The draw seemed to be whether or not the protagonist got to one-up his o..." i dropped The Three Musketeers too. Just could not get past the middle.

I rarely put down a book, but the last two I did were for the same reaso: there was no place for me in the book. If I agree wholeheartedly with the conclusions of the author ("god is Not Great") or the author provides no additional enlightenment ("A Better Pencil"), I won't finish. There is no dialogue. There's nothing for me to do except stand around and look good, which doesn't interest me.

Kate wrote: "I can almost always find something worthwhile in a book --even if it's only How Not to Write a Book. ..."

Cervantes said, "There is no book so bad that something good can not be found in it."

Nina wrote: "Cervantes' Decameron is a feast I haven't quite finished tasting, having started it about 10 years ago. But I will finish it by the time I am 70 for sure! ..."

Well, Cervantes didn't finish it, either, so I can't blame you.