What Makes You Put Down a Book?

I, too, would like to see a GR database on abandoned books. It's only been a few years since I gave myself a dispensation to abandon books in mid-read. I seldom do this. Even James Patterson's lame "11th Hour" kept me plunging ahead to its pathetic conclusion.

But I did drop a mystery (title forgotten) on ~page 50 when a character made a statement that could only be made by the murderer. (I did check the end to be certain.)

I gave Don Quixote short shrift and moved on. Similarly, I found "The Teachings of Don Juan: A Wacky Way of Knowledge" repetitive, dull, pretentious. I read quite a bit of Adam Smith (1776) before finding more important things to do.

I'm sure having read the classics is a lot more fun than reading them in the first place.

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 can deal with the typos, up to a point. I can't deal with writers who don't know the difference between less and fewer, the difference between plural and possessive, or when to use me instead of I and vice versa. That is just sloppy writing and will make me drop a book faster than anything.

Simon wrote: "Catch 22 is the number one abandoned classic?! You absolute bloody philistines!"

Abandoned when? Because as an angst-ridden teenager, I loved Ayn Rand, but tried to read her 30 years later with no luck. Same for Catch-22. Loved it in my twenties; couldn't finish it when I tried to re-read it 5 years ago.
As for Casual Vacancy and 50 Shades of Grey, well, the only reason they haven't been abandoned is because I couldn't bring myself to pick them up!

Pam wrote: "I abandoned Eat, Pray, Love (I agree with the "author is whiny, self-obsessed" comment). Also gave up on Wicked. I really liked Dragon Tattoo and read the whole series. I haven't tried the other 2 ..."
Wolf Hall---same thing for me! What is the hype about? I even got the book on disc and tried listening, still didn't care about the characters. Returned after 2 discs. Gave up on Wicked, too.

If I book does not grab me by about the first chapter, it rarely gets reads. But some others I have persevered and am glad because I end up liking the book in the end.

Same here Betty. TTW did nothing for me. Forced myself to finish itBetty wrote: "I don't abandon too many books, or if I do, I often come back to them later. As one contributor stated above, sometimes the timing is just off for the reader.

However, the one very popular book I ..."

This was very interesting. If I like the author (Dan Brown) I give it 100 pages. It was tough getting to the 100 pages but then it got a little better. {yawn} By the end I didn't care but I finished it. I don't think I will be quick to buy another book by him. Deception Point was the best I have read in a long time. Millienium series was great but it too took 100 pages to get through the set up. Once Bk1 was done I read the other 2 as soon as they came out. Great story! As is THE Help, Secret life of Bees, Vanishing of Esme Lennox and a great read Shadow in the Wind. never read Life of Pi, Ten big Ones, Dispossesed, Other bolyn girl and Water for Elephants.
I read the first chapter of Twilight and put it down. After reading Christine Feehan's books SM is pretty inane. I hope never to write like that.
50 shades/EPL/ Alice Seabolds books and a few others were ones I couldn't get through. I joined a book club to read something new and had a great experience until it became more social than literary.

Sometimes authors jump the shark with a particular character making them a super-sue (usually a series book), or repeat the same plot devices. When that happens I lose interest in the story.

I am 70 years old. I have almost 800 books on my Kindle to be read. I don't have enough lifetime left to waste on a book that isn't sizzling my onions. I've abandoned classics, and top sellers of their times. Not every book is for every reader. I've even gone back decades later to try again and I find I STILL don't like what I didn't like before, so my new rule is NO RE-READS. Isn't it absolutely fabulous how many wonderful new writers in every genre there are?

7 Pillars of Wisdom. Ghastly boring.
Don Quixote. I suspect because it has to be read in Spanish.
Da Vinci Code. Sorry. Don't like the writing style.
Lord of the Rings- I can't hold more than 5 stupid names in my head at once.
War and Peace- actually, I read it all the way through- it's a fantastic epic soap opera. But the last couple of chapters are mind numbingly tedious, so I wish I'd put it down sooner.
The Biography of General Franco. Perversely, a great book- it's just that the man was so dull, that no matter what bad thing s he did or that happened around him, I've never been able to finish the damned thing.

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..."

That was a tough one to start but if you power through, it really takes off.

Gladys wrote: "Very interesting. I abandoned Eat, Love, Pray. Maybe someday I will finish it because as a rule, I don't leave books halfway. I hoped to see the devil wears prada."

I got through the book (audio), but I just didn't like the author/main character. I would not want to be friends with her. Went to see the movie after reading the book, only because Julie Roberts was the star, thinking I would like it, but, sadly no!!!

Moyasser wrote: "Actually, it is catch 22, not finishing a book."

I tried reading this book when I was a teenager in the 60's. I can't remember even finishing the first chapter! I have it on my list to listen to the audio book, hoping I will get through it this time!

Beth wrote: "Gail wrote: "I also put down Eat, Pray Love and Casual Vacancies. I also abandoned East of Eden, The Corrections, and I Am Charlotte Simmons."

Gail wrote: "I also put down Eat, Pray Love and Casu..."

I had abandoned Casual Vacancies, but after passing the book along to two of my friends, I might pick it up again. They both said they did not like the characters, but they were pleased to have finished the book. There was just something they got out of the book.

I rarely give up on a book, but in the past few years I have stopped reading Freedom and Casual Vacancies because the characters were not nice people, and Golden Compass (Robert Pullman's Dark Series) and Game of Thrones because nothing seemed to be happening. I have been encouraged by several people to persevere with CV and Game, but we shall see. There are just so many good books out there, I just don't know if I want to waste my time/life reading something that I just don't like.

I tend to finish books. Otherwise they kind of weigh on me.

But what keeps me reading, start to finish, is "wanting to know what happens next," or "wondering how the author will fix this situation."

Especially now that I have a Kindle, I generally have at least 5 going at any one time. Last week, I finished 4, over a 2 day period.

I'll have at least 2 non-fiction, 2 fiction, and one classic going at once. Actually, I have 3 classics, things I've read but I'm re-reading, but I'm not in a hurry to finish them. (I know how they end, LOL!)

Katy wrote: "I tend to finish books. Otherwise they kind of weigh on me.

But what keeps me reading, start to finish, is "wanting to know what happens next," or "wondering how the author will fix this situatio..."

I remember a student of mine asking if it was okay to read more than one book at I time. I told her I usually do that! Currently I have at least 2 on the go; I listen to one and read another. I am listening to Hard Times and reading The Pirate Kings by Eric Scarrow ( I love time travel books and this is part of a teenage series. I am hoping that it finishes soon as I REALLY want to find out how he concludes it all!!!!)

I've tried to read Wuthering Heights a few times. Every time I give up because they are all so awful and I don't care if they wander about on the moors forever.

I could make a long list of books that I WISH I had abandoned

Gail wrote: "I also put down Eat, Pray Love and Casual Vacancies. I also abandoned East of Eden, The Corrections, and I Am Charlotte Simmons."

I finished The Girl With the Dragon tattoo on the second try after reading the other books in the series..it was tough I have taken out Casual Vacancy 3 times but so far have not read it!

That's interesting. I finished The Casual Vacancy and loved it but I had not read Harry Potter so I had no expectations. The other four books I agree wholeheartedly, put them all down and never finished them!

I have abandoned a couple of books after going through three quarters;it was so good that I could not bear to see through the end.Let it lie in my memeory unfinished than for it to end differently.
Some books are so damn good that reading becomes unbearable

I used to finish everything I started because I felt if someone took the time to write it, someone else published it and I bought it, I should read it.
Then, whilst working in the industry, I discovered that there's a lot of stuff that just shouldn't be published. I decided that life's too short to read bad books.

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..."

I almost set aside '...Dragon Tattoo', but when I hit a certain point, I could not put it down! The backstory was important, but a bit too long for me.

Oh man! I LOVED the Dragon Tattoo books so much it took me two months to get over my post-read hangover. Can't believe it is in the Top 5 abandoned. :(

When I do give up a book its not much after Chapter 2. I agree with the teacher that said life is too short to waste on bad books.

I forced myself to finish Moby Dick due to it being much-feted, 'the' American classic etc. It was like being tortured and SOOOOOO not worth it - without question the worst book I've ever read. Have consequently abandoned my lifelong rule of always finishing a book!

One thing you could perhaps also add to this overview is the reader's mood. I've had occasions where I abandoned a book after several tries because I became fed up/annoyed with it. Only to give it another go several years later and have no trouble finishing it.

I abandoned 'Catch-22'...

and I had no trouble finishing 'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo'...infact I liked that book..

Nina wrote: "Books are like food - sometimes I just want something quick and nibbly, like a naughty-but-nice thriller or an entertaining, but forgettable romance and other times I want a feast to savour, which ..."

Well put Nina, I love your description but there is one more... what about the books you read over and over? Do you do that?

Sometimes I come back years later to a book that I wasn't able to finish, my bookmark still in place where I stopped reading. However, I do usually read completely through to the end--my college lit training at work.

I am beyond thrilled to learn that "Catch 22" and "The Lord of the Rings" are books that a lot of other people couldn't get through either. Those are two of only a handful of books I have ever started but not finished.

Classics should include The great gatsby. After three seperate attempts I have abandoned this one around page 70. I know it hailed as American literary awesomeness but who really cares about this uppity bunch? Might watch the two film versions instead.

I put down Wicked- I actually made it through most of it but just couldn't take it anymore. I can only think of one other book that I put down recently- World War Z. The way it is put together was interesting but I felt like I needed to concentrate on it more than I had time to. I will probably get around to finishing World War Z but not Wicked. My book club wanted to do 50 Shades and I basically said that if they did that one that I'd probably sit that month out- I just am not interested in that type of writing.

I have never been able able to finish Anna Karenina. After seeing the movie, I now understand why. I just can't relate to Anna or her choices. That is one of the few books I've abandoned. I tend to finish what I start. I'm generally reading two to three books at a time and go back to books I'm still interested in. I've been procrastinating on finishing The Salt God's Daughter because the writing is so good, I want to savor every word so I read it when I have absolute quiet and can really focus on it (this is hard to do with two sets of twins vying for my attention or have to be driven somewhere.).

I abandon a lot of books just within the first ten pages or so, because the writing is bad. Bad editing, lots of grammar errors (unless it's intentional as a narrator's dialect), or obviously flat characters, etc. Ain't nobody got time for that. ;)

great chart...but how come Goodreads does not offer a "put it down" option when you're reading a book?

now it looks like I've been reading some books for ages. This has bugged me for a long time.

Nancy Pearl, author of Book Lust and Seattle's legendary head librarian and TV host, recommends putting a book down after 50 pages if you are not enjoying it. I had often "given up" on books around then, but now I do it without guilt. In fact, I have become more experimental in my reading since being liberated from the burden of slogging for countless hours through a book that just isn't right for me.

When I was a kid in high school I just couldn't get through Dicken's "Great Expectations". I picked it up as an adult and finished it in just a couple of days.

These days I like to read multi volume fantasy stories and sometimes I have to invest up to 150 pages in the first book before it really grabs me. I've walked away from a few stories after 150 pages, but it's very rare for that to happen. My biggest complaint is naming people, places, and things with such unpronounceable names that you spend more time pondering how to pronounce words than focusing on the story.

Stacey wrote: "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 gr..."

Since I have a 90 minute drive to work each morning I listen to lots of books and that is how I read Dragon Tattoo series. I think that really helped because I had a great reader who could pronounce the words. My biggest bugbear, though, was the product placement! It was like watching a movie!

B Jeanne wrote: "I usually finish books. There are some I wished I hadn't finished. Anna Karina was one. What a lot of writing for this. Reminds me of movies I've walked out on. Only one. Clockwork Orange. T..."

I almost walked out on Clockwork too! It almost made me sick and I still have difficulty watching Singing in the Rain.

Stopped reading Girl With the Dragon Tattoo after ten pages. Horrible, boring and dark....

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's a fabulous book once you get through the set-up portion. I struggled in the beginning also, but I think it was worth it! Good Luck!

Over the years I've learned more about what I like and don't like in a book. I can usually tell when I shouldn't even start one (*cough* 50 Shades *cough*)so my abandonment rate is pretty low.

Not too shocked about "Fifty Shades of Gray"; I think anyone past 30 would laugh while reading how ridiculous it sounds...I sure did and then abandoned it on my kindle.

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 came to that on my own. I, too, was about finishing books, even bad ones but one day I thought: what's the point? I have this long list of books and when I find a book that is soooo good, it feels sooo good and life is so great. There is just no better feeling than a great book. So, like the wise words of your teacher, I decided that I would no longer waste my precious time on a book I found 'bad'. It's great advice. I still find myself finish a not-so-great book but I only find it not-so-great by the end. But for the most part, I read great books all the time. :)

Cool infographic. I liked it. Of all the listed books that I started...I finished them all. Two of the five on Goodreads and three of the five classics.

Life is too short for bad books. We're not in school any more, we don't HAVE to finish to book. Isaac Asimov used to say you have to capture your audience in the first 5 words. While I usually give an author a bit more, for pleasure reading it's up to the author to justify my purchase of the book and keep me interested, engaged, entertained, informed. If they're indulging their own predilection I need not suffer fools gladly.

However, there are some books I've abandoned that I picked up years (decades) later because my interests or sensibilities changed.

Awesome study. I haven't heard of the "100 - Your Age" rule. Definitely something I will hopefully implement to save myself some time, even though I usually try to fall in the category of always finishing books.

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 was really good advice.. I've been following it ever since I can remember. :)

It's bad when I abandoned the sample of Casual Vacancies.