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At what point do you bin a book? 3 chapters?
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Marc
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Dec 04, 2012 07:53AM
They say the first 3 chapters are the most important, that they should be enough to hook the reader. For me The Da Vinci Code certainly achieved this - utterly compelling. I don't think I go by a set amount of chapters etc., but character inconsistency is enough to stop me reading. And I remember losing interest in Dexter very early on (I think it was the first one). The Time Traveller's Wife was highly recommended to me, and because of who that person was, I kept on reading it until I couldn't take any more. What stops you reading a book?
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Depends on how long the chapters are. :) I know that I gave up on Vacation the first time around. But, I did give it another go and really enjoyed it. I was glad I read it, but if it was based on the first three chapters? Never. That goes for George R.R. Martin as well. Three chapters in and he would have gotten 1 star from this girl...if that.
Mod
We have so many threads just like this already. Here's the main one:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/6...
and:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/7...
LG...The Hall Monitor of threads. Love it.
Mod
And I don't appreciate your tone, which is incredibly rude.
Mod
::adds paper clips, highlighters, notecards, flag post-its and assorted stickers::
Barb wrote: "Sigh.
Not everyone (especially a new member) is going to wade through old threads to find one that was last posted in a more than a year.
Even so ... I'm sure there are lots of folks here now who d..."
THAT's the point I was trying to make before. The link references are perfect, but a new thread is cool too...course, I never articulated it properly and annoyed the planet (as usual).
Not everyone (especially a new member) is going to wade through old threads to find one that was last posted in a more than a year.
Even so ... I'm sure there are lots of folks here now who d..."
THAT's the point I was trying to make before. The link references are perfect, but a new thread is cool too...course, I never articulated it properly and annoyed the planet (as usual).
I actually have been trying to go through some of the old threads. Yes, it is somewhat overwhelming. But I must admit I feel idiotic when I find out I have reiterated something someone else has already said. I hear a collective groan from everyone in my head.
Oh, I forgot to add that I thought it nice that you are trying to make any new people feel comfortable with starting new threads. It is much appreciated.
You shouldn't feel when you have something to say that you have to read 600 posts before you can say it. No groaning here, New Girl.
Well, thank you. But still, I like to try to bring fresh concepts not stale old comments to the table. Someone has probably said that before.::does Debbie Downer face for comedy relief::
Amelia wrote: "Depends on how long the chapters are. :) I know that I gave up on Vacation the first time around. But, I did give it another go and really enjoyed it. I was glad I read it, but if it was based o..."Haven't heard of Vacation. What made you give it another go? Was it a review?
BunWat wrote: "Many things can stop me reading a book. Bad grammar. Continuity errors. Boredom. Stupid ideas poorly expressed. The availability of a better book. I will choose reading something pretty dumb o..."Some airport bestsellers...I know what you mean!
When I first came on GR I didn't know how the whole Author/friend collector thing worked. So, this guy friends me and I think, "Okay". Well, he was just schlepping his book really. At first I thought, "fun, I'll read it!" Well, I quickly got the idea of how the world works, by then I'd bought the book. I was a chapter or two in when I gave up and wrote a scathing review. Mr. Shipp and I had a huge row on the book thread and I let him have it with all of the vehemence I had built up over months of his spam crap. Well, he ended up apologizing, stopping all of the spamming, and being a nice normal guy. So, I promised to give it another shot. I really enjoyed it. It was very attention grabbing. I even stayed up until midnight on a work night to finish it, just because I wanted to know. That's a book that has captured me...I like my sleep!
Barb wrote: "We don't need to argue over this, LG.You're saying that I'm being rude, but I firmly believe that you went down that road first when posting a snotty reply to someone who just wanted to start a fr..."
Barb, thanks for the positive posts. To say your tone is incredibly rude is ridiculous. Anyway, I look forward to your answer to the original question!
Amelia wrote: "When I first came on GR I didn't know how the whole Author/friend collector thing worked. So, this guy friends me and I think, "Okay". Well, he was just schlepping his book really. At first I th..."How forgiving! Glad it had a happy ending. All that spam would've annoyed me too.
I made the mistake once of giving up on a book. So since then I muddle through to the end of a seemingly boring book. I rarely read a boring or bad book though.
Bad writing, bad grammar, repeated spelling errors, flat characters or boring plot are usually what make me give up a book. Sometimes, though, I just finish because I'm stubborn.
I mostly just finish a book. It is so very hard for me to give up on something. This is not a virtuous trait. However, I have several house plants that are thankful.
Nine times out of ten, I just finish the book and never pick it up again. I can't just up and quit in the middle of something I'm doing. My OCD drives me insane until I finish what I start.The ONLY series I have ever thrown away in disgust was the "House of Night" series by P.C Cast.
Twilight crossed with Harry Potter and pretty much the biggest Mary-Sue protagonist on the planet? No thank you.
Lately it's much harder for me to determine what exactly is keeping me from finishing a book; I haven't been able to finish one in ages. I think my attention span is just shot. Bad writing (dull, repetitive, tropey) used to be the number one factor, though that has expanded to include bad characterization and excessive exposition, among other things.
I find it equally annoying when they are over the top about the main character's awkwardness/plainness/clumsiness...lack of boobs (the last book I read just harped on the flat chestedness until I was ready to throw the Nook out the window).
I'd say that particular author has issues with her breast size as well as being bullied as a teen.
BunWat wrote: "That might still be a Mary-Sue. If everyone loves her despite her flat chest. The thing is, do you feel like the author is settling personal scores or havi g wishful fantasies?"I feel like many authors do this.
Interesting, Bunwat. Makes me wonder how beneficial it is for an author using such an approach. Wish fulfillment... same as living a lie I suppose. Maybe it helps get it out of the system and move on. And if the book becomes successful then the insecurities were worthwhile?
I have a 40-page rule. If the book doesn't have me interested by 40 pages, I move on to something else. Life's too short and my to-read list too long to continue with something that just doesn't do it for me.
The characters determine whether I continue on with a book. If I come to a point where I couldn't give two hoots what happens to them or they irritate the bejingoes out of me, that is my que out of there.
Felix have you stolen Barbs avatar?
No? He likes to highlight a single word as you just did Barb! :)
Were your ears getting hot Lex?
I hate giving up on a book, but I'm about 200 pages into a 600+ page fantasy book that's really irritating me.
Read the last chapter, Cyril. See if it sounds at all worth reading the rest of the book.
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Terminalcoffee
Books mentioned in this topic
Across the Face of the World (other topics)Vacation (other topics)
