The book you like most discussion
Does the length of a book bother you?
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Shanna
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Mar 02, 2024 02:20PM
I’m currently reading a book that is 900 pages long. Every time I pick it up to start reading I just have a blah feeling. It’s so long it puts me in a negative mood before I even start reading. Does this happen to anyone else?
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it depends in the storyline if it has a good storyline then it might not bother me so much
Not at all, some of my absolutely favorite books by Charlotte Link and Rosamunde Pilcher have more than 1200 pages each and yet I finished reading them in 4 to 5 days.
Yes..the length of a book sometimes does bother me...I don't really care for really long reads...short reads are more exciting for me.I hate that "Oh No Not This Book Again" feeling. I very rarely go for books more than 200 - 300 pages long. My ideal length of a book would be 100 - 200 pages.
No you're so right about not wanting to pick back up books that are super long after awhile. I feel like whenever I read a book that's over 600 pages, I start getting tired of having to look at he same story for so long. One thing I do to help, though, is to switch the reading format. Sometimes simply switching from an ebook to a physical book makes me want to pick it back up again!
The length of a book doesn't bother me. The length of the chapters can be tedious however.
No, I love lengthy books with 900 pages of pure text, short books that are half pictures and medium books to analyze for weeks. But I am bothered when I buy a book and it's longer or shorter than I expected
I usually try to mix up book lengths so I'm not reading a bunch of War and Peaces back to back. I've been reading a bunch of short books in a series lately (less than 300 pages each). For balance, my last finish was around 900 pages and I did struggle about halfway, but I think it was more about the book itself and less the length. I'm glad I finished it, but I'm glad I AM finished.
For me as long as the book is good, length doesn't matter. I grew up reading Stephen King and read Fantasy now and those are generally 600+ pages long
Only if it stinks. But this same rule applies irregardless of the number of pages.The Count of Monte Cristo, 1200+ pages and ended to early.
Bleak House, 1100+ pages and was as painful as reading about watching paint dry.
No. I've read 1000 page books and 30 page books and liked them equally. I think I can be a little more picky with a longer book though. if I don't feel it in the first hundred pages I will not read it further hoping it will pick up.
no! what really matters to me it's the plot
Not if it is a book I really want to read.Not saying that I would ever set out to read an 1000 page book.
Visually, yes, I sometimes feel intimidated or unmotivated to start a lengthier book. As I start reading, it doesn't bother me too much unless it is dreadful and does not keep my interest.
yes, i hate reading books longer than 500 pages bc the size is intimidating and makes me feel like i’m gonna take forever to finish it. i’d like to try a longer book but i’m like kinda scared lol
I generally prefer longer books. Some shorter ones of 200-300 pages just feel rushed to me. I've read several really long books (eg The Terror, The Stand, the Seven Sisters series by Lucinda Riley) and as long as the story keeps me entertained and I can get 'lost' in the story, I'm quite happy. I'm working my way through WoT and those are over 700 pages each, but there's so much going on it doesn't feel long.
I prefer thrilling books with 600 to 700 pages, for instance Douglas Kennedy and Charlotte Link.
The short answer is yes. If I had an unlimited time to read it would bother me less. However, I typically space myself on long reads, and also have a shorter read at the same time. I read 20-25% of the long book a night and read the second book at whatever speed feels good. By looking at small bites at a time it is less daunting.
Pam wrote: "Quality over quantity."I agree, some books are too long unnecessarily.
If a book is good enough I don't notice how long it is. That being said, with a longer book I take breaks and bookmark one section at a time. Really helps.
Enid wrote: "Pam wrote: "Quality over quantity."I agree, some books are too long unnecessarily."
I agree! "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt was unnecessarily long! What a drag!
only if it’s long and useless. i like lengthy books as long as they aren’t filled with useless stuff. in general, i don’t mind longer books, even though they seem intimidating at first
Maybe your 900-page book is poorly written, or of a subject that doesn't interest you? Otherwise, Pisces and Lisa offer helpful advice, here.I find the most wonderful books are often very long, and I embrace it. The two books of the Hild Sequence total about 1800 pages, but I'm hoping to reread them, eventually. Except, there are so many great books! I find that books in translation are often long, but they're usually more poignant and more intellectually rigorous than much that's written in English, and I crave that.
But if you're not reading because your book is too long, maybe it's not the length that's bothering you--and maybe you should just leave it, for the time being. Reading shouldn't be a drag or make you feel bad. Pick up something else, maybe something more lighthearted. Above all, don't be discouraged! It's not you--it's the book. Or, if it IS you, you might be in a different space for it, later.
Do check out what Pisces and Lisa have to offer; I sometimes do as they do.
ALWAYS it’s Soo hard trying to read ANY book that’s over my normal reading (over 200) since I’m a new reader
It ultimately depends. If the book is very long with a lame plot, annoying characters, and it feels like the author is drawing out the story - then yes. If it's paced well, the characters are likable, and I enjoy the overall plot - then no, it doesn't bother me.
Diane wrote: "I hate that "Oh No Not This Book Again" feeling"I know this feeling 😂
I like long books, but sometimes I just need to see a story get to the point and end so I can move on.
I find thick books to be INCREDIBLY intimidating... Im working my way up to being able to read a physical 500-600, 900 page book.Currently I can get through them easily on a kindle but a physical thick book freaks me out. Lol
It depends. Sometimes, if I feel that a book had more to say and ended abruptly, I wish it was longer. On the other hand, if a book could have easily been 300 pages but is 600 pages because of filler content, I’ll wish it was shorter. Normally though I don’t mind how long a book is so long as it is well written and has a good storyline.
Occasionally. If the series contains more than four books, then it’s fine with me if the books run higher in page numbers. If the story chugging along nicely, yeah I’ll read 1,000 pages (Count of Monte Cristo). But I draw the line at 800+ page books that focus on side/uninteresting characters or a conflict that’s c r a w l i n g along.
Yes. I know that a long book means I'll be stuck with it for awhile, so I usually have to be in a certain frame of mind in order to commit to it.
it depends on the book tbh!! if it’s fantasy i don’t care that it’s long but if it’s romance or a thriller and it’s 400+ pages i’m just like why 😩
Length of a book? No. Chapters? Absolutely. The current book I'm on has 710 pages. The chapters 30-60 pages long!
It depends on the book. I also do not have a problem DNFing a book. Life is too short to read something you don't like.
not really but chapter length does. it won't deter me but shorter longer chapter books tend to take me longer to read as it seems to take longer to make the "same" amount of progress (finishing a chapter). I almost always prefer longer books with shorter chapters though I will read stuff with longer chapters
I hate the short chapters. Most of my life I was used to books with 10 - 20 pages per chapter. Some 15 or 20 years ago all off a sudden Mary Higgins Clark had one page chapters and I still wonder what that's going to accomplish?
For me it's a waste of paper.
Honestly, if a book is over 500 pages I probably won't read it. When books are that long I feel like there's usually a lot of meat that needs to be trimmed off, making the plot more bloated than it needs to be. The last book I read around 500 pages was Harry Potter and I feel like it works if the book is in a series but standalone ones rarely hold my attention. Also I LOVE short chapters, long chapters dont deter my reading experience or anything but I just breeze through books when the chapters are shorter.
I've read two novels, each of them had 1200+ pages. I wish they had even more pages!
I have read books from 40 to over 1,000 pages. It does not bother me if the book is good. Getting through a 1,000 page crapper is no fun though.
If it’s unnecessarily long. Just tell your story - no need to drag this out.
I remember thinking as a teenager, the bigger the book, the better because it meant the longer I would have to spend in that world. As an adult, thick tomes became offputting because it delayed that sense of achievement from having finished a book. The goal had somehow shifted to MORE books = better. Not saying one perspective is better than the other, but it's kind of telling about the influence of productivity culture and the way we've become trained to perform and observe each other on social platforms. Other people have different motivations, of course, but I'm pretty sure that's what changed mine.
Long books don't bother me, but I only read one book at a time so I have to be really ready to commit to it if it's more than say 500-600 pages long.
No, not at all. I happen to actually love long books. Long chapters…no. Depending on what book it is. Like fantasy, it’s okay…Dark romance too. Anything else…especially y/a, no.
