Chaos Reading discussion
Books & Reading In General
>
Reading Books You Don't Enjoy
date
newest »
newest »
I love it - authors you're getting less & less time to grab my attention from here on in!
100 pages is my limit, but depends what it is.I would like to suggest that book abandon is a function of the following 3 variables:
1. Preconceived crapness of author. If you think the author is crap then the book is crap, abandon. If the author has received high praise and you think the book is crap, you may want to consider going on a bit more. Maybe it gets better, maybe they need 100 pages to set the scene etc. This is closely linked to:
2. Bragging rights: can you brag that you have read this book cover to cover? If so, just how turgid do you think it is? :D
3. Genuine benefit: for example, if it's non-fiction you've bought specifically because you think you'll benefit from understanding it, maybe you should slog on all the way to the end.
ie. abandon = abandon(crap, brag, benefit) :-)
I don't have a limit. I guess I just go as far as I can. If I feel like I really don't like it, then I stop. One thing that tells me that I don't like the book is when I read it so slow. I feel somehow discouraged to read it, because it's just really boring.However, there are some books that really do start boring. I guess the reason why I kept reading them is intuition. And sometimes, I don't regret it. Or I am forced to read them for school.
Mod
Because you never know what the potential benefit might be unless you read it. That's the problem. I've read a few books where I didn't like the first half, but it was written that way for a reason, which became clear in the second half - and it really paid off. It's like gambling. Once you've had a big win or two, it's easier to believe that you'll win again!
I don't have a page limit. It's a bit too arbitrary for me. Like Leo, I prefer a risk-based model: RISK = LIKELIHOOD x CONSEQUENCE.
If the potential RISK, or
LIKELIHOOD (of it being bad)
x
CONSEQUENCE (wasted-time, boredom, whatever)
outweighs the potential
BENEFIT (mind-blowingly good book, knowledge, whatever)....
Give it up.
Not that I have ever actually calculated the risk/benefit as such, but I do a bit of mental tallying!
Leo wrote: "100 pages is my limit, but depends what it is.I would like to suggest that book abandon is a function of the following 3 variables:"
I completely agree with 1 & 2 - the only quibble I'd have with 3 is that sometimes (e.g., in school) you really _do_ "have" to read fiction - and even if it's totally boring, you should be learning something about reading, literature, and evem criticism: of course, that all depends on your teacher.
A Tale of Two Cities is one of the few books I had to read in school that I enjoyed (fortunately, we did get a little SF: I read both Fahrenheit 451 and The Terminal Man in high school).
I can't really agree with reading the last half of a bad book just because it might make it all worthwhile. The first half is already time I'll never get back, and I can guarantee that with the help of you, my GoodReads friends, I can find something I'm going to enjoy all the way through.
Loving the theories Derek and Ruby!And I agree Derek, I've learned a lot about writing styles for example in books that I hated, The God of Small Things immediately springing to mind.
I have a 20 page rule - if it doesn't catch me in 20 pages, I move on. I give movies 15 minutes.
There are just too many things I want to do.
Since I view all fiction as entertainment, if it's not enjoyable, it's failing at its goal, which is to entertain me.For non-fiction, especially non-fiction relevant to my profession (I'm an engineer, software developer, and science teacher), my purpose is to use it to find out something. In this case, enjoyable is nice, but not necessary.
Non-fiction in my professional field may be enjoyable, but I'm likely reading for information, not pleasure (I may be reading for pleasure. Larry Wall, for instance, writes quite well. So did Robert Jones [Wing Theory]).
Non-fiction outside of my professional interests should be enjoyable, but I may be reading it for information, not pleasure.
Fiction must be enjoyable; it's being read for entertainment.
Mod
Actually, it's gotten easier for me to continue with a book even if it doesn't catch my interest ever since I've joined book clubs. I almost feel obligated to read them so that I can discuss them.But, yeah, if it's not a book club pick, and someone I personally know hasn't made a heart-felt recommendation, I make the fully informed decision to abandon the book quickly. I've never regretted it - I have always found another book in the library that actually does catch me quickly, and I have no shame - i don't have a problem picking up the abandoned book again if someone tells me it's worth my time. Otherwise, it's back to the candy store!
This thread exactly describes my ongoing struggle with China Miéville. Is it me? Is it him? I can honestly say that in all my years of dedicated literary escape I have never had this much trouble with a writier and felt this compelled to keep going on because his reputation is staggering. I feel like I am somehow missing some great revelation and if I could just keep my interest going..you get my drift. I am almost done with Perdido Street Station and while it is more engaging (for me anyway) than Embassytown, I am still wondering why I am working so hard to read a book.
Mod
Other books I've read spend the first half leading you one way, only to turn it on its head during the second half (which is awesome when it's done well).
I think it probably depends on what you want from a book. I love books that really make me think, that are a mental challenge, and those books tend to use a variety of techniques. It's not about pure entertainment or instant gratification. (Though I will read those books too!)
Mod
Not that I am by any means opposed to the more candy-like books on occasion, (or multiple occasions even :-)
Don't you know if a book is challenging within the first few pages/chapters? And if you're looking for challenge, and that book is clearly not challenging, do you keep reading?
I agree with Ruby in the sense that rate of abandonment depends on the purpose for reading. For example, I knew almost immediately that Seven Tips to Make the Most of the Camino de Santiago was not going to give me any new information that I couldn't find with a simple search on Google. But I read the whole thing anyway simply because I was hoping, perhaps irrationally, that it would have something useful in it.
Whereas I gave The Tempest more than enough chance to hook me - I read half of it before I returned it to the library. Why? Not because I'm afraid of a challenge (and let's face it, William Shakespeare can be challenging. I mean poetry, plays, and Middle English all rolled into one is challenging), as I have read and loved other plays of his, challenging as they are. But this one I abandoned because there was not enough interesting/entertaining/substance to reward my efforts (view spoiler).
Actually i read books that i dont like and unfurtunately i rarely dislike books. Books are amazing they are so open that u can think anf imagine in what ever way u like. i love books alot
Ruby wrote: "Actually Floating Worlds is a perfect example of this debate. I would probably have put it down if it weren't part of a challenge, and although I didn't love the book it was still really a worthwhi..." Ditto with PDS. I have to agree with Adam that for many people, it is probably a matter of the writers style as opposed to the readers expectations that more than anything, define a read as good or bad. If the read is not going as hoped then some of us will just move on to greener pastures and others of us will push to the end looking for closure and in doing so manage to find some worth while elements.
I decided a long time ago that I read for enjoyment. Sometimes I enjoy a good challenging read, but other times, because of the daily stresses of life with teenage girls, work and all the other stressors in our days, I just don't have the energy to invest a lot of effort into it. I don't have a set number of pages, if I don't like it and don't feel like I am getting any enjoyment from it, I set it aside...sometimes with full intentions of picking it back up at another point in time.But, with that being said, there are some books that were definitely an effort to get through, and often I am glad I did...but not always!
Example...I recently read We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver. It was at the recommendation of a group of friends that I started this book, though the teaser definitely looked interesting. But I found it too convoluted(?sp?) and just plain difficult to read, so I gave up on it. But this group of friends encouraged me to give it another shot and so I did. And I muddled through it...but I did NOT enjoy it. I resented the author for the style of writing of this particular book. She used words that didn't make sense, she made up words (or so my Nook thinks) and I just absolutely hated the characters.
But, in the end, I am glad I stuck it out. It all came together at the end. Again, without prodding, I would NEVER have finished this book and I still resent the author and characters...but I get the story now.
So, I am just torn on whether to keep plodding along or just chuck it to the side and pick up smething else.
Mod
Not necessarily. An example would be Only Revolutions. If I hadn't loved House of Leaves so much, I might have dismissed it as pretentious crap, but because it was Danielewski I read 20 more pages before dismissing it as pretentious crap. (In 100 years they may be calling it the Ulysses of our time for all I know.)
And I don't want to imply that I only read difficult, snotty, incomprehensible books. A book doesn't have to be 'challenging' for me to enjoy it, I appreciate pure entertainment as much as the next person. I'm only saying that by stretching myself now and then I frequently end up finding books that in the end are far more gratifying reads.
Mod
Bottom line is: I didn't love the tone, and I never found myself itching to get back into it once I'd put it down, but it was a profound experience. It wasn't "entertaining" but it absolutely blew my mind. After 20 pages in, I still had a completely inaccurate idea about what I could expect to get from reading it.
Adam wrote: "I have read some books I didn't enjoy when they were later books in a series. Two come to mind on this one. The reader gets hooked on the early books then needs to know how it comes out when the la..."I know that feeling. Having dedicated all that time to the first books, it is hard to give up when the whole thing falls apart.
I haven't seen anyone mention this yet, so I will: I don't think it's fair to abandon something without giving it the benefit of the doubt. Rhetorical question here, but how can you honestly judge something without experiencing it in its entirety? There have been times when I forced myself to read a book all the way through and regretted it. There have also been times when I forced myself to read a book all the way through and was so happy I did.You never know what you're missing if you don't try, and I don't think it's fair to judge something if you haven't fully and completely immersed yourself in it. I would read a book out of my comfort zone!
I use to be compulsive about finishing a book I started even if I didn't like it. I have gotten over that lately there are just so many books to read I can't justify reading something I don't like.
Yes I sometimes read more than one book at a time. So then on the hard to get through books I read a chapter here and there then go read a book with more interest. I have always enjoyed reading even as a child but I do remember the some of the required reading was hell. I hated all shakespeare yet I loved a tale of two cities and the great Gatsby!
Adam wrote: "What you do is give yourself permission to read multiple books at a time and put a bookmark in the boring one. Carry on reading one that hoilds your interest, and another and another. You may even ..."Hi Adam, this is good advice for the "professional reader." But when reading for "pleasure" I cannot see the point of persistence. On the issue of boredom generally this is a subject in itself. What bores us what interests us? I know a youngster with Aspergers who has a very limited imagination and can barely see the point of fiction. Give him a technical magazine and he will read it for hours for "pleasure".
Mod
Eddie - I'm not a "professional reader", but I do believe persistence pays off. Lots of the more mind blowing books I've read were amazing either in spite of a slow (or misleading) beginning, or because of a slow (or misleading) beginning. A good book doesn't necessarily lift its skirts on the first date, if you'll pardon my slightly creepy analogy.
Too creepy for me but I'm now in recovery. I get your point.I am interested in what triggers boredom for people. I don't think its a universal thing, and is personal but perhaps that is a different discussion?
One reason to read a book I don't like is because I knew the author, or their previous work, but otherwise would not have bothered.Even if one was so full of errors and choppy mistakes it made it difficult to enjoy or keep track of what was going on. Or another was 5 times longer than it needed to be. As an example, it took 5 pages of description for a carriage to stop underneath a tree. I kept thinking "Yes, go on...."
Another category is falling into a genre I do not prefer, so I'm sort of against it from the outset. HOWEVER, by doing so I have read books in those genres that knocked my socks off. As an example, I'm not really into erotic fiction as a preferred genre, but Tiffany Reisz is as good a writer as I've ever come across, bar none: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10... and here is my review of it: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
So, I've been pleasantly surprised at genre-hopping.
The last category is a book that TEACHES me something about writing, even if it doesn't work in part. I find myself thinking "god that was just not right" and analyzing to myself WHY it wasn't right. A cautionary tale to myself as a writer. "Don't go down this pointless metaphorical blind alley."
John wrote: The last category is a book that TEACHES me something about writing, even if it doesn't work in part. I find myself thinking "god that was just not right" and analyzing to myself WHY it wasn't right. A cautionary tale to myself as a writer. "Don't go down this pointless metaphorical blind alley." ..."I'm not a writer, but sometimes I do continue reading a particularly terrible book just for the morbid fascination that such a thing was written and published.
Case in point Beauty And The Reclusive Prince. I'm not into romance novels, but I like retold fairy tales. This one is just ridiculous, but like a bad car crash, I cannot look away.
Mod
In which case, I'd challenge you to read Ass Goblins of Auschwitz. It was so bad, even I had to put it down. Not for the subject matter, just for the craptacular writing!
Mod
In which case, I'd challenge you to re..."
My favorite craptatastic book is Killer Flies, admittedly, I pretty much knew what I was getting into from the beginning.
Mod
In which case, I'd challe..."
That looks fucking awesome :)
I give a book 100 pages to convince me it's worth reading. If it can't hold my attention, or I dislike the characters, I discard it and select a new one.
I can't recall the last time I gave up on a book. Because I've found that when a book starts out dull or whatever it picks up later on. I think that if I gave up on a book I'd be missing something.
Olivia wrote: "I can't recall the last time I gave up on a book. Because I've found that when a book starts out dull or whatever it picks up later on. I think that if I gave up on a book I'd be missing something."I can't recall the last time I gave up on a book either Olivia. Once I start I feel obliged to finish. I just finished Catch-22. It wasn't an easy read. I see you gave it 3 stars.
I keep going to the bitter end regardless. Perhaps that makes me a sadomasochist. I just finished Catch-22, which I didn't particularly enjoy, though I know many of my fellow goodreads members love it. This is my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mod
I'm mostly the same way, but I thought it meant I had some form of OCD! :D
(It's gotten better over the years, where I will occasionally give up on a book. Usually, what happens, is I hesitate, get about halfway through, and then feel like I'll have completely wasted my time if I don't finish.)
Marc wrote: "Guy wrote: "I keep going to the bitter end regardless. Perhaps that makes me a sadomasochist..."I'm mostly the same way, but I thought it meant I had some form of OCD! :D
(It's gotten better ov..."
That sounds reasonable Marc. I agree, once you're halfway through it's too late to abandon it. You've read some good books. Planning on reading A Clockwork Orange soon. I see you gave it 4 stars.
Marc wrote: "Guy wrote: "I keep going to the bitter end regardless. Perhaps that makes me a sadomasochist..."I'm mostly the same way, but I thought it meant I had some form of OCD! :D
(It's gotten better ov..."
That's me, too. But, besides stupid books that were obvious by Chapter 2. Like a self-help monstrosity that I'm supposed to read for work. I finally soldiered through the Lord of the Rings series--took me years. But, here's supposed good books I cannot finish:
, and
. I have street cred elsewhere--length and difficulty just make me take longer-- but something about the styles here...
Mod
Tracy, it's much easier to put non-fiction down, now that you mention it. I don't feel like there's an opportunity for salvation or surprise-worthiness in a non-fiction book. I had to read Moby Dick in college, but ended up really liking it--even all those details about whaling (of which I had no sincere interest).
Tracy wrote: "Marc wrote: "Guy wrote: "I keep going to the bitter end regardless. Perhaps that makes me a sadomasochist..."I'm mostly the same way, but I thought it meant I had some form of OCD! :D
(It's got..."
If you read The Lord of the Rings series you can get through anything Tracy. My read to the end policy is not applicable for self-monstrosities.
Marc wrote: "Thanks, Guy! A Clockwork Orange is one of the few books I read after I saw the movie. I enjoyed the book, but could not get Malcolm McDowell's voice out of my head as I was reading.Tracy, it's mu..."
Haven't seen A Clockwork Orange since I was a kid so fortunately can't remember Malcolm McDowell's voice. But now you come to mention it.
Guy wrote: "Marc wrote: "Thanks, Guy! A Clockwork Orange is one of the few books I read after I saw the movie. I enjoyed the book, but could not get Malcolm McDowell's voice out of my head as I was reading.T..."
Oh, my Droogs--
I need to find an Englishman or woman who was around at that time--the 60s--musta been something in air then for making up borrowed or nonsense words--like that Small Faces album Ogden's Nut Gone Flake.
Clockwork Orange is pretty cool I read it when I was in high school. I wonder if I read it again, will I still like it.
One book I didn't really like was By Blood by Ellen Ullman. I just couldn't into it and when I did it was very brief.
I'm on mobile, will ads link later.
Lixian wrote: "Clockwork Orange is pretty cool I read it when I was in high school. I wonder if I read it again, will I still like it."There's only 1 way to find out Lixian. I just bought it. Got a few books to read first though.
Chaos Reading
Books mentioned in this topic
The Naked and the Dead (other topics)Moby-Dick or, The Whale (other topics)
Killer Flies (other topics)
Ass Goblins of Auschwitz (other topics)
Beauty and the Reclusive Prince (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
William Shakespeare (other topics)China Miéville (other topics)
Rafael Yglesias (other topics)
Ursula Hegi (other topics)
Đặng Thùy Trâm (other topics)
More...
With books considered classics or ones where there's a good buzz, I usually agree with Nancy Pearl's Rule of Fifty: "If you still don't like a book after slogging through the first 50 pages, set it aside. If you're more than 50 years old, subtract your age from 100 and only grant it that many pages." In a few years I'll start having to do the math :-)