Short & Sweet Treats discussion

Some readers view finishing a book they've already started as a point of honor or as some kind of obligation. Others may quit a disappointing book, and I'm sure there's a lot of variation in at what point they do so.
Personally, I tend to give books a chance up to about 50 pages in (unless it's truly terrible, in which case I'll quit much sooner). If it's still a chore then, I drop it. My rationale is that there are more good or at least enjoyable books out there than I'll ever read, and it's a waste of precious reading time to keep reading a disappointing book. Also, I find that the first 50 pages or so normally are a decent sample of what the overall book will be like - sure, they may improve or get worse, but usually not radically so. On occasions when I've persisted with a bad book much past that, I've not found it gets better and so I would've been better off cutting my losses earlier. Pretty much the only exception I can think of is The Queen's Tiara, whose first ~50 pages were absolutely terrible and then changed drastically for the better.
What do others do?

Hi, Lohengrin! You pose a good question. I used to feel obligated to finish every book I started. But the past few years, I find if I don't find a book interesting by the first few chapters or first 50 pages, I just put it down and pick up another book that will capture my interest more.

I personally haven't left a book unread not that I didn't want to. I invested too much time into the last book like this so I had to finish it. One of the reasons I really don't like ereaders (I have 2) is because you can't tell it your close to the end or not. This is the reason a book has to grab me in the first few pages.

Alicia wrote: "How far I read depends on several factors, but life is too short to force myself through books that don't hold my attention."

Yeah, I mean there are so many other books awesome out there waiting to be read!

I've only left one book unread, Agatha Christie's "Curtain" where Poirot dies. It still sits on my library shelf, bookmark still stuck at the end of chapter 3. Enjoy the character so much just can't bring myself to finish it.

I have a few books unfinished at my library shelf that didn't hold my attention.
But I think that it's not bad to leave them.
We don't have to enjoy ALL THE BOOKS that we read. Always there are going to be some which we are not going to like.
But still you can try to re-read ones and give them another chance.

Jack wrote: "I've only left one book unread, Agatha Christie's "Curtain" where Poirot dies. It still sits on my library shelf, bookmark still stuck at the end of chapter 3. Enjoy the character so much just can'..."

oh that would be kinda sad!

Jack, I understand--sometimes the death of a character I love hits very hard, as if I've lost a friend. I read a post where someone stopped reading the Harry Potter books after Dumbledore died, the person was so upset.

For me, characters are central. They don't have to be "good", but they have to be real and interesting and full of curiosity. That will keep me reading any book!

However, I'm with Laura, that if I haven't met a character who captured me within the first 50 pages, I will let the book go. That's why I could stay with The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt--those first four chapters were so powerful!

I have left a few unfinished... I didn't finish Carl Hiaasen's Tourist Season--and I LOVE CH books. I just put it down to read one of the Harry Potter books way back in the day and never picked it back up.

I didn't finish John Locke's Now and Then, a Donovan Creed novel, and that was strange. But half way through it inexplicably switched from a contemporary killer for hire with romance and suspense and humor, to a period piece about pirates.

I didn't finish Silko's Ceremony way back in college. It was "stream of Conscience" writing, and toward the three fourth point I had no idea what was going on... and when asked, neither did the professor. So I skipped the last third, wrote my paper, and somehow got an A.

Julia wrote: "Jack, I understand--sometimes the death of a character I love hits very hard, as if I've lost a friend. I read a post where someone stopped reading the Harry Potter books after Dumbledore died, the..."

Added The Goldfinch to my TBR!

I finished every single book I've started. Then again, I might not have as much of a reading pedigree as some of you, but still :)

I often had to put down a book for a while and switch to a new one, but I always came back after a while to finish them.

This is especially true of books over 400 pages. I find that after that length, I have a hard time keep my focus on a single story.

Carly wrote: "I have a ton of books in my TBR pile, many even from personal writer friends. That probably makes me quicker to put one aside than I used to be. If I'm not getting much out of it, I might pick it u..."

I just put up a TBR Challenge here...
TBR Challenge

It depends on how disappointed I am/ what my expectations were. For example, Stephen Kings Doctor Sleep. I had such high hopes and was so disappointed, that I stopped. But because I had such high hopes, I might give it another try at some point. . I used to have to always finish, but I'm learning not to waste my time.

Nope. Even with a poorly written book, I keep hoping that something will happen at the end that will make the whole read worthwhile.

that is a good point, Holly. for example, The Age of Innocence ending made the book worthwhile for me

I think we should not force ourselves if a book is not appealing to us, perhaps it's just not the right moment for us to read it...

When I find I am not involved in a story and I'm simply not hooked, I leave it aside. Maybe some time later I'll see it in a different light.
This has happened to me a few times, for instance with Of Love and Shadows and I when came back to ir a few years later loved it...

I have definitely abandoned my fair share of books. I tend to give it 50-75 pages. That usually happens If a book is difficult to read or the story line is a bore. However, I tend to tell myself that the book is just not for me at the time and I resolve to try again later. I do feel strongly about not wasting time on a book I am not enjoying.

I have definitely abandoned my fair share of books. I tend to give it 50-75 pages. That usually happens If a book is difficult to read or the story line is a bore. However, I tend to tell myself that the book is just not for me at the time and I resolve to try again later. I do feel strongly about not wasting time on a book I am not enjoying.

I feel strongly compelled to finish every book I start, and the ones that I have left unfinished still weigh on my conscience. I do think it makes much more sense to abandon books that one does not like as there are too many other good books.

Oh, the compulsions!

Chella wrote: "I feel strongly compelled to finish every book I start, and the ones that I have left unfinished still weigh on my conscience. I do think it makes much more sense to abandon books that one does not..."

I have to agree 100%. I definitely feel compelled to complete every book I start. The only books I've ever left incomplete were a couple that I received free at different years of ComiCon, because they were just not meant to be completed.


♥,
Cat at Galaxy Press

The only book that I've let unfinished until now is The Twelve Caesars. But I intend to finísh it someday.

I have trouble abandoning a book. I will usually start another book but keep reading a chapter or two a day in the book I'm not really enjoying until I'm finished with it.

I like to read two or three books at a time, but I rarely leave one unfinished. I've had the good fortune to like most books I read! But when I dislike a book, I try to finish it and pinpoint why exactly I don't like it (personal taste, lack of clarity, etc).

The older I get the more I'm likely to abandon a book - so many books, so little time! :-)

I'm new to the group and wanted to express my opinion - I skimmed through all of the posts and got to the last one by Abcdarian - who expressed my thoughts exactly! I used to feel the need to read the entire book, even if I was not getting enjoyment from it. Now I figure, I'm to old to read a dull book!

I've done this a lot. It doesn't even require a decision on my part. A lot of times I borrow books from the library but when the due date comes I'm not done or haven't even touched it. I have no choice then but to bring it back to the library.

Also often if it's a book I'm not sure I'll like, I'll flip to some pages inside and read. If it interests me then I'll backtrack a bit (so I know the story/context) until I get to the beginning. If it doesn't, or if I've started from the beginning but it doesn't attract me, then I'll jump to some page later in the book. If it's still not good I can jump that way until the very end. Before the Internet I might have been tempted to read every word on everything, but nowadays I'm so easily distracted it's impossible to do that unless I'm really into the book.

same here, Lext! !

If the book is poorly written (grammatically) or if the characters behave completely different without explanation, I will abandon a book. Or, if a book just doesn't grab me to begin with, I will not continue. There are too many books and so little time, why waste that time on a book that leaves you empty.

I used to feel guilty quitting a book in the middle, but now, not a problem. Nancy Pearl, author and famous Seattle librarian, came up with a great scheme for trying out books: read 50 pages, then it's OK to quit the book. BUT if you are over aged 50, then you subtract your age from 100 and only have to read that many pages! Thus, my father is 83 and only has to sample 17 pages. I'm also over 50, so am getting a break, ha ha. Anyone ever heard of this system?

Jen ƸӜƷ wrote: "If the book is poorly written (grammatically) or if the characters behave completely different without explanation, I will abandon a book. Or, if a book just doesn't grab me to begin with, I will ..."

I agree with you, Jen. I will usually try and give a book a chance but if it is not catching my interest I have to allow myself to move on.

I've been thinking about this question because I'm finishing fewer books these days. Ugh. I've just stopped reading a psychological mystery/thriller (my favourite genre if it's not about serial killers) and I stopped being interested as soon as the point of view flipped from the mind of the missing woman's husband (compelling) to the woman herself. She's in a locked shed. I immediately "knew" she'd been abducted by some psychopath and I suddenly felt very bored. I might be wrong so I won't mention the title but I don't think my interest will return.

I am a boring person. I become bored easily.

Mary wrote: "Greg wrote: "I am a boring person. I become bored easily."

Good thing you're in a short book group Greg! Just when you start to get bored the book is finished."

Short but sweet is how I like 'em.

I have to finish what I started, even if I don't like it. The reasons depend on which book it is, and the severity in which I don't care for it. Sometimes I have hope that it will get better, sometimes I don't care for the writing but just want to finish it to see what happens or how a certain character develops, and sometimes I just want to be disciplined enough to finish, because I feel that if I made it to a certain point, I might as well see it through. Unless I absolutely despise a book, I almost always have to finish it.

I try and give every book a chance, I do have some immediate turn offs. When the author doesn't separator the narrator from a different character talking, or they say, "like I said." Another big turn off is when they use complicated words to try and sound perspicacious endowed (intelligent). Why not just use the simple word, because, dear author (just like my example) you very often get the meaning wrong! I am reading a book now that does all 3. I'm only about 10% in, not sure if I will make it to 20% before I either burn the pages with holy water, or my eyeballs explode.

Sometimes a book that is boring may become interesting later in life. War and Peace, for example. I would not have enjoyed it in high school. As an adult, I loved it.

Kerry wrote: "I have to finish what I started, even if I don't like it. The reasons depend on which book it is, and the severity in which I don't care for it. Sometimes I have hope that it will get better, somet..."

I can totally relate to this, Kerry!
When a book became unbearable, I just put it down and read something else. And then, a few days later, I would grit my teeth and read that book again from where I left it...