When you're reading a book and it's just not doing it for you what do you do? Stick with it and hope for a nice ending to bring it all together or give up. Life's too short to waste reading a book you're not liking. Right?
I struggle with this decision. It used to be that I'd keep reading a book no matter what and force my way through it. Then, as I joined this blogging community and Goodreads and my TBR list got bigger than Mt Everest, I started to realize maybe, just maybe, it wasn't so bad to just give up on a book I'm not enjoying. The problem with this way of thinking is this: I've read quite a lot of books that I really was not enjoying and then, suddenly, BAM! It's has this awesome ending! What if I hadn't finished it? I would have missed out! I call this Readers Regret. When I give up on a book I always wonder if I'd stuck with it, if I would have liked it.
Some people say there's a way around this. If you're not liking a book and want to give up, they say, just flip to the ending and see if it's worth finishing. Well, I have a problem with that. Reading the ending without context it like popping a delectable dessert in you mouth and swallowing with out really chewing it, savoring it, TASTING it. You know? So I can't do it. I'm either all in or all out. No flipping ahead for me.
On the other hand I've stuck with very long painful reads only to shut the book with rage building inside. I'm furious that I stuck with it, persevered and for what?! The crappiest book with the crappiest ending ever! Argh!
So what's the right decision? I don't know, I just don't know.
via GIPHY
So what about you? Do you ever have regrets about giving up on a book? Do you think it's worth sticking with a book till the end? And how do you know if you should stick with it or not?
While it's true you might miss out on a surprisingly good ending, reading a book is more about the journey. If it's just not working for you, why not put it aside for a while once (or even twice) and then see if it comes together after that. If not then put it down for good, no regrets! There are simply too many books out there yet to be discovered.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I do put books down if I'm not liking them but I always panic and think I'm missing out!
DeleteI don't feel bad for giving up on a book. There are too many books out there to read, and I don't want to waste my time on ones that I don't enjoy. There are some books that I just wasn't in the mood for, and I plan on going back to finish someday.
ReplyDeleteI wish I didn't have any regrets about putting books down.
DeleteSome books I can tell are just not for me. Those I give up on. Others, I think it has to do with mood. So, I may stop reading it then and then try again later (e.g. The Hobbit, Dracula). So, it depends for me. If it's a classic, then I usually try to give it more time because I know it'll be hard for me, but I want to read it just to read it. And, I try to give a book at least 100 pages before I give up on it. It nothing is happening by then, then I don't care if the ending is awesome as hell. It missed its chance to engage me (except for classics)!
ReplyDeleteI can usually tell if I should just put a book down but sometimes I'm not sure. Funny what you say about classics. I actually have an easier time giving up on them than non classics.
DeleteThis is such a hard thing to decide! I know what you mean about wondering if you would have liked it if you had stuck with it (but also feeling furious those times you did stick with it and it was still awful!). I have a system now where if I really don't like a book, I partially skim the next few chapters. If it's still not better, then I skim the rest even more (like I'll read three or four sentences a page) until I finish. That way I get to feel like I finished the book, and have a vague idea of how it ended - but I didn't have to go through all the boring/rubbishy parts!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I always feel bad skimming books. It's a disease I suffer from. ;(
DeleteI always think: If I don't finish the book this time around, that's okay! I can come back to it later. Because book bloggers are constantly reading and writing about books, I tend to assume (or, I tell myself) that all the books will come back around eventually. And that helps me when I'm not enjoying a book to just set it down and move on to something that's maybe a better fit for me RIGHT THEN.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I suck at setting aside a book and coming back to it later because I have that bad memory of not being able to get into it the first time, you know? It's hard! Sigh!
DeleteI have already dnfed a book this year, and I don't feel guilty (but I will admit I did look at the end and felt completely justified). It's always a struggle to make the decision to quit a book, even one I hate. I can't really figure out what makes me stick and what makes me quit- there's no set formula. But if a book is actively making me unhappy, then it's usually easier to put it aside.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I don't have a formula either. I can usually tell if I won't like a book and if there's no point finishing it but sometimes I'm not sure. So stressful!
DeleteBefore I started blogging I never DNF'd a book. No matter how painful it was and how much I hated the characters. Now I hardly feel any guilt because I know that there are other much better books out there waiting to be started. A good ending isn't worth going through reading hell to get to. I'm not one who only reads one chapters and decides to give up mind you. I'll usually give the book at least 10 chapters to see if anything at all grabs me. Whatever you decide don't feel bad. Reading is meant to be fun and if you're not having any that's a sign!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I always give books about 100 pages before I decide to give up or not.
DeleteI try to stick with it until I've read 100 pages. If I find that I am forcing myself to read or completely avoiding reading opportunities then I know it's time to bag it.
ReplyDeletePam
I'm the same. I give it 100 pages and the decide. Sometimes I inexplicably decide to keep reading even when I'm not liking it.
DeleteSuch a tough question! I HATE giving up too, but now that my life has become so busy and my reading time has started to shrink I feel less guilty about not finishing a book. If I'm having trouble getting through one I usually go online to read other people's reviews...and if they mention some of the same issues I'm having, and ended up disliking the book then I stop reading....on the flip side if they have the same issues as me but end up loving it in the end I push through and keep going!
ReplyDeleteNatalie, you're a genius! I never thought of doing that. I'm so silly! I'm going to do that now. Yay!
DeleteI had this dilemma too! I realized that the ones with endings that paid off were usually classics. So I decided that I would finish classics to the bitter end but new books I was more willing to abandon if I didn't like them. The new books have to work harder for me essentially. Look back at the books you are glad you pushed through and see if you can find a pattern. Quitting can be a good thing though!
ReplyDeleteI actually have an easier time giving up on classics than non classics.
DeleteRead the ending?? Gasp! I would never do that, even if I never planned on finishing the book. If a book's not grabbing me after a chapter or two, I set it aside. Occasionally, I'll go back and finish the book, but mostly I won't. Life's definitely too short to read books I'm not enjoying.
ReplyDeleteLol! Yeah I used to read endings but I can't do it now!
DeleteI think that it depends on my mood while I'm reading. I've had a handful of books I didn't finish and don't regret any of them, but I've also had a few books I regretted sticking with! I've put down a book or two, only to pick them up later and actually enjoy them. Guess it just depends on my mood, which doesn't really answer your question. Sorry. :(
ReplyDeleteI admit it, I'm one of those (rare and horrible) people who read the ending first. (I know.) So in that case, if I'm not enjoying a book it's no problem for me to find out how it ends and either finish reading if I'm sufficiently intrigued or stop altogether. But if you *must* finish or no, as you say, then I'm not certain how I'd do in your situation. I would say it really would depend on how awful I'm feeling about the book at the time. Do you ever put it down and go back to it later? Or will that not really happen since your TBR is so high (a dilemma I completely understand!!)?
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