Wednesday, August 06, 2008

At What Point Do YOU Give Up?

This week I gave up on two books I'd been reading. I had invested about 100 pages in one, about 75 in the other. Neither was poorly written, but at some point I simply lost interest. With one, the plot was something I'd seen before (many times.) The other book was YA, which can easily fall prey to formula. Yet it wasn't formula that bothered me with this one, but the tone of the book took a drastic turn about six or seven chapters in, which really destroyed the experience for me. It's not that I don't like change or surprise in a book, but the shift in tone was just too abrupt and unnecessary.

Although I keep track of just about everything else in my reading, I don't necessarily keep a list of books I've given up on. If I did, this year's list would probably be around twenty titles. Maybe I just don't have the patience to finish something I'm not enjoying, maybe I've realized that life is too short to spend it reading books that just don't do it for you. (Although I sometimes find myself agreeing with Roger Ebert: "You must read books like The Da Vinci Code to remind you that life is too short to read books like The Da Vinci Code.")

My rule lately has been 100 pages (or three discs if I'm listening to an audiobook). At that point, it either stays or goes. For some reason, it's easier for me to abandon a work of fiction than one of non-fiction. And sometimes I know it's just a case of the right book at the wrong time; I have to be in the mood for certain books. Jane Austen is great, but I don't want to read her every day.

So at what point do you give up on a book? When do you decide "That's it! I've had enough!" or "This just isn't for me right now." ???

8 comments:

Livia Llewellyn said...

It depends on how much money I've spent on the book - I'll try to slog through a $30 hardcover, even at the discounted Amazon price, all the way to the bitter end. However, I'll make it a point to never spend money or reading time on the author again if the book sucks. Paperbacks, though? I give them a couple of chapters, and if I don't like the story, I leave it on a bench somewhere. I just don't have the time to finish reading a book once I realize it truly sucks.

John said...

My cue to abandon ship has two stages, the first coming at the point where I am no longer thinking about the book when I am not reading it, and the second when the library says the book is almost overdue and I haven't touched in two weeks. I make no effort to push through books of no interest. There is too little reading time, and, as you said, I've already read The Da Vinci Code.

I don't think I've ever abandoned a book I was more than halfway through, though. Usually by that point I am at least marginally invested in what's going to happen, regardless of how awful I know the book is.

Unknown said...

I generally decide sometime between pages 50 and 100. If I make it past 100, I will make a huge effort to finish. Even that, however, is not absolute. This is a pretty big change for me from 3 or 4 years ago where if I started I finished. At that point, I'd only ever given up on one book before I finished (book 3 or 4 of the gawdawful Mission Earth series). Nancy Pearl converted me to being willing to give up on books. I review almost everything I read on Rat's Reading, even if I don't finish. To keep track, I tag unfinished books both there and on my LibraryThing catalog. I have 10 so tagged.

Rachel said...

Awww did you give up on Edgar Sawtelle? If so, our book discussion is Monday October 13th so take that night off so you can come and tell us what made you stop!

If not, I apologize. Keep reading.

:)

Andy Wolverton said...

Livia, I'm with you. It's hard to trust an author again once they've screwed you.

John, great point: If I put down the book and am not looking forward to the next time I pick it up again, then I probably shouldn't pick it up again.

King Rat, I think I gave up on the Mission Earth series about the same place you did. Tagging on LT is a great idea.

Rachel, I'm still working on Edgar. I will finish, I promise!

CJ said...

I wanna know which 2 you gave up on! Spill!

Dr. Phil (Physics) said...

I ran across someone a while back who suggested the following formula: You read 100 pages minus your age in years before you can give it up.

This Fall I hit the halfway point. 100 - 50 = 50.

The theory is life is too precious for old-timers to waste it reading books they aren't enjoying. (grin)

Still, if I start it, I usually finish it.

Dr. Phil

Joe said...

I mean to respond to this a while ago, but it depends.

Like Livia, if I spent my money on the book I'll finished the damned thing, even if I spend every page damning it.

If it is a library book: Depends. 20 pages, 100 pages. 1/3 of the book. I'd generally like to get through at least a third of the book, but I should be hooked long before that.

Really, I just try to give the author a fair chance to hook me. If he or she can't, well, that's just too bad and I'm probably done with the book.