Do you ever stop part-way through a book and decide not to finish it?
I very rarely do this. Even books that I find really dull, I try to make it through, in case it picks up. And I usually read reviews and summaries of books before reading them, to make sure it sounds interesting to me in the first place.
Last night I started a book. I only made it about 20 pages, but just couldn't get into it. The writing was not my style, and the character was southern...so everything was written in a very southern way that was just getting on my nerves. (I don't really know how to describe that better, but it was driving me nuts!)
I know 20 pages isn't much of a chance to give a book, so I may pick it back up again. But I put it down and started something else, and ended up reading 45 pages of that one with no problem. So maybe the other one just isn't for me.
I have to admit, I feel like a bit of a failure putting a book down without finishing it. I'm sure if I don't read it, it will haunt me and I'll always wonder if I should have kept at it, and wondering if I'm missing out on a great book because I didn't read it!
When that happens to me, I just put the book down. Sometimes I feel guilty about doing that, but, if I'm not interested in it, or if the character(s) are getting on my nerves, then I am just wasting precious reading time. I could be reading a book and really enjoying it! What is really tough, is when I am reading an ARC book for a review and I can't get into it....in those cases I force myself to finish the book to give it an honest review. :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Reading!
I could not get into John Irving's "A Prayer For Owen Meany" when I bought it years ago. My sister and I are rabid Irving fans and she couldn't get into it either. Years later I picked it up and read the book from cover to cover. I still don't think it's as great as all that, (I prefer so many of his other books), but it certainly wasn't as bad as I remembered.
ReplyDeleteThere are too many books in the world to waste time reading things that are not grabbing you. Read what you love. Don't finish what you don't. It's very liberating and common sense.
ReplyDelete