Books - Finishing Books.

Stars_And_Sunsets · 09-24-2007, 05:14 AM

If you're about halfway through a book and you still haven't gotten interested in it, or the characters really annoy you, do you keep reading it until you've finished it?
I used to do this, but realised I'd much rather spend time reading books I enjoy, rather than try to work my way through a book I don't like. But then I feel a little guilty about not finishing one and worried I'm missing something in the later parts of the book

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**~Unfaithful~** · 11-26-2007, 08:49 PM

I missed this thread in the shuffle. I used to continue to plod through an unenjoyable book, but now I put it aside and try again a short time later. A few times, I have actually gotten interest in a book and was able to finish it. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work though.

shutterbug579 · 11-26-2007, 09:32 PM

I used to try to push my way through but since my reading time is so limited I usually move onto something else. I keep a list of books I haven't been able to finish in case I get the urge to give one another shot. There are a few that have captured my attention enough on the second try that I've been able to finish them.

Playing The Angel · 11-26-2007, 11:52 PM

I normally put the book aside for later. That or I skim through what is left of it, sometimes doing that compels me to continue reading the book as normal if the story picks up a bit.

**TheAngel** · 11-27-2007, 05:36 AM

I normally put it down and don't finish it. It's not like watching a movie you don't like, it takes more than two hours and it takes a lot of effort. I have no interest in wasting that much of my life with a book that isn't any good.

WildAtHeart · 11-27-2007, 09:22 AM

i always finish them..i can't help it..my mind always goes "just read a few more pages, it will get better"....haha and then when it doesn't get better...i get angry lol

dukesmom · 11-27-2007, 06:34 PM

I'm about 50/50 for putting a book aside and trying again later or plowing through regardless. There's only ever been one book I gave up on entirely that I can remember.

Frozeninside · 11-28-2007, 06:25 AM

I used to force myself to finish them but I have that many books that I'm looking forward to reading why force read something you don't want when there is such a selection of books I want to read. So I just put it aside and read something else I go back to put a side book and if after a couple of more pick ups I can't get into it I stop completely. One day I'll start the whole thing over again because you never know what might interest you in the future.

Lila Lila · 11-28-2007, 01:55 PM

I usually try to finish every book I started, mostly because I always hope the book will get better/more interesting later on. If I don't finish a book, it's mostly not because I made a conscious decision to do so, it's just that I put it somewhere and just forget about it.

**TheAngel** · 11-28-2007, 09:18 PM

I have a tendency to read more than one book at once, normally three our four at a time, so if I start one that's better than one I've already started, I'll put aside the original book until I finish the better one. Which gets confusing as to which book I want to read but somehow I keep story lines straight.

**~Unfaithful~** · 11-28-2007, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheAngel (View Post)

I have a tendency to read more than one book at once, normally three our four at a time, so if I start one that's better than one I've already started, I'll put aside the original book until I finish the better one. Which gets confusing as to which book I want to read but somehow I keep story lines straight.

I'm always in the middle of more that I can handle. I've been reading Dragonfly in Amber for months now. I just didn't get into it as easily as Outlander I brought it on vacation with me when I went to the beach,and got a good chunk of it done, but haven't picked it up since August. I'm sure I will again though.

Soz · 11-29-2007, 01:55 AM

I used to finish everything I started, but I've read too many start-to-finish bad books that I was eventually broken of the habit. If a book has some redeeming value, but it's not quite grabbing me, I'll usually finish it, but if it's really bad, I just move on because so many books, so little time.

There are some books that don't work for me at a particular time and I know they are good, so I set them aside to read later.

~*Echo*~ · 12-04-2007, 04:33 PM

I almost always feel compelled to finish books, even if I don't like them. Sometimes I'm hoping they'll get better (after all, Kushiel's Dart is one of my favorite books, and I didn't start really getting into that until about 1/3 of the way through), but usually, I just feel like my time has been wasted if I start something and don't stay with it to see how it comes out. Yes, I suppose one could argue that its wasting even more of my time to finish something I'm not enjoying . . .

. . . but I guess I feel like if I finish it, I'll at least have the full experience of the book to judge my dislike for it on. I have the same issue with TV series, although I've gotten better about it lately; I'll stick with a TV show until it gets so bad/boring that I just can't motivate myself to care about it at all anymore, which is usually at least one season after I've stopped enjoying it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ~Unfaithful~ (View Post)

I'm always in the middle of more that I can handle. I've been reading Dragonfly in Amber for months now. I just didn't get into it as easily as Outlander I brought it on vacation with me when I went to the beach,and got a good chunk of it done, but haven't picked it up since August. I'm sure I will again though.

Interesting - Dragonfly in Amber happens to be one of the few books that I've never finished either. Not because I didn't like it or anything, I just never got into it enough to finish it before it was due at the library and I haven't gotten around to checking it out again.

Samweed Knightly · 12-04-2007, 08:47 PM

Most of the time when I get annoyed by a book I just stop reading it for like a few months and then come back to it later. Usually, I'm just not in the mood to deal with it.

bubandgeek05 · 12-04-2007, 09:30 PM

Right now I've got 4 books started and I'll probably read the one I just bought first and then start to work my way back. But I do try to read all books I start. I just have to read all of it. Very hard for me to skip around/skim books even if I don't like them.

Nicole