Do you finish every book you start? - Page 5

Dark123 · 08-12-2010, 11:48 AM

Out of the 100s of books I have read, only a few I couldn't finish, because it was too boring or I just felt this book is not good at all.

Marseille · 08-12-2010, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by banjobama

I'm happy to see that most respondents are as demanding of entertainment from their books as I am.

Not finishing a few books doesn't seem too demanding. On the other hand, trying to get a refund because you didn't like the ending would be very demanding, worthy of:

Youtube it if you do it folks. Some things ought to be preserved for posterity (and they'll LOVE it at your Senate confirmation hearings).

kindlekitten · 08-12-2010, 12:51 PM

it took a long time but I finally learned how to give myself permission to walk away from a book. somehow I grew up with this onus of "once started, must finish". the Seattle NPR station does a weekly (?) show with the main librarian from the Seattle public library where she gives book suggestions. oddly enough (and this was pre e-book for me), it was a comment from her that finally sealed the deal. it was along the lines of; "there is no reason to put yourself through the misery of reading a book that is supposed to be for entertainment and you simply do not enjoy it. put it down, find something else." since then it has been a LOT easier to walk away from some. I still try to give them a bit of a chance, but can now walk away. unless I figure out I've been duped into a romance. then it's dropped like a hot potato!

FlorenceArt · 08-12-2010, 12:58 PM

Also, for those who feel obliged to finish a book before they bought it, just remember that wasting your time is not going to make up for having already wasted your money

Personally I consider time as a non-renewable resource, and value it (especially free time) much more than my money.

Steven Lake · 08-12-2010, 01:23 PM

Well, I've actually had a lot of books I've either abandoned or put on the shelf over the years. Most of the abandonments were due to either no longer needing the story (ie, it was an experimental piece to help me improve my writing), or it wasn't one I wanted to follow anymore. Heck, I've got some 35 novels now in various states of completion, so when I went through and did a bit of cleanup in my book folder, I ended up abandoning a lot of books I started, and then shelved for various reasons.

There's nothing wrong with abandoning a novel. Abandonments can happen for any number of reasons. Most of the time though the reasons are good, and should happen.

Wordcrasher · 08-12-2010, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlorenceArt

Also, for those who feel obliged to finish a book before they bought it, just remember that wasting your time is not going to make up for having already wasted your money

Personally I consider time as a non-renewable resource, and value it (especially free time) much more than my money.

I agree completely ! Well said

Marseille · 08-12-2010, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

it took a long time but I finally learned how to give myself permission to walk away from a book. somehow I grew up with this onus of "once started, must finish".

Heh. Do you just have a general aversion to quitting anything, or did your mom tell you about children being bored to death in China?

I have a deeply ingrained resistance to throwing food away thanks to a similarly illogical childhood admonition. I still can't figure out how me stuffing my face makes starvation in China better.

FlorenceArt · 08-12-2010, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Marseilles

Heh. Do you just have a general aversion to quitting anything, or did your mom tell you about children being bored to death in China?

I have a deeply ingrained resistance to throwing food away thanks to a similarly illogical childhood admonition. I still can't figure out how me stuffing my face makes starvation in China better.

I have the same acquired aversion to not finishing my food, and to wasting anything. Though I don't think the Chinese children are thanking me for it.

But I don't see not finishing a book as waste. The waste would be spending time on it if I'm not enjoying it.

kindlekitten · 08-12-2010, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Marseilles

Heh. Do you just have a general aversion to quitting anything, or did your mom tell you about children being bored to death in China?

I have a deeply ingrained resistance to throwing food away thanks to a similarly illogical childhood admonition. I still can't figure out how me stuffing my face makes starvation in China better.

it certainly didn't come from my Mom. she thinks my reading addiction is an aberration. I think it may because we lived so remotely for a lot of my young life that getting my hands on new books was a big deal. my Grandmother was a librarian, but I don't think I ever recall her scolding me for not finishing anything.

astra · 08-13-2010, 04:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Marseilles

I have a deeply ingrained resistance to throwing food away thanks to a similarly illogical childhood admonition

I still cannot do it. I think it is a childhood leftover. We were taught that duting WWII, during Leningrad blockade people were allowed only 125 grams of bread

Spoiler:

JeremyZ · 08-15-2010, 01:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

It's very, very rare that I don't finish a book once I start it but there have been a few.

+1

I almost didn't finish The Count of Monte Christo, but I'm glad I stuck with it. There were several really boring passages. Excessive praising of each other, excessive butt-kissing. But it was really worth it in the end. Same for Dracula. I'll never forget either of those two books.

I find that with easy-to-read books, I'm more likely to stick with than hard-to-read books. If it is harder to read, i.e. higher language or older style language, then the book really has to be good to warrant the extra effort.

Fbone · 09-02-2010, 08:32 PM

Well, I couldnt finish Frozen Tracks. Gave up on it today. Goes back to the library as soon as Earl leaves. Too many three word sentences. I need adjectives in my books.

Soldim · 09-22-2010, 09:51 AM

I try very hard at finishing everything I start, but since I often read multiple books at the same time, the finishing the least interesting ones keeps getting postponed.

The habit of reading multiple books at the same time has gotten significantly worse since I have an ereader. It is much less hassle to read 10 or so books when I have them all at hand.

FlorenceArt · 09-22-2010, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soldim

The habit of reading multiple books at the same time has gotten significantly worse since I have an ereader. It is much less hassle to read 10 or so books when I have them all at hand.

Same here... and I also tend to put less effort into finishing a book I don't enjoy, when I have so many available on my reader.

JoeKeppler · 09-22-2010, 10:48 AM

Was just talking to an old friend of mine about this. LOVE these message boards, always seem to somehow - sometimes a bit creepily - match conversations I have with friends and family at around the same time.

For me, while I do love my fiction, I can say that the only books I don't push through on are in that genre. I've never put an autobiography down though, and I read quite a few of those. What's funny is I've read some really boring autobiographies, but unlike fiction, I think I'm struck with the notion that at some point, somehow, the bio MUST get interesting.

My friend, however, was notorious for buying upwards of 5-6 books a month (these of course are the prehistoric days when only bulky print works roamed the land), but maybe finishing one, if that. I never wanted to intrude on his habit, but recently I knuckled up and just asked him why it was that he did that with his books.

He really didn't have an answer, just said he would go out to his bookstores and find whatever looked interesting - he was a big horror/thriller guy - and bring them back. It's not that he was ever into creating some impressive looking bookshelf, either.

While he may be the extreme, I do know a whole bunch of folks that'll do the same. Some of them with 30 dollar hardcovers!

View Poll Results: Do you finish reading every book you start reading?
Yes. I finish a book no matter what.	38	20.99%
No. I'll leave a book unfinished.	139	76.80%
Go away.	4	2.21%
Voters: 181. You may not vote on this poll

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Mercury Falls "is a blast from start to finish"	robkroese	Self-Promotions by Authors and Publishers	34	10-26-2010 03:34 PM
Do you finish all the books that you start?	socal9	General Discussions	29	09-24-2010 07:25 PM
Do you finish reading every book you start reading?	JSWolf	General Discussions	56	08-12-2010 05:52 PM
What book(s) did you finish even though you didn't like it?	Ea	Lounge	79	03-10-2009 05:40 PM
What do you do after you finish reading a book?	TheEternalVortex	Lounge	12	04-25-2008 02:12 PM

08-12-2010, 11:48 AM	#61
Dark123 Zealot Posts: 112 Karma: 105 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Kindle 3 WiFi	Out of the 100s of books I have read, only a few I couldn't finish, because it was too boring or I just felt this book is not good at all.

08-12-2010, 12:51 PM	#63
kindlekitten Professional Adventuress Posts: 13,368 Karma: 50260224 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: The Olympic Peninsula on the OTHER Washington! (the big green clean one on the west coast!) Device: Kindle, the original! Times Two! and gifting an International Kindle	it took a long time but I finally learned how to give myself permission to walk away from a book. somehow I grew up with this onus of "once started, must finish". the Seattle NPR station does a weekly (?) show with the main librarian from the Seattle public library where she gives book suggestions. oddly enough (and this was pre e-book for me), it was a comment from her that finally sealed the deal. it was along the lines of; "there is no reason to put yourself through the misery of reading a book that is supposed to be for entertainment and you simply do not enjoy it. put it down, find something else." since then it has been a LOT easier to walk away from some. I still try to give them a bit of a chance, but can now walk away. unless I figure out I've been duped into a romance. then it's dropped like a hot potato!

08-12-2010, 12:58 PM	#64
FlorenceArt High Priestess Posts: 5,761 Karma: 5042529 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Montreuil sous bois, France Device: iPad Pro 9.7, iPhone 6 Plus	Also, for those who feel obliged to finish a book before they bought it, just remember that wasting your time is not going to make up for having already wasted your money Personally I consider time as a non-renewable resource, and value it (especially free time) much more than my money.

08-12-2010, 01:23 PM	#65
Steven Lake Sci-Fi Author Posts: 1,157 Karma: 14743509 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Michigan Device: PC (Calibre)	Well, I've actually had a lot of books I've either abandoned or put on the shelf over the years. Most of the abandonments were due to either no longer needing the story (ie, it was an experimental piece to help me improve my writing), or it wasn't one I wanted to follow anymore. Heck, I've got some 35 novels now in various states of completion, so when I went through and did a bit of cleanup in my book folder, I ended up abandoning a lot of books I started, and then shelved for various reasons. There's nothing wrong with abandoning a novel. Abandonments can happen for any number of reasons. Most of the time though the reasons are good, and should happen.

09-02-2010, 08:32 PM	#72
Fbone Is that a sandwich? Posts: 8,189 Karma: 100500000 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Nook Glowlight Plus	Well, I couldnt finish Frozen Tracks. Gave up on it today. Goes back to the library as soon as Earl leaves. Too many three word sentences. I need adjectives in my books.

09-22-2010, 09:51 AM	#73
Soldim Not so important Posts: 1,063 Karma: 10181343 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Zurich Device: Sony PRS-505, Kindle 4, iPad, Kobo Glo 4	I try very hard at finishing everything I start, but since I often read multiple books at the same time, the finishing the least interesting ones keeps getting postponed. The habit of reading multiple books at the same time has gotten significantly worse since I have an ereader. It is much less hassle to read 10 or so books when I have them all at hand.

09-22-2010, 10:48 AM	#75
JoeKeppler New Author Posts: 16 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Spotsylvania, VA Device: Kindle	Was just talking to an old friend of mine about this. LOVE these message boards, always seem to somehow - sometimes a bit creepily - match conversations I have with friends and family at around the same time. For me, while I do love my fiction, I can say that the only books I don't push through on are in that genre. I've never put an autobiography down though, and I read quite a few of those. What's funny is I've read some really boring autobiographies, but unlike fiction, I think I'm struck with the notion that at some point, somehow, the bio MUST get interesting. My friend, however, was notorious for buying upwards of 5-6 books a month (these of course are the prehistoric days when only bulky print works roamed the land), but maybe finishing one, if that. I never wanted to intrude on his habit, but recently I knuckled up and just asked him why it was that he did that with his books. He really didn't have an answer, just said he would go out to his bookstores and find whatever looked interesting - he was a big horror/thriller guy - and bring them back. It's not that he was ever into creating some impressive looking bookshelf, either. While he may be the extreme, I do know a whole bunch of folks that'll do the same. Some of them with 30 dollar hardcovers!