I Don't Want to Know How Much of the Book Is Left - Page 2

bjones6416 · 11-15-2010, 03:17 PM

Funny, that is one of the very few things that I MISS about p-books -- pinching the already read portion and comparing it to the TBR portion -- usually because I want it to be longer! I know I can look at the progress bar and see that I'm about halfway, or whatever, but I do miss that little tactile reminder...

rhadin · 11-15-2010, 06:02 PM

I like to know my progress in a book. If I'm on page 75 of 450 and am bored, I know it is time to stop reading and delete the book (this happens much too frequently) because there is too much left to struggle through. OTOH, if I'm on page 380 of 450 and I'm only now starting to get bored, I know that either I will continue to be bored or the story will pick up but that to this point the book has been at least interesting, and thus I'll finish reading it.

In addition, like others whio have commented this way, knowing where I am in relation to the "end" helps me decide whether I want to try to continue reading now or put it down and continue later.

Perhaps it is because I'm old, but I like the replication of the pbook reading experience when reading ebooks. It's probably just familiarity but it certainly has made my transition from p to e much quicker and easier.

Wasabihound · 11-15-2010, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lady Fitzgerald

The only time I even think about it is when I'm getting close to the end and I have to decide if to finish it later or if I have time (or can make time) to finish it now.

me too.

hgwlackey · 11-15-2010, 09:43 PM

I bought a book for the Kobo app on my iPad, and then found out the Kobo app only tells you how many pages you have left in the chapter, not the book. I read and enjoyed it, but I was was restless the whole time, not knowing how far into it I was. I'm glad to have my Sony now; I can enjoy Kobobooks' coupons AND knowing how where I am in a book.

GraceKrispy · 11-15-2010, 11:19 PM

I have to know where I am in a book. I hate when I don't know. I like to know my place in space

SlowRain · 11-15-2010, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hgwlackey

...I was was restless the whole time, not knowing how far into it I was.

That's exactly the feeling I'm trying to get people to experience.

I may not have been clear in my initial post. If I'm bored with the book, I do turn on the progress bar to see how far I am. If I only have a little bit left, I'll persevere. If I still have a ways to go, I give it up. Otherwise, I leave the progress bar off.

astra · 11-16-2010, 04:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darknessangel

Isn't this a little bit silly? Cause you can feel that also with a real book....

Yes, the OP got to go back to pbooks and ask publishers to pad the books with empty numbered pages to fool the OP's awareness of an impeding end. Maybe back to parchments or scroll type would help?

astra · 11-16-2010, 04:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jellby

I find it's more useful to know how much of the chapter is left, which can be used to decide whether to stop or keep reading.

Unfortunately I have noticed that it is almost impossible to do in ePub. I don't even know what chapter I am reading. I am used to the footer with title name, is doesn't exist in ePub

Jellby · 11-16-2010, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by astra

Unfortunately I have noticed that it is almost impossible to do in ePub. I don't even know what chapter I am reading. I am used to the footer with title name, is doesn't exist in ePub

Fortunately, with the Cybook it's easy to know which chapter I'm in: just call the TOC, and it comes with the current chapter selected. Then I can go to the next chapter, see the "page number", go back to my previous place and get an idea of how much is left, but this is not as convenient

astra · 11-16-2010, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jellby

Fortunately, with the Cybook it's easy to know which chapter I'm in: just call the TOC, and it comes with the current chapter selected. Then I can go to the next chapter, see the "page number", go back to my previous place and get an idea of how much is left, but this is not as convenient

On Sony, I look at what page number I am atm., then call the TOC and see what chapter the page number corresponds to

but on the new Sony it is a very long way to the TOC

hgwlackey · 11-16-2010, 07:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SlowRain

That's exactly the feeling I'm trying to get people to experience.

I find the feeling more of a detriment to than an enhancement of my reading experience.

SlowRain · 11-16-2010, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hgwlackey

I find the feeling more of a detriment to than an enhancement of my reading experience.

I realize you don't enjoy it, but I like the way you phrased it: restless. I'd say it takes the reader out of their comfort zone and, hopefully, makes them connect with the uncertainty the characters are experiencing. I think it's a great opportunity for writers of e-books to mine to its full potential.

elemenoP · 11-16-2010, 10:53 AM

I think I hear what you're saying, SlowRain. I am like that with back cover copy: sometime I need it to decide if I want to read the book, but if I have already made up my mind, I try NOT to read the back cover copy, because it gives too much away and I like that disoriented feeling trying to figure out what is going on at the beginning of a book.

And definitely the page numbers help me orient myself with the narrative structure, just as the time does with tv shows and movies on tv (movies in the theater are different because I don't know exactly when the movie is going to end... so in that way it is a more immersive experience).

But I don't think I can try your experiment because I don't think my reader allows for turning off the page numbers.

Oh and unlike others here, chapters mean nothing to me. I might stop reader one page before the chapter ends, or after the first paragraph of a new chapter. I stop when I want to stop (usually when I'm falling asleep).

eP

SeaBookGuy · 11-16-2010, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by astra

On Sony, I look at what page number I am atm., then call the TOC and see what chapter the page number corresponds to

but on the new Sony it is a very long way to the TOC

On the new Sony, I fast forward (holding down the page advance button), watching the chapter flip by, and then hit GO TO PAGE to get back to where I was once I see how much is left; I've only done it once so far, but it worked well for me.

French · 11-16-2010, 03:55 PM

I had an opposite experience that impacted me as much as your experience seems to have impacted you.

I was reading a book that said it was 700+ pages long. And was completely dismayed and frustrated when the book "suddenly" came to an end at page 400-something. I thought I had another 300 pages to go and was completely not expecting that to have been the end of the book. It was an awful experience.

Having said that...in my case there were page numbers that were just incorrect. Wonder how it would have worked if I didn't have false page numbers to begin with....

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11-15-2010, 03:17 PM	#16
bjones6416 ↓↓ Skirt!! Earrings!! Posts: 3,394 Karma: 17432172 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Georgia, USA Device: Acer netbook, JetBook Lite, Sony PRS-300, Kindle 2, Kindle Fire	Funny, that is one of the very few things that I MISS about p-books -- pinching the already read portion and comparing it to the TBR portion -- usually because I want it to be longer! I know I can look at the progress bar and see that I'm about halfway, or whatever, but I do miss that little tactile reminder...

11-15-2010, 06:02 PM	#17
rhadin Literacy = Understanding Posts: 4,833 Karma: 59674358 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: The World of Books Device: Nook, Nook Tablet	I like to know my progress in a book. If I'm on page 75 of 450 and am bored, I know it is time to stop reading and delete the book (this happens much too frequently) because there is too much left to struggle through. OTOH, if I'm on page 380 of 450 and I'm only now starting to get bored, I know that either I will continue to be bored or the story will pick up but that to this point the book has been at least interesting, and thus I'll finish reading it. In addition, like others whio have commented this way, knowing where I am in relation to the "end" helps me decide whether I want to try to continue reading now or put it down and continue later. Perhaps it is because I'm old, but I like the replication of the pbook reading experience when reading ebooks. It's probably just familiarity but it certainly has made my transition from p to e much quicker and easier.

11-15-2010, 09:43 PM	#19
hgwlackey Zealot Posts: 123 Karma: 9550 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Tennessee, USA Device: Kindle Touch, HTC Thunderbolt	I bought a book for the Kobo app on my iPad, and then found out the Kobo app only tells you how many pages you have left in the chapter, not the book. I read and enjoyed it, but I was was restless the whole time, not knowing how far into it I was. I'm glad to have my Sony now; I can enjoy Kobobooks' coupons AND knowing how where I am in a book.

11-15-2010, 11:19 PM	#20
GraceKrispy It's Dr. Penguin now! Posts: 3,909 Karma: 4705733 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: (USA) Device: iPad mini, Samsung Note 3, Sony PRS-650 (rarely used now)	I have to know where I am in a book. I hate when I don't know. I like to know my place in space

11-16-2010, 10:53 AM	#28
elemenoP Wizard Posts: 1,717 Karma: 3790058 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: NYC Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Sony 650	I think I hear what you're saying, SlowRain. I am like that with back cover copy: sometime I need it to decide if I want to read the book, but if I have already made up my mind, I try NOT to read the back cover copy, because it gives too much away and I like that disoriented feeling trying to figure out what is going on at the beginning of a book. And definitely the page numbers help me orient myself with the narrative structure, just as the time does with tv shows and movies on tv (movies in the theater are different because I don't know exactly when the movie is going to end... so in that way it is a more immersive experience). But I don't think I can try your experiment because I don't think my reader allows for turning off the page numbers. Oh and unlike others here, chapters mean nothing to me. I might stop reader one page before the chapter ends, or after the first paragraph of a new chapter. I stop when I want to stop (usually when I'm falling asleep). eP

11-16-2010, 03:55 PM	#30
French Groupie Posts: 151 Karma: 1002968 Join Date: Dec 2008 Device: none	I had an opposite experience that impacted me as much as your experience seems to have impacted you. I was reading a book that said it was 700+ pages long. And was completely dismayed and frustrated when the book "suddenly" came to an end at page 400-something. I thought I had another 300 pages to go and was completely not expecting that to have been the end of the book. It was an awful experience. Having said that...in my case there were page numbers that were just incorrect. Wonder how it would have worked if I didn't have false page numbers to begin with....