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Do you ever struggle finishing a book?

Recently stopped The Age of Innocence. Couldn't stand it. It's not easy for me to stop reading, but it gets easier with age.
 
direstraits said:
Recently stopped The Age of Innocence. Couldn't stand it. It's not easy for me to stop reading, but it gets easier with age.
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Hm, I've realized that I could stop reading a book only after I've started reading more on ebook reader. Paper books haunt me if I don't finish, but ebooks, meh, I have a feeling I could always get back to them.

The only paper book that eludes me is Moby Dick - I've tried in English, Croatian, every edition I could find, I just can't fore myself to read it. If done around 150 pages, but that's my limit. But I did watch mini-series with Patrick Steward, not sure if that counts for anything; was disappointed he never uttered "engage" or "make it so"... ;)
 
Peder said:
Hi, DS: That's one I have had trouble even opening, much less starting or finishing. :D
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Was on a spree of classics. Didn't enjoy most of them very much, I have to say, although my recently finished Pride and Prejudice immediately bulldozed everyone else and settled very comfortably near the top of my very best reads. :)

I have a few that I haven't finished yet still, but am determined to get to them. I've not yet gotten around to finishing Michael Cisco's The Traitor and Bolano's By Night In Chile. What's horrible is they are both incredibly slender books. I said I wanted to finish that Bolano for a while already, but things just get, uhm, in the way. :)
 
Wayoutwilly said:
Hm, I've realized that I could stop reading a book only after I've started reading more on ebook reader. Paper books haunt me if I don't finish, but ebooks, meh, I have a feeling I could always get back to them.
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Hmm, never thought of it that way. I've certainly stopped ebooks before (Ghost by John Ringo!!! Wow! Fifty Shades and Special Forces! If I didn't get it free I would have smacked myself on the head with something hard!), but I'm not sure if there's a difference for me between stopping ebooks and paper books. May have to deliberate on this a little.
 
direstraits said:
Hmm, never thought of it that way. I've certainly stopped ebooks before (Ghost by John Ringo!!! Wow! Fifty Shades and Special Forces! If I didn't get it free I would have smacked myself on the head with something hard!), but I'm not sure if there's a difference for me between stopping ebooks and paper books. May have to deliberate on this a little.
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Maybe you're more strong willed than I am. Or maybe I'm just subconsciously thinking that ebooks are little things on this gadget, and I can have them almost in infinite supply but I'm limited with time. I'm not saying that ebooks are worth less, I just think electrons aren't as heavy as paper so I can fit them more into my apartment.
 
If its not exciting you in some way stop reading, or walk out the movie! I have stopped reading many books on the first page or two. If it doesn't grab me in some way and make me want to keep reading then I'm not wasting my time on a book (or movie) I'm not enjoying. It's bad enough I already wasted money.

I always read a preview or the first page in the store before I buy. Sometimes it doesn't even take that much for it to go back on the shelf. Often the first sentence is enough to make a decision to go further or not.
 
Instead of reading the first page, I prefer the page 99 test to see whether I would want to read a book. Simply because an author probably puts a lot of effort into the first page/sentence to try and draw the reader in.
 
Well yes there is some validity to that theory but if the first page is awful the rest isn't going to get better ;)

Perhaps the ideal would be a combination of both - if the first page grabs then double check page 99

Aside - it says in the article page 99 is 1/3 to 1/4 of the way through most books. :confused: Seems awfully short, but then I pick books by weight most of the time. :D
 
I cannot judge by the first page. There were too many books I've read that has sucky beginnings that turned out worthwhile. Plus I'm a horrible judge of bad writing. But if there's a book where I can detect bad writing, then it's Kaiju Category 5 bad.

I didn't stop at the first page of John Ringo, after all. That was baaaaaad. And I don't mean badass bad.
 
I've once struggled to read an entire book. I don't really remember the title, but I remember that I took a nap after each chapter. LOL
I just couldn't help it. The writing style was dull...
 
Amina Black said:
I've once struggled to read an entire book. I don't really remember the title, but I remember that I took a nap after each chapter. LOL
I just couldn't help it. The writing style was dull...
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Once? That's pretty good... I struggle almost every other book.
 
Personally for me if I don't like a book I don't read it. I will try and make it through the first few chapters to see if it picks up, but my theory is that if I can put a book down and not wonder what is going to happen next, then I might as well find another book I am going to enjoy rather than spoil reading by reading something I don't like.
 
A topic I'm sure readers never come to full terms with. Kind of like a nasty divorce where things like the divvying up of the silverware brings out the brain stem impulse.
 
Sometimes yes I do, and the main reason is that I don't always have the time to. If I am reading a "really" good book then I will spend more time reading it and putting other things on the back burner!!! :)
 
I hate to admit it but sometimes if I've gotten into a book to the point that I've really lost interest in the story line but I just want to find out how it's ending, I will skim through the rest to find out how it ends. Sadly but truly.
 
I don't struggle anymore; I just put the book aside and find more pleasant reading, or something else to do. Life is too short for struggling.

(Same goes for forums.)
 
Peder said:
I don't struggle anymore; I just put the book aside and find more pleasant reading, or something else to do. Life is too short for struggling.

(Same goes for forums.)
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Absolutely. If a book isn't grabbing my attention I just leave it.
 
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