What's Your "No Turning Back" Point?

[Bella Fortuna]

When you're reading a book, and after going at it for awhile you realise you're just not into it, what's the point where you can simply put it down without guilt, and when do you feel that you've committed yourself to the thing and you have to see it through to its miserable, droning end?

I've gotten into one now that has taken me all week to slog through 26 pages, and it is just doing nothing for me - but part of me thinks I should trudge on. I think 26 pages is still in the acceptable "walk away" window, however...

[rasetsu]

I have a simple solution. I don't read bad books. I'll usually do 3/4 before throwing in the towel. But I read non-fiction only.


Unless it's super bad. I have a sixth sense about books, so not often.

[SteveB]

I made it through Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind (HOLY FUCK, DO NOT READ!) It was a bigger accomplishment than the Greeks defeating the Persians at Plataea, if I say so myself.

I think I said before in this forum that I couldn't make it through the long version of Robinson Crusoe and Moll Flanders--both Daniel Defoe books. Not much guilt after I had given up tho. I gave up around half-way through for both.

[Svartalf]

Since I have that book that stayed on my 'to finish' pile for more than a year when there was less than 10 pages left to read... I guess there's none.
OTOH, Game of throne got to half, and is now back on the 'start over' pile. (it's good stuff, I just was not able to concentrate)

[hadespussercats]

Life's too short to read anything I'm not enjoying if it's something I'm reading for leisure. I've quit books twenty pages from the end because I realized I didn't care enough to finish.

[FBM]

No matter how far along in a book or film, once it strikes my brain as being dumb or bad, I'm done with it. Rather than fear wasting my time investment so far, I resist increasing the loss. If the book didn't hook me somehow by that time, I don't care how it ends, anyway.

[Audley Strange]

Tricky. One one hand I don't like to waste time on something that is not engaging me, but on the other if someone has made the considerable effort I don't want to dismiss it. Still there are things I've had to try several times before I enjoyed reading them and other supposed classics I've discarded after reading the first sentence.

[Santa_Claus]

When I buy it I read it - even when I think it is sh#t.

[FBM]

I bought a book once and after flipping through the table of contents and a couple of pages, I could see it was shit.

So I mailed it to normal.

[Hermit]

When you're reading a book, and after going at it for awhile you realise you're just not into it, what's the point where you can simply put it down without guilt, and when do you feel that you've committed yourself to the thing and you have to see it through to its miserable, droning end?

I've gotten into one now that has taken me all week to slog through 26 pages, and it is just doing nothing for me - but part of me thinks I should trudge on. I think 26 pages is still in the acceptable "walk away" window, however...

Lucky you. I abandoned a 4 or 500 page D.H. Lawrence novel about 5 pages from the end. Slow learner I am. It took me that long because Lawrence has the reputation of being one of those classic writers, but I've learnt since then. I gave up on James Joyce's similarly wordy Ulysses after about 70 pages.

My turning back point is flexible, though. I battled through all of Gordon Williams' novel that Peckinpah's film, Straw Dogs, is based on, mainly because it is brief, and the film is one one of the few that are better than the books they recreate. The difference is intriguing.

[PsychoSerenity]

Since I have that book that stayed on my 'to finish' pile for more than a year when there was less than 10 pages left to read... I guess there's none.
OTOH, Game of throne got to half, and is now back on the 'start over' pile. (it's good stuff, I just was not able to concentrate)

I'm a bit like this. I currently have twelve books on my beside table. Eight of them have bookmarks in. I'll probably finish most of them eventually - but as get new books, some of the older ones just end up buried deeper under the others. A couple of them are there to re-read, another few are books with numerous useful titbits to pick out when needed. At least one with a bookmark will actually have to be started again if or when I get around to it. If the piles get too big I might have to store some of them in the massive box under my bed with most of the other finished books, but I'd probably leave the bookmarks in, just in case.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Most of the books I read are "professional reading" and I don't expect them to be page-turners. I did soldier through "Pandora's World" and I'll never figure out why I did that.

[Bella Fortuna]

When you're reading a book, and after going at it for awhile you realise you're just not into it, what's the point where you can simply put it down without guilt, and when do you feel that you've committed yourself to the thing and you have to see it through to its miserable, droning end?

I've gotten into one now that has taken me all week to slog through 26 pages, and it is just doing nothing for me - but part of me thinks I should trudge on. I think 26 pages is still in the acceptable "walk away" window, however...

Lucky you. I abandoned a 4 or 500 page D.H. Lawrence novel about 5 pages from the end. Slow learner I am. It took me that long because Lawrence has the reputation of being one of those classic writers, but I've learnt since then. I gave up on James Joyce's similarly wordy Ulysses after about 70 pages.

My turning back point is flexible, though. I battled through all of Gordon Williams' novel that Peckinpah's film, Straw Dogs, is based on, mainly because it is brief, and the film is one one of the few that are better than the books they recreate. The difference is intriguing.

I'm having qualms about this current book for that very "classic author" reason - I feel like I should be getting more out of it. In this case it's Daphne DuMaurier, but the novel I selected at random is one she wrote in the late 60s, so not one she's well-known for and one that's probably way past her prime. It has no magic for me; so much so that I might sell it, as I don't see myself going back to it.

[anna09]

Lucky you. I abandoned a 4 or 500 page D.H. Lawrence novel about 5 pages from the end. Slow learner I am. It took me that long because Lawrence has the reputation of being one of those classic writers, but I've learnt since then. I gave up on James Joyce's similarly wordy Ulysses after about 70 pages.

Ugh! I actually finished The Rainbow even though I wanted to kill myself half-way through. I have no idea why I bothered to finish it. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING HAPPENED.

I try not to abandon books; there's only been a few times where I gave up. To Kill a Mockingbird and Pride and Prejudice are just a few (although, I might try the Austen book again). Just recently, I dragged myself to finish Glory by Nabokov which is a shame because I love his other books!

[Svartalf]

I read 'classic' books strictly for cultural reasons, when I read themm... I never could finish a Balzac, and guess I'm grateful I didn't have to read Zola in school, that way I liked him better when I dcided to try his works.
many of the works I had to read through the university are now thoroughly forgotten, even the better ones.