Monday 24 May 2010

Why I don't always finish books

Chris will quite often stop reading a book at the drop of a hat no problem. Me? Well I rarely do but this year so far I have stopped reading three books and that's not bad I guess considering I have read around 30 this year so far.

The thing is that none of the books I stopped reading were what I would call 'bad' books and I stopped reading around page 130 on all three. So why did I stop reading them?


Going Bovine – this is a simple case of I just didn't get into it. Sometimes its like that with a book, for whatever reason the book doesn't grab you. Perhaps it was because I have just read The little stranger followed by Rebecca and the jump to a book narrated by a teenager speaking teen-speak was abit much. Or maybe because I don't have much luck with YA books, I practically had to drag my way through the Northern Lights. Or perhaps because I guessed the point of the whole thing within a few chapters? This book has had rave reviews and it was proving to be a quick and easy read, just not for me.

The Wilderness by Samantha Harvey – again another book which has had rave reviews and has been short-listed for prizes so please don't let me influence you on this.

The reason I put this book down at page 120 was simply because I didn't like the main character. The book was narrated by this character who is slowly dying from Alzheimers which is a brave a difficult subject for the author to write about. Having worked in the care industry for many years this was an illness I was familiar with. But the narrator was an A-hole, pre-illness he was a man who had cheated on his wife and was quite a selfish and demanding person. I don't have to like a main character in a book I'm reading but in this instance it made a difference to my enjoyment.



The Rapture – I was quite enjoying this book about a disturbed teenager in a mental institution who can foresee natural disasters. The way she taunts her disabled therapist was quite chilling. But around page 130 I realised I had skim-read the last 20 pages so I put it down.

Do you think I gave these books a fair chance? I did read over 100 pages for each of them but maybe I should have pushed on? I don't really have a 50 page rule or anything but what makes you decide you've had enough and close the book?

13 comments:

  1. I divorce a book after 50 pages so in my opinion, you were incredibly fair with these.

    I am known for divorcing books that aren't great but sometimes I divorce a book that has gotten a lot of praise. I gave up on The Book Thief recently. Not because it wasn't good, but I just wasn't in the mood for it. I will probably pick it up again but it took me 6 weeks to read 50 pages.

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  2. The Northern Lights is the only book I have never finished. I just didn't like the main character and couldn't care less what happened to her. I make it a rule never to quit a book. I would have put down The Old Man and the Sea, but it was only 100 odd pages anyway!

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  3. I definitely think you gave those books a fair chance--I usually quit after 50 or 100 pages if I don't think it's the right time for me to read the book or if I don't like it.

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  4. Ti - Chris had trouble with the first 100 pages of the book theif too, it took him AGES to get through them but then he ended up loving the book. I love your expression of 'divorce a book' LOL

    Bethany - I didnt realise the old man and the sea was so short. For some reason I always imagined it to a big 500 page book. I only finished northern lights because the set is one of my mums and sisters favorites otherwise I would have quit.

    Zara - I think 50 seems to be the general rule doesn't it?

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  5. The 100 pages 'rule' is totally accepted at my book club. Call me stubborn but I just have to see a book through to the very bitter end - there have only ever been a handful of books I have given up on but that's generaaly because of something particular to that book (too much swearing, graphic sex scenes) rather than anything in general. The last book I came close to giving up on just because it was so dull was The Girl With Glass Feet.

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  6. It is interesting to see which books you didn't finish. The Wilderness was one of my favourites of 2009 and I'm sure I'll enjoy the Rapture too :-) I review every book I read, whether I finish or not, so I read as much as I need to be able to explain why I didn't enjoy it. This is normally 80 - 100 pages, but sometimes I end up reading it all as I just can't work out why I don't like it!

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  7. Petty - I cant go on reading a book I dont like, I'll quite happily switch a film off halfway through too. I must get girl with glass feet one day just to see if I agree with you!

    Jackie - The Wilderness and The rapture were well written and were not bad books so its funny those are ones I couldnt finish. Im glad you do review books you dont like as I do like reading those kinds of reviews also.

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  8. My question is "Why did you even start with the Bovine one?" :)

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  9. The book, Going Bovine was in my mind this morning as I was also thinking of Libba Bray's other books which are the Gemma Doyle trilogy. And now I'm reading about it here and why you couldn't finish the book! :)

    I'm sorry to hear that you didn't finish it though I'd like to give it a try!

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  10. Kim & Josette - Going Bovine has had really good reviews and I sometimes like quirky books. There wasnt anything wrong with it I just couldnt get into it. Josette - dont let me put you off it!

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  11. I liked The Rapture a lot, but if you find you're skim-reading, what can you do? Obviously it didn't interest you enough.

    I found it a good story, quite interesting.

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  12. leeswammes - the bit I found myself skim-reading was when they kept trying to find theores for Beths visions. It seemed to go on for ages and not progressing really. I did really like the character Beth - well not like exactly but I found her realistic and abit scary. I wouldnt want to be left in a room with her.

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  13. Don't feel bad about putting them down. I put books down too. Some I don't like, others I do, but for whatever reason am just not into reading it at the time. I've picked those up at later dates and loved them.

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