When to give up?

Okay, I'm sure many of you can relate to this situation completely. You're reading a book...and you really are NOT into it. Maybe the plot is contrived. Maybe it is extremely boring and you hate the characters. Regardless, you find reading the rest of it to be tedium. When should you give up?

I'm interested in what everyone has to say.

For me, I usually stop around 100 pages if I don't like it. But sometimes, I've given up 3/4 through even though most would say they wanted to see the ending. I guess I just HOPE a book is going to improve.

I stop the second I realize that the book sucks.
Someday I may come back and try to reread, but there are alot of books out there that I do want to read....

I give it the 50 page rule for me, as established by the great Nancy Pearl.

If it doesn't have me by then, it's gone. If it's an author I've read before (and enjoyed) or something recommended by a friend, I may hang on for a little bit longer.... unlikely, however.

Unless I am really struggling with the book (ie. it's incomprehensible or confusing) then I stick it through to the end. I guess I'm just stubborn.

I agree with davisfamily. There are too many books out there, why waste your time with bad ones?

There's another discussion of whether or not to give up in this thread, http://www.librarything.com/talktopic.php?topic=2980

Okay, to meander the topic a bit then, I'm wondering if it is worth posting a "Review" on librarything on a book you didn't like. I do it if I make it through most of the book, kind of like a "buyer beware." If you look at my profile, anything that got 1.5 stars or less in my ratings scale I most likely I read 3/4 or less of the book.

Bad reviews? the best sort.

Yes, definitely still post a review, as long as it mentions that you didn't actually read the whole thing. When I'm considering a book, I'd like to know whether some people couldn't even manage to finish it.

Generally I stop once I find myself bored, or struggling, except for certain books (assigned reading for school, most esoteric/occult stuff I'll struggle through unless its complete tripe.) Honestly, I have forced myself to wade through one or two books I've absolutely despised, such as the Big U by Neal Stephenson primarily because I like Stephenson's books, but I really wish I hadn't, as it was horrid.

I've finished a few books for the sole intent of being able to bash it fairly in a review. Now if I would just write the damned reviews...

I try to finish any book that I've started, and sometimes it is like punishment. The best story is with Conn Iggulden's Emperor series.

Another wargamer reccomended book one Gates of Rome and I was able to pick it up at a remainders table. I found book two Death of Kings at a secondhand store, and then that Christmas my daughters bought me book three Field of Swords as a present.

Then and only then did I start reading them and was not blown away. Whilst the names remain the same, very little else bears a resemblance to the History, Military and Society of Ancient Rome (at least from other things I've read). I did struggle throug all three, if only to tell my daughters that I'd read the book but what a waste of many hours of my life.

I keep promising to read the final book Gods of War but haven't managed the motivation yet.

Cheers

I read somewhere to give a book until page 67.

Till page 67? How funny; does that have some numerological basis, I wonder? Me, if I can't get past the first chapter, I'll skip to the last few pages. If the ending interests me, I'll go back and read the rest of the book.

If I can't get into a book after 50 pages, I will skim through the rest and see if it gets any better. If not, it's gone! I have too many otherbooks to read.

I'm just half-way through one like that but haven't really 'read' it. I picked it up cheap when a book store closed down and it's about Scotland, the rights to land and property, and the ideas of a man called William Ogilvie who was born in 18th century. The author/editor's copious footnotes, contributions, interruptions read like the turgid prose of a convert to Marxism - very fervent. Like others have said I gave up after just afew pages and now I'm just skimming very quickly through the pages because every now and then there's something of interest as the book is a bit of a hotch-potch. Like lots of these political tracts (Mein Kampf or the Marxist classics) there's no quick read. Either you spend a lot of time trying to follow the argument or you give up. In this case I think there are bits coming about community land buy-outs on some of the Scottish islands but I shan't be wasting much time.

Since I'm cheap and only get 200 titles, I'm hesitant to include books that suck in my library, hence, I rarely write totally negative reviews. (I had to make an exception with The Corrections, tho, so so bad!) Life is too short to read bad books, or waste your time and bandwidth reviewing them. Don't feed the trolls.

I do, however, enjoy writing mixed reviews on books that have some redeeming qualities that kept me reading, but ultimately disappoint in some way. See my review of Cloud Atlas, for example.

Ooooh, you hated The Corrections too? I wanted to poke my eyes out by the time I got to page 85. I tossed out the book instead.

I used to read through to the bitter end, no matter what, but after that (and Map of the World, another one I loathed), I swore I'd never do it to myself again. I'm too old to waste time with things I dislike, and there are just too many great books out there waiting to be discovered and read. IMHO, anyway. ;)

I couldn't stand The Corrections either, I think I got to page 20 and then threw it in the corner. But with the exception of that I usually give it to page 50.

I try to not give up on books, but read them even if they suck. Atleast I try to read until it enters the "unravel the plot mode". There's been some great books such as Illuminatus! that if I'd given up at the first resistance I'de never been able to truly enjoy.

Edit: Ofcourse, I have books on the "postponed until I can bother" list, such as Silmarillion... But I haven't given it up! :p

I'm about to give up on The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I'm around half way through and I really don't care about the characters or what may happen to them. It's not badly written, it's just blah.

I know I will be considered a pagan, but I cannot stand Mark Twain.....

I have to be in the mood for Mark Twain. His humor is so understated and ironical. He was not a happy man (he lived here in Hartford, so I know more about him than I really care to), and it shows in his work, don't you think?

But he did have a lot of spot-on, critically-pungent things to say about the cuture in which he lived; unfortunately, many of his criticisms are still applicable! Even his fiction was social commentary.

I did like the Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, maybe because it was short!

I suspect you have to be american at least to enjoy The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,

I Loved Illuminatus! a soon as I found the descriptions of the leaders of the US, China and America were the same.

I forget the title, but not too long ago I found myself trying to convince myself that I owed my current book "just one more chance" -- I caught myself, and decided upon a new policy: if I have to "force" myself to return to a book, I won't do it anymore.

I've never read any of Twain's fiction, but I stumbled across "The Innocents Abroad" a month ago, loved it, and have "A Tramp Abroad" to look forward to over the holidays.

perhaps I should try again.....

There's a list by Daniel Pennac which some of you will know: The Rights of the Reader, from Comme un Roman ("Reads Like a Novel").

The Rights of the Reader

1. The right not to read.
2. The right to skip.
3. The right not to finish a book.
4. The right to read it again.
5. The right to read anything.
6. The right to mistake a book for real life.
7. The right to read anywhere.
8. The right to dip in.
9. The right to read out loud.
10. The right to remain silent (not discuss what you have read).

I figure, permission has been granted!

I am glad someone else likes Daniel Pennac....what about his other books, ciciha?

Oh aluvalibri, I haven't actually READ any of Pennac's books, I just like to QUOTE him!! :)

Actually, I saw that list posted at a public library a few years back, and copied it down to keep.

But I will request Reads Like a Novel through interlibrary loan, and let you know what I think, aluvalibri; I see that you yourself are quite a fan of his! Do you have a favorite?

Well, ciciha, I think he is an awesome writer, very funny and quite original. You should read the first in the Malaussene series, The scapegoat, and see if you like it (I think you will).
This is a reader review I found on Amazon.

"This is the first of four books, all built around Benjamin Malaussene, a man whose job is to be blamed for everything that goes wrong at work. Every time a client complaints, the staff somehow blames it on him: he is known to his coworkers as a professional scapegoat.
However, when the store he works at is the host of a bomb, then another, people start to point fingers, and this novel develops around this plot made of bombs and scapegoating.
This novel is worth everyone's full attention: the characters are very believable, and the way they relate to each other is nothing short of sublime. Also, Pennac's frequent use of sarcasm and bitter wit adds to the punch of the novel, where it comes to a point where, even though you want to know how it ends (just like every good police intrigue novel), you can't get enough of the dialogues and discussions.
Open this book and sit back, because this book is like no other whodunnit novel. (In fact, it's almost insulting to call it that.)"

I will only add that I agree with whoever wrote this review: Daniel Pennac's books are simply delightful. You will not regret reading any of them.
Paola :-))

Sounds great....another for the list. *sigh*

I have a really had time giving up on a book after I've started. Sometimes I have a really hard time getting started. I've taken out a couple books from the library that have been highly recommended and I feel that I should read them but then just don't feel inspired to start them so I read all the others I have out that seem more interesting. Then the time comes to take them back.

>30 aluvalibri:, 31

Yes, will put it on my list too...

This website is killing me!! I will have to drop out of school, quit work, divorce my poor husband and marry some rich guy who can afford to support my new habit: reading all day long and posting to LT all night!!

Have pity Tim!

eh eh eh eh......we are all slaves of LT.......welcome to the dungeon.....;-))