So, what do you do when the Book your reading is BAD? This is a tough one for me. You see I'm reading this book right now, the one that Oprah said "Might just be the best novel you've EVER read!" Um . . . not so much! It's terrible. Nasty & vulgar in my opinion. What could she have possible been thinking? So, what's the big dilemma? you ask. Well, I guess I'm the glass is half full kind of person, I keep thinking this book has got to get better. What if it turns out to be really great & life changing and I put it down too soon? So, I keep reading. And almost always, it's still just a really bad book in the end. :( I'm now just skimming pages, trying to get it over with. I don't have a lot of free time & I hate to waste any of it on a bad book, when there are so many good ones out there, just waiting to be read!Recently I was reading another book by an author who I've read many books by & really like. But this particular story line just didn't interest me. I did stop reading it. It was turned into a made for T.V. movie, so I thought I'll see the movie and if I like it I'll finish the book. The movie was okay, but nothing that would make me pick the book back up. So I'll have a couple of books to take into Half Price Books & trade in for new ones! Do you stop reading a book if it's bad? Or do you suffer through? And how far into a book do you have to be to determine if you will keep reading it or put it down? I love the thrill of starting a new book! The expectation. But, I hate the disappointment when it's bad. I can't wait to see what I'm going to read next. It's gotta be better than this one!
If I hit halfway and it is still misery to read, yes. there are too many other options than to have to force one's self through. So far, only two of those :)
ReplyDeleteYears ago I would always finish any book I started. But no more. There are far too many books that I want to read to waste time on something I'm not enjoying. I do understand your reluctance to stop though when you've heard such good things about a book. I think I know the book you are referring to and Oprah recommended his other book several years ago and it, too, was terrible. I'm not even giving this latest once a try. And if it makes you feel better, plenty of people I've spoken to have not liked this one. Just saying...
ReplyDeleteAs for when I finally give up - sometimes it's very early on, but always by halfway. If I'm not enjoying a book by the midway point - there is not much chance I'm going to change my mind.
Here's another way to think about it. Years an elderly patron of the library where I work came in and we were discussing some book that I hadn't read and I said something about I really should read that book. And she her response has stuck with me all these years later. She said, "When it comes to reading, there should be no "shoulds". Words of wisdom.