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Abandon Ship! On Reading Bad Books

By October 6, 2015January 14th, 2021Reading Habits

I like to finish what I start and as such I can count the books I have abandoned in my life on one hand. They haven’t all been worth it when I got to the end but many of them have and I’m not quite ready to change my habits yet. However, I was wondering how others felt about this so I threw it out to you and got almost 900 replies!

When I asked whether you abandoned ship or trudged through to the end you were keen to share all your reading habits, your reasons for abandonment and at which point you decided you’d had enough and the results make interesting reading!

Around two thirds of you will readily abandon a bad book, though for some of you it’s more of a struggle than for others. About 15% of the abandoners are ruthless, one chapter, a few pages and if it hasn’t grabbed you it’s out. At least a quarter of you will give a book a fair chance and you consider that to be three or so chapters, or 50 pages, while another 15% prefer to read to at least 100 pages to get a proper feel for the book. A smaller percentage of you, just 5% like to get at least half way through before you make a decision!

And the reasons you abandon? Well the biggest you gave is that you are ‘too old for bad books’. In fact many of you stated that you used to finish everything you read, but since you have got older you are more likely to abandon. Others would only abandon a book if they had no connection with the characters, and many of you said that a book badly written, or with many grammatical errors would be an instant turn off for you.

However, quite a few of you, about a third of all who commented, always finish what you start. You don’t, as a rule ,abandon books no matter how bad they are. Although there is a connection here as many said you would make an exception for very badly written books.

Of those who always finish, you do employ techniques to get you through. Around 10% of you said you often skip, speed read, scan, or even read the middle and then the end to at least feel like you have completed the book. For around 5% of you it’s simple curiosity or compulsion that keeps you reading to the end. Around 10% of you also said that rather than quit, you would put a book aside for later and try again at a different time. Whilst many of you said you juggle a couple of books to get you through the less interesting one (my own method of coping with bad books).

There were other factors though, even those abandoners would finish a book if they had bought it and invested money, where they would take back a library book, and very many people said that if a book was part of a series they were enjoying, or recommended by a friend or book club then they would try and finish.

It’s interesting how we all manage our literary adventure, and how for many of us that seems to change as we get older.

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8 Comments

  • Samu says:

    I’m actually proud to say that I have NEVER abandoned ship. I’m not used to it at all. I mean the one time I tried I kept thinking like ” what the f*** happens in that stupid book??” And I couldn’t bear it anymore so I picked it up and finished it ( it was fifty shades of grey, no offence ) and till this day botch about it. Though I’m still in awe of tho use who have , I mean how do you do it?! Yeah so it’s not worth it sometimes but isn’t there that weird nagging feeling….I don’t know. Well, that’s my reply anyway 🙂

    • Dana says:

      Lol I did the same with fifty shades. I’ve gotten through the series, it’s taken me about 2 years, skipping pages, chapters, skimming and wandering thoughts with months long breaks DURING books, but I’ve done. It only gets worse. BUT, they’re right, the second is the best. Like the best house in a drug neighborhood, but the best. :/ okay, last worst.

    • Susan says:

      I give it about 15 pages. If it hasn’t grabbed me by then it isn’t worth my time. There are just too many good ones to let the dogs have any of my life! And I don’t feel a bit bad. (I think feeling so may be a bit compulsive.)

  • Leslie says:

    I’m one of those who has gotten more ruthless as I’ve gotten older. I also read a lot of library books so I’m constrained by the amount of time they’ll let me keep it – 9 weeks total if no one’s looking for it, 3 weeks for new ones – though I actually do have a shelf on Goodreads for “taken back to library but still to read.” 🙂

  • Suzan says:

    I just abandoned a book that has been given very high praise and awards. I honestly could not read one more page after about the 50th page. Other books I’ve trudged through hoping they get better. I don’t abandon often but there are so many good books, why waste what little time I have to something so unenjoyable.

  • Gail says:

    I give it 3 or 4 pages, Too many other books waiting on my list to waste time. Usually I love Joyce carol Oates & pick up everything she writes. Found EVERY THING I LIVED FOR VERY tedious & quit finally about half way through. Elizabeth George is always good too but had a hard time with
    BANQUET OF CONSEQUENCES. Another one I threatened to toss was GOLDFINCH (repetitive & should have had better editing). Am curious about books others have tossed without finishing.

  • Nicola Hall says:

    I’ve only ever abandoned 3 books … Gone Girl after 5 chapters because I just couldn’t get into it at all and I just didn’t like the characters. Twilight – I slogged through to Page 293 I think and just couldn’t do anymore – I have tried since to get past it but it’s just not happening then when I found out the Vampires glittered in the sunlight I never looked back at all. And finally 50 Shades of Grey – I got to about chapter 7 but it was badly written and didn’t do anything for me at all … So all in all I tend to stick with the books I read, I try to read it at the same time as something I’m enjoying and that way I get through it quicker ??

  • Lana says:

    I read about 50 pages then read the ending to see if I want to plot through the rest of the book to get to that ending. I haven’t turfed many books but I sure wish I had turfed Gone Girl. For those who hated Fifty Shades buy a Kindle and read some of its cheap erotica. They can’t write, spell or even remember their characters names. If their is a homonym they invariably chose the wrong one.

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