I’m sure that many of us would have come across a book that was such a yawn-fest that we would have no choice but to put it down and put it away for good. Or some character in the book was so off-putting that another page later and we’d be tempted to strangle the life out of the book. Or we could just keep calm and carry on reading anyway.
I do that sometimes. Stop reading, I mean. But it depends on how much damage the book purchase did to my bank account. Otherwise I’ll stop reading it and go find another one. I mean, c’mon, would you put yourself through so much brain torture just trying to get through the first chapter?
Writers Write (and Goodreads) have a pretty good sense of why some of us abandon a book that we’ve been reading halfway. Today I give you ‘The Psychology of Abandonment‘:
So interesting! I used to finish every book I read as a rule, but lately I’m much more willing to give it up if it doesn’t hold my attention. But I always keep it in mind to try again at a later stage – sometimes you just have to be in a certain mood to finish a certain book. 🙂
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Hi Anzel,
Yes I totally agree with you! I used to think that it was a reader’s sin for not finishing a book. Like you, recently, I thought why carry on reading if I don’t find it interesting? But yes, I think we readers have to be in a particular mood and utmost peace and quiet to read a difficult book.
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Wow, thank you so much for linking to my blog! I appreciate the gesture! Oh, and I know all about abandoning books because I stopped reading 2 books alone within a span of 2-3 months.
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Enjoyed reading this though had to raise my eyebrows at people who didnt finish the Rowling because it wasnt Harry Potter. Did they not read the synopsis before they started reading – wouldn’t that have given them a clue??
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I think I would raise my eyebrows anyway at people who stop reading something because it wasn’t what they expected, especially if it’s as obvious as The Casual Vacancy. Yes, I have to agree with you! I mean, it REALLY isn’t about Harry Potter. Then again, I had a young male cousin who thought 50 Shades of Grey was a series about lawyers and detectives. Really? What part of the synopsis even mentioned either role in the first place? *shakes my head at humanity*
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