What's Your Commitment Point - when do you quit on a book?

[Ivan L]

I think that it depends on the book for me. When I was younger I used to try and get through roughly 100 pages before quitting. Now I give it something like 3-5 chapters to hook me in. But, there are also cases where I've read 2 chapters and dropped the book due to how I just felt repelled. Either due to hating the style of writing or it turning out to just not be what I thought it was going to be. Sure, it might come around, but, there's so many books out there that just grab me from the first chapter that it's not worth hoping for it to work out.

[Ika Apo]

When I realize that the book was written half-heartedly and the author was just trying to make money out of it. I take it as a great disrespect towards the art.

[Tommy Mayengbam]

I had the same experience with "As I Lay Dying" by William Faulkner. I picked the book as the title sparked curiosity in me.

A few chapters in, and I lost interest. I don't know if the problem was with me or the book. I couldn't go on. But I plan to go back and complete it someday.

[Korir Kipchumba Victor]

I would say that I always start a book with big expectations, especially one that's supposed to have mystery. But if I can solve the mystery from the very beginning, I usually would quit. I also don't like books with a lot of careless errors no matter how good it is. It just puts me off as the author or editor did not truly care enough. One or two errors is okay, but an error in every single page feels unacceptable to me.

[Stephen Christopher 1]

I would say that I always start a book with big expectations, especially one that's supposed to have mystery. But if I can solve the mystery from the very beginning, I usually would quit. I also don't like books with a lot of careless errors no matter how good it is. It just puts me off as the author or editor did not truly care enough. One or two errors is okay, but an error in every single page feels unacceptable to me.

I agree with you about the errors, I just finished a book which would have been a 5 out of 5 star rating, but there were so many errors — 3 on one page — that I got really frustrated and scored it appropriately.

[Korir Kipchumba Victor]

I would say that I always start a book with big expectations, especially one that's supposed to have mystery. But if I can solve the mystery from the very beginning, I usually would quit. I also don't like books with a lot of careless errors no matter how good it is. It just puts me off as the author or editor did not truly care enough. One or two errors is okay, but an error in every single page feels unacceptable to me.

I agree with you about the errors, I just finished a book which would have been a 5 out of 5 star rating, but there were so many errors — 3 on one page — that I got really frustrated and scored it appropriately.

It can be very frustrating. Even though you'd like to give it a perfect score you just can't. I'm glad I'm not the only one.

[Chockanathan G]

I won't quit the book easily. I am selecting the book carefully after seeing the content of book. If I am not interested while reading, I will quit it.

[Stephen Christopher 1]

I had the same experience with "As I Lay Dying" by William Faulkner. I picked the book as the title sparked curiosity in me.

A few chapters in, and I lost interest. I don't know if the problem was with me or the book. I couldn't go on. But I plan to go back and complete it someday.

That's really commendable that you plan to go back to it. Twice last year I gave up on two books (the one that inspired this post) and another. I moved them to the 2-star shelf and won't think about them again lol.

[Tomy Chandrafrost]

I feel there's nothing wrong with this; the pressure to finish all readings sometimes becomes a burden that makes reading less enjoyable.

[Stephen Christopher 1]

I feel there's nothing wrong with this; the pressure to finish all readings sometimes becomes a burden that makes reading less enjoyable.

Hi Tony, yes that's it! When it stops being enjoyable, why continue?

[Charmaine Mahlangu]

For me it's the jargon first. I read to comprehend and that's why I am specific about the kind of genre I read and review. Then if half of the book still has no dialogues, long chapters, the protagonist is narrating atleast half of the book for me the characters in the book are without life. I need to see dialogues there and there. That's why I don't read autobiographies...

[Miriam Ratemo]

I usually give the book a few chapters, and if my interest has not been piqued by then . . . adios! My time is too precious to spend trying to drum up enthusiasm for something that is clearly not for me.

[Stephen Christopher 1]

For me it's the jargon first. I read to comprehend and that's why I am specific about the kind of genre I read and review. Then if half of the book still has no dialogues, long chapters, the protagonist is narrating atleast half of the book for me the characters in the book are without life. I need to see dialogues there and there. That's why I don't read autobiographies...

I like this! Seems you make smarter decisions before you start reading, so you're less likely to quit. Interesting about dialogue, I haven't thought much about it, but yes, without it, it's missing something.

[Stephen Christopher 1]

I usually give the book a few chapters, and if my interest has not been piqued by then . . . adios! My time is too precious to spend trying to drum up enthusiasm for something that is clearly not for me.

Hi Miriam, wow that's tough of you, and very good thinking. A few chapters are more than enough to know if the book's for you or not. I think I give them way too many chapters before I quit. But I'm learning

[London Baum]

I will quit a book up until 70% and even then sometimes I really just skim from then on and don’t fully read it.