Don't give up on that book!

[JayDoggett]

I have learned yet again why you should keep reading a book past the 1/3 mark. It was rough going in Revelation Space until about page 200. I still have around 100 pages to go, it has turned into a really good book. I have had this experience with other books in the past.

Makes me think I should give Ilium and Mindstar Rising another try. I made it to about page 100 on each book before putting them back on my bookshelf. I'm thinking it might have something to do with being burned out at the time because I was attempting to read them after doing pretty much nothing but eat, sleep and breathe ASoIaF for over a month

What made it difficult to read?

[PeterWilliam]

I was actually quite the trooper for sticking with books till the end despite misgivings. One book singlehandedly destroyed my capacity to stick with a book when my instincts told me otherwise. That was Perdido Street Station. I never want to have a life robbing reading experience like that ever again, if it can be helped, so if my instincts tell me to put a book down, I put it down.

I just had this happen to me during the past month or so. I was reading David Brin's Existence and something just clicked off. For whatever reason, I now know that the 'red-line' is there somewhere and, when surpassed, will spur me to quit a read that drops my interest.

[Colonel Worf]

I've heard people say that they will stick with a book to the end even if they're not interested by the first or second chapter. To me, that's like watching 120 episodes of a show when you didn't even like the pilot.

[Sipwood]

Makes me think I should give Ilium and Mindstar Rising another try. I made it to about page 100 on each book before putting them back on my bookshelf.

I thoroughly enjoyed Mindstar Rising (and its sequels) and would recommend giving it another try.

[Sipwood]

The most serious offender in my experience was Erikson's Gardens of the Moon. I stopped reading 200 pages in twice and had to be talked into giving it another go. I finally got past my sticking point and found it to be an excellent fantasy novel.

Agreed. I really struggled to get into GOTM, but once I did I became hooked. The Malazan series is easily one of my favorite fantasy series, if not my favorite.

Until recently I would nearly always finish a book once I had started reading it (War and Peace being the exception. Everybody had the same name and I just could not get going with it). However recently I am becoming a little more fussy and I am more willing to let a book go. Part of it is having a Kindle. I now have so many books on me when I am reading that there is no need to persevere with a bad book, because I have another one that I can start reading straight away.

I am currently about 50% of the way through Deathworld by Harry Harrison (I have had it on my Kindle for ages, but thought I would read it given his recent passing) but I am about to give up on that. Am I making a mistake? Anybody want to try to convince me to carry on?

[lolrus]

I am currently about 50% of the way through Deathworld by Harry Harrison (I have had it on my Kindle for ages, but thought I would read it given his recent passing) but I am about to give up on that. Am I making a mistake? Anybody want to try to convince me to carry on?

Is that the first book? In which case, yeah, carry on it gets more interesting. If you've got the omnibus and are in book 2 of the trilogy, it's not great, but worth finishing, book 3 is a little cracker if memory serves me right.

[Baslim]

I could never get past book 7 in dune or book 7 in L. Ron Hubbard's mission earth series. I seem to find myself reading a little over 1/3 of the way into books I struggle with. I usually read a novel a week. Over time I have come to the conclusion that if the book isn't enjoyable after having read slightly over 1/3 of the content, then ditch it for another book. Not everyone has the luxury of reading often as was the case for me a while back. So I find that it is better use of limited time to read something you enjoy.