I've been reading All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, and I'm blown away by his mastery of language. His vivid descriptions, intricate understanding of history, and keen observations of both human life and the physical world are nothing short of brilliant.
That said, at ~530 pages, it's a hefty read. I'm currently on page 200. While the writing is exceptional, I'm finding the plot just not engaging enough to keep me going.
I feel like I'm approaching the halfway mark, but I can’t help dreading the effort it’ll take to finish.
Have you ever felt this way about a book? Any tips to push through? Or does this one pick up in the second half?
In general, is it wrong to drop a book half way?
by Same_Tough_5811
22 Comments
Half-way, 5 pages in, 2 pages from the end – it doesn’t matter. It’s never wrong to drop a book you aren’t enjoying. This is entertainment, not work.
Wrong in what way? There are no reading police.
It’s not wrong to stop reading a book if you’ve lost interest, however I usually do push through books I like to see if they pick back up. I haven’t read All the Light We Cannot See, but I did love Doerr’s book Cloud Cuckoo Land.
Sometimes if I stall out on a book, but I want to finish it, I will purchase the audiobook because I have an Audible subscription. Sometimes switching to audio mode helps me get through the hump and reengage with it.
Life is too short to read books that you do not like.
No.
Who cares? Drop it if you want.
No. It’s common enough that those types of book have their own Three Letter Acronym: they’re called DNFs.
Life is short. Books are many and long.
If you‘re not feeling it, give it up.
No, it’s not wrong at all. I’ve dropped many a book halfway. The simple fact of the matter is, you do you.
That being said, I highly, HIGHLY advise you to keep going with ATLWCS because the story is amazing and so worth it! It’s a masterpiece in it’s own right.
Wtf is this question?
I think forcing yourself to finish a book poses the risk of losing interest in reading all together
I learned a few years ago I’m fine with stopping a book I’m not enjoying. I like doing that now if it’s not giving me anything
No. I did not finish some books, it is not wrong. You thought the story was for you but it makes you feel sad and that’s not what you need right now, you won’t force. You thought you could like it but it’s visceral, you can’t bear the main character, you won’t force. Sometimes you also begin a book in a certain mood and after 200 pages and some days in your life, your mood changed and you are now in a bad place for this specific books. You’ll come back to some of them maybe, and you will never finish others. Reading is a pleasure (even when you read a sad book, that’s usually because that’s what you are searching for at that moment). So keep it a pleasure, not a chore.
Very wrong and deserving of God’s wrath
Although I LOVED that book, I often stop reading something if I’m not caught up in it. It’s why I only use library books rather than buying books.
Feel no guilt, put the book down and find something else.
Nope. Not wrong. But until last week, I’ve only ever had one DNF book. Then I started reading ‘Swan Song’ by Robert R. McCammon. Good. Lord. I got 100 pages into it, and had to quit. Between the terrible editing, factual inaccuracies, and the middle-school writing level, I couldn’t take it any more. So now I have 2 DNFs, and I don’t feel bad about it in the least. I’m not wasting my precious time on a book I don’t enjoy, or at least appreciate.
No
Librarian here weighing in. Do not finish books if you don’t want to finish them. One of the great things about the library is that it is risk-free to try books and just put them down and bring them back. There are so many books! Also, sometimes you come back to one that didn’t resonate with you, and you’ll find that it’s the right time for you to read it now. Also, we will never know if you don’t finish it, so no shame!
There is no morality associated with finishing or not finishing a book.
Yes, it’s awful and the book police will be coming to your home to have a serious conversation! Not to mention how you’ve shamed your family for GENERATIONS!
Seriously, you shouldn’t feel guilty to putting aside something you aren’t enjoying. I’ve dropped series (of every media type), books, movies, you name it! If my entertainment isn’t entertaining, it has to go.
I think we readers feel a lot of pressure to enjoy books that others have rated highly. It’s a different feeling than with movies. There is a feeling that I may be less smart or serious if I don’t complete this ‘best book of xyz’ and I am over it. Because it’s entirely self-imposed! Nobody I respect has ever looked down upon me for having a different but respectful opinion of a book.
Also, I DNF’d that book too. I didn’t hate it, but I was reading it at a time when it was not something I could enjoy. Sometimes my choice to DNF a book is not a reflection of the book, but of the emotional place I am in.
I don’t think it’s wrong to drop a book. Sometimes I lose interest, or if I encounter a scene that’s triggering for me, out it goes.
I think I start a new book and stop about 25% of the time. If it’s not your bag it’s not your bag!