Reasons for ditching a book midway

[Radhika Nair]

I used to be the kind of reader who absolutely had to finish everything I started reading, no matter how much I disliked it. At least, I never consciously and deliberately ditched a book after starting it, until my arts degree exposed me to classical gems, awakened my critical abilities and made me accept the fact that I deserve to only read books I have good reason for reading, and not just because in my ignorance I happened to start them. I'm wondering how other readers deal with this urge to just get through books no matter the cost. And if you've ever dropped an unfinished book from your booklist, what were your reasons for doing so?

[NightHeron]

I too have only rarely stopped a book midway. Once I’ve started a story, I want some closure.

I can think of one in particular that I DID quit. I didn’t like the characters, I wasn’t invested in the story and didn’t like the direction it was heading, and I had recently slogged through another mediocre book. It was also fairly different than I’d expected, so I quit about a third of the way through.

[Alet Van Tonder]

The last book I did not finish was actually a recent book of the month I stopped reading it because there were long, incomprehensible paragraphs on sketchy science unrelated to the storyline. Why not publish a non-fiction book on sketchy science instead of adding a vague plot to it? Many readers enjoyed the book, though, so clearly this is only my opinion.

[Comfort Ansah]

My main reason for ditching a book midway is when the book becomes boring. When there is nothing to look forward to. No suspense, no adventure nothing for me to guess what's next. Then I start struggling and stop reading it.

[Lizzie Mustard]

It's rare that I stop reading a book partway through it. The most recent one was a book I had selected to review for this site. It was so badly written that I found it impossible to continue reading. I ditched it even though I knew this could be detrimental to my score here. However this is unusual for me and 99% of the books I choose, I read them right through to the end.

[Cara Wilding]

I used to be the kind of reader who absolutely had to finish everything I started reading, no matter how much I disliked it. At least, I never consciously and deliberately ditched a book after starting it, until my arts degree exposed me to classical gems, awakened my critical abilities and made me accept the fact that I deserve to only read books I have good reason for reading, and not just because in my ignorance I happened to start them. I'm wondering how other readers deal with this urge to just get through books no matter the cost. And if you've ever dropped an unfinished book from your booklist, what were your reasons for doing so?

What a great question! I have yet to abandon a book I've selected to review; however, there have been plenty of books in my lifetime that have been left half-read. If the book is being reviewed here, I think it would be a disservice to an author not to tell him or her what a reader dislikes, especially if it could lead to abandonment. Now, if it's a book I've picked up on my own, I have no qualms about getting rid of it, especially if it's not meeting my expectations. Yep, no mercy for those poor, unsuspecting books that just couldn't measure up—it's a literary version of "Survivor"—one  wrong move, and you're voted off the bookshelf!

[Jacob Mamman]

If the book isn't really engaging or didn't capture my attention from the get go. I'd definitely ditch it midway or anywhere.

[Kala Carter 1]

I have ditched a book more than a few times, because it was boring or the book was all over the place and it just became a pain to read because it didn't even make sense. Even though I have severe A.D.H.D. I still want my book to make sense because my mind a lot of times is all over as is , it also can be pretty hard sometimes to keep focused reading long books. The older I get it seems like its harder to keep focused but once I get focused, I can read a whole book in a day. Sometimes I have to go back and reread the previous chapter to remember what happened so the next chapter will make sense for me.

[E Kane]

This is a great question!! For me, I usually want to finish a book and don't "ditch it" on purpose. That said, sometimes I lose interest and stop reading a book for days/weeks/years, even if I plan to read it again sometime.

I actually have been working on reading book that I own and never read or never finished, and I have found some gems!

There are a couple books I can think of that I did "ditch" on purpose in the last several years. One was just boring - and it was about Paris! I thought, this is a non-fiction book about living in Paris, and it's boring. I donated it without finishing it.

The other one was actually by an author that I had read before, and I LOVED the book I had read before! Also, this book was recommended to me by my aunt, and I usually love everything she recommends. But for this book, I couldn't handle it. The love interest to the heroine was SUPER obnoxious - always demanding she tell him what was going on, trapping her in her house without letting her leave, not leaving her alone, kissing her for some random reason, etc. It was like if you didn't know he was the "good guy," he easily could have been a bad guy she needed someone to save her from. It was just obnoxious and (to me) not a charming "enemies to lovers" story. I ditched it.

[Runan]

If the story gets too boring for me to continue further or deviates from the main plot, I usually skim through the book then. I cannot leave the book midway. I prefer to complete any book that I pick up.

[Ika Apo]

If I see that the book is written half-heartedly and carries no valuable information, it is not the subject of my interest anymore.

[Zanne Crystle]

If the characters are flat, annoying, or just plain unlikable, it's hard to get invested in a story if I can't stand the people in it. Also, if the writing is painful to read. Awkward sentences, typos, or confusing grammar.

[Jacqueline Torres 2]

I think it really depends on the book. I’ll teach a book if the book is poorly written and doesn’t make sense. Or I mean, can’t understand it.

[Bianca Bennett 2]

If there is no clear structure, it is appropriate. There needs to be a definite purpose. If not, the book is simply a mixture of words.