“Always finish what you start.”
Have you ever had a parent or coach tell you that? You know, that time you thought you wanted to be the next great basketball player, joined a team, only to realize you didn’t enjoy it. But your parents made you finish the season to teach you about commitment and work ethic.
As an adult, however, you get to choose if you quit something you don’t enjoy. (Well, most things anyway.) One thing people quit more often these days is books they have started reading. More readers now say they will stop reading a book if it doesn’t grab their attention early on. Sometimes even within the first few pages, let alone the first chapters.
My Reading Philosophy
Trust me, I get it. There are millions of books but a limited amount of time in which to read them. People are busy and have a lot to pack into free time. It makes sense that if you’re not into a book to stop reading and find something else.
While I have stopped reading mid-book from time to time, I seem to be in the minority when it comes to finishing a book that isn’t a page turner. It takes something pretty big for me to not finish reading a book I have started. Unless there’s something that goes completely against my personal beliefs or utilizes extensive graphic or offensive content, I usually push through and finish reading.
Finding Reasons To Keep Reading
When it comes to finishing books that don’t necessarily inspire an all-night binge read, there are several criteria that keep me reading.
Reading As a Student
I’ve always loved to read, and especially reading with a critical eye regarding character, themes, and symbols. All those things your high school English teacher made you discuss. But after learning how to really study literature as an English major in college and graduate school, I truly love reading books not just for fun, but also as a study in genres, authors, and styles. I often get asked if studying literature as an academic pursuit changed my enjoyment of reading. In actuality, studying literary conventions has made reading more fun for me.
Learn From the good
As a (hopefully) future published author, I read a wide range of authors and genres to learn from them. There are plenty of writing craft books and videos out there. But the best way to really learn how to write is to read what has already been written. When reading, I look for subtle techniques and styles within a book that I feel work well. I also take cues from how authors transition from scene to scene, organize chapters, and introduce characters’ unique stories. These lessons will help me in writing my own novels.
Look On the Bright Side
When reading a book I’m not necessarily drawn to, I can almost always still find at least one thing that keeps me reading. I might not like the overall plot, but there might be a character I enjoy. The characters might be boring, but the author might do a great job of creating the fictional world around those characters. I try to find things that do work rather than focusing on the bad. I know how hard it is to write a book and try to give authors the benefit of the doubt. We’re not always going to be great at everything, especially for newer writers. But by looking for at least one positive, I can read through the whole book to evaluate it fairly.
Learn From Others’ Mistakes
While I do try to find at least something that I like about a book, I also learn from the things that don’t work for me, Whether it’s flat characters, settings that don’t draw me in, or just plain boring plots, I learn things I don’t want to do in my own writing. By reading books others might put down after a few chapters, I develop my own sense of how to write my books that (hopefully) readers won’t feel they need to stop reading.
Badge of honor
Okay, I admit this one isn’t the best reason. But there’s something satisfying about finishing something that presents a challenge. When you complete something that requires a bit of perseverance, there’s a feeling of accomplishment. For me, this is the same with reading a book that I find boring or irritating. By finishing these kinds of books, I have that sense of accomplishment. Also, I feel I can give a more fair review than just saying “It was boring so I didn’t finish it.”
So which side of the book debate are you on? If you stop reading a book if you’re not enjoying, how long do you give it? A few pages? A few chapters? Or are you like me and try to power through in order to fully evaluate the book? Either way, you’re not wrong. Do what works for you.
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