What makes you put down a book?

[JamesSavik]

An article from Goodreads.com:

 

https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/424-what-makes-you-put-down-a-book

 

The user comments are almost as good.

[Cia]

I like goodreads. I have an author page over there and I'm part of a few groups. It's a useful tool for authors, both published and unpublished. And sometimes you come across really interesting gems like that one.

[Zombie]

I'll accept 2D characters if the plot is a page turner, or lack of plot if the characters grab me.

But I'll give up if it's a world I'm not interested in - which is never the author's fault; or if the editing has not corrected grammar, punctuation and spelling issues; or if the writing style is repetitive / dull. The English language is so rich there is no excuse for dull writing. Unless it's an audit report 

[Krista]

I've only ever put down books three times.

 

First: The language was too dated and 'countrified' for my taste at the time. Gave up on it about 15 - 20 pages. But then I picked it back up and now it is one of my favorite books. Just had to get used to the language and tone.

 

Second: Was Meyer's - Host. I picked it up because the movie was out and even though it flopped, people seemed to like it. Well.. she pretty much committed to the same crap I found annoying in the Twilight Series, and I just couldn't be bothered with that sort of mess again.

 

Third: Lord of the Rings - Way too wordy, the language, style... it was just too involved and too boring and since the movies were already made, and I liked those... decided to just not do it.

 

Close Calls:

 

Divergent - I just HATED when the author introduced characters, gave them some what of a plot, then killed them. It just seemed she feared that those characters would overshadow the main ones. Which, I don't find annoying at all in books... if I like ONE character and ONE plot, then the book is worth reading.. but to keep killing them off one after the other, seemingly for no reason... just for the sake of killing them. Because we were going to hate the enemies and the circumstances anyway. (Same with Insurgent - but to add, she butchered a few more characters, but the book's plot also became jumbled) she also wanted to end it with a sort of Cliff Hanger, but I don't think she executed it that well, it confused the hell out of me.. and I read the end chapter three or so times.. and still it left me feeling too confused to even WANT to read the third.

 

Mocking Jay - The only reason I finished it, I think, because I read the first two. It became way too politically centered and the characters were lost a bit. Became a bit boring.. but overall I still liked the book. After she ruined Peeta and Gale I just didn't want to.. go on.

 

Breaking Dawn - I put that book down for about two days after Bella became pregnant... I just couldn't handle all the damn rules Meyers began to break.

 

But I think if a Author can hook you in the first or second book, you're safe.. but authors should never feel safe... readers do have brains after all.

[AnimalMorph]

Just putting down a book does not mean I'm not gonna read it back again sometimes later.

That being said, what makes me stopped reading is usually the confusing scenes.

If I find myself saying to myself "Huh? What? But I thought...?", chances are I'm going to give up the book very very soon.

 

I am a fan of sci-fi / fantasy genre and I understand that the world in the mentioned genre IS by it very nature, vast and complex.

But if I ever feel that I can't understand a scene in a particular story more than twice...

The problem usually lies in using too much foreign words / object / things or even "superhuman power" without being followed by a proper explanation.

 

I can handle dull writing. I can deal with predictable storyline. I'm okay with spelling / grammatical issues as long as it does not confuse the sentence.

Just don't ever make me confused in a story or in a scene, please.

[rustle]

Bad writing.

Bad editing.

[totallyy]

When the words are too big and too frequently used as well. Reading is a great way to pick up new vocab for me but if I have to check the meaning of words in a dictionary too many times. I just get frustrated.

 

Another is too much clarity? I like a little bit of ambiguity, a little space for my imagination to stretch out the story. I'm not too keen on the author giving me all the facts and drawing my picture for me. 

 

Blatantly horrifying english also has veto power.

Edited July 27, 2013 by totallyy

[Former Member]

The biggest killer for me is when the voice doesn't match the character.  There is no way a 15 year old kid should be using words like ephemeral and ethereal.  Especially when they are portrayed as a 'normal' 15 year old.  That stuff just doesn't fly.  Every author has been 15 at one time or another.

 

Second biggest killer is bad editing or the lack of care in writing.  I've read books where there has been whole paragraphs that were nearly the exact same.  That's just bad form.

 

And then there's the mary-sue/perfect universe/superficial flaws that resolve themselves by the end of the story so the character is NOW perfect.  I've found that a lot with a gay fiction series that shall not be named.  All of h** characters seem to have commitment problems which resolve themselves when they meet that perfect man.  And, here's the real kicker.  There are over 60 characters in this universe and I can count on ONE hand the number of straight ones.  That just doesn't happen in real life!

 

But as AnimalMorph said, just because I put down a book doesn't mean I won't come back to it.  I put down "Bloodsucking Fiends" before I came to China and I didn't bring any physical books with me.  I tend to be a completion-ist, so there aren't many books that I will leave indefinitely unfinished.

[Sasha Distan]

bad writing, self obsessed characters, and characters with hobbies that i do agree with/understand. i once tried to read this book all about a guy who tries to change his outlook on life by getting a personal trainer and changing the way he looked. i have no idea why anyone would try to change their life by doing that and he seemed very 2-D, so we didn't get on. that a modern-family drama's are appalling. women who do nothing by stress about men over cupcakes. seriously? when did cupcakes become the centre of the universe, they are not hard to make.

[Former Member]

bad writing, self obsessed characters, and characters with hobbies that i do agree with/understand. i once tried to read this book all about a guy who tries to change his outlook on life by getting a personal trainer and changing the way he looked. i have no idea why anyone would try to change their life by doing that and he seemed very 2-D, so we didn't get on. that a modern-family drama's are appalling. women who do nothing by stress about men over cupcakes. seriously? when did cupcakes become the centre of the universe, they are not hard to make.

 

I am so glad you haven't seen me attempt to make cupcakes then.  But in all seriousness, I actually appreciate those kinds of stories that you hate.  It's more real and more domesticated.  It reflects real life more than some other books do.  Like the whole hiring a personal trainer to change their outlook on life.  Sure it's not a coming of age, coming out explosion, but it takes something that a lot of people do (myself included) and turns it into a simple tale that hopefully tells something at the end of the story.  Seriously, I started going to a personal trainer a few years ago to change the way I looked and it really did change my outlook on life.  By becoming more fit, I gained a lot of self-confidence and it really taught me about follow through and that my life and the length and quality of said life is extremely important.  To me, those kinds of stories are intimate on a deeper level, easier to connect with, and deeply personal.  So yea it's not action-packed and full of hot sex.  But there's a kind of camaraderie that comes with those mundane stories that all too frequently people put down.  I've found some great messages in these kind of books, and more than any other genre, makes me want to be a better person.

 

On the flip side, I can understand where you're coming from.  If it's just droning on and on and there isn't any dynamic change, then it's simply not a good book.  It happens.

 

But think about this as well.  I don't particularly like horses.  There's nothing wrong with them and I think it's great that so many people here love them a lot.  But I don't understand what's so fun about bouncing up and down on an animal knowing that I could fall and possibly never walk again.  I don't understand it.  People have tried to explain the thrill of the wind in your hair, the connection with the animal, and that stuff but I still don't get it, and it's really not something I would ever want to do.  You all can say, "Oh but once you try it, you'll understand!" but I really don't want to try at all.  It's not something that interests me.  But that doesn't mean I'm going to put down a book or story who has a character that loves horses with every fiber of their being just because I don't get it.  If you can capture that feeling that I don't understand in words, then you're writing a good story and that's what I care about when reading.  Just.  A.  Good.  Story.

[Sasha Distan]

I am so glad you haven't seen me attempt to make cupcakes then.  But in all seriousness, I actually appreciate those kinds of stories that you hate.  It's more real and more domesticated.  It reflects real life more than some other books do.  Like the whole hiring a personal trainer to change their outlook on life.  Sure it's not a coming of age, coming out explosion, but it takes something that a lot of people do (myself included) and turns it into a simple tale that hopefully tells something at the end of the story.  Seriously, I started going to a personal trainer a few years ago to change the way I looked and it really did change my outlook on life.  By becoming more fit, I gained a lot of self-confidence and it really taught me about follow through and that my life and the length and quality of said life is extremely important.  To me, those kinds of stories are intimate on a deeper level, easier to connect with, and deeply personal.  So yea it's not action-packed and full of hot sex.  But there's a kind of camaraderie that comes with those mundane stories that all too frequently people put down.  I've found some great messages in these kind of books, and more than any other genre, makes me want to be a better person.

 

On the flip side, I can understand where you're coming from.  If it's just droning on and on and there isn't any dynamic change, then it's simply not a good book.  It happens.

 

But think about this as well.  I don't particularly like horses.  There's nothing wrong with them and I think it's great that so many people here love them a lot.  But I don't understand what's so fun about bouncing up and down on an animal knowing that I could fall and possibly never walk again.  I don't understand it.  People have tried to explain the thrill of the wind in your hair, the connection with the animal, and that stuff but I still don't get it, and it's really not something I would ever want to do.  You all can say, "Oh but once you try it, you'll understand!" but I really don't want to try at all.  It's not something that interests me.  But that doesn't mean I'm going to put down a book or story who has a character that loves horses with every fiber of their being just because I don't get it.  If you can capture that feeling that I don't understand in words, then you're writing a good story and that's what I care about when reading.  Just.  A.  Good.  Story.

 

Then the reason u hated those stories was because they were mundane and badly written. i see.

 

As to the horse thing: i have been told that horses are like marmite. either you love being with your horse, or you have no grasp of the concept of why anyone would want to trust a half ton animal with their life. i think you might fit into this second category  .

[Pete Bruno]

If we are limiting to stories published on sites such as GA I stop reading when the first line is:

"Let me introduce myself"

The other is when the POV changes within the same chapter, it becomes redundant and confusing.  It is one thing to have a chapters narrated by different characters, but I just cannot read a story where after three paragraphs the narrator changes and then begins to repeat parts of the story I just read.  It is as confusing as this post!

 

When it comes to published novels, it's when I no longer have a desire to turn the page.

Edited August 4, 2013 by Pete Bruno

[JamesSavik]

If we are limiting to stories published on sites such as GA I stop reading when the first line is:

"Let me introduce myself"

 

To expand upon this theme, I tend to move on when the protagonist describes his looks and the size of his junk in the first paragraph.

 

Unless... I've heard that  it gets better.

Edited August 4, 2013 by jamessavik

[Former Member]

To expand upon this theme, I tend to move on when the protagonist describes his looks and the size of his junk in the first paragraph.

 

Unless... I've heard that  it gets better.

 

Only rarely does it get better unfortunately.

[Thorn Wilde]

The other is when the POV changes within the same chapter, it becomes redundant and confusing.  It is one thing to have a chapters narrated by different characters, but I just cannot read a story where after three paragraphs the narrator changes and then begins to repeat parts of the story I just read.  It is as confusing as this post!

 

I'm guilty of changing the POV within the same chapter... Nemesis has two main characters, written from a personal 3rd person POV. But the POV never changes within the same scene, and I never repeat things that have already happened.

 

I put down a book when I've been reading the same page over and over for fifteen minutes and still can't soak it up. And that can happen for any reason at all.

 

Sometimes I put down books I'm really enjoying because I start reading something else at the same time, and then I forget about the first book. It's been a trend lately, unfortunately. My reading attention span has wavered some. I'm very proud of myself for having finished two books this summer (Cloud Atlas and The Ocean at the End of the Lane).

[FSUstringer]

I try very hard to suffer through any book. I have found that I tend to learn more from writing styles and plot plagued yarns than I learn from many well written stories. The lesson in learning what I don't want to do -- couple with the experience of learning what works and what doesn't -- is enough reason for me to continue following any train all the way through the wreck.

[Former Member]

After some reflection I talked that if I stop caring about the main character or feel that they have been through too much abuse (and I mean abuse; it's okay to be mean, but when there is no reprieve and it's just turning into a pity party for the mc...) I put it down. The only book to date that I have not wanted to pick back up was Shanghai girls by Lisa see. And it was because of that kind of abuse that did not ever resolve itself, our if it did, I was too far gone to find out.

[Thorn Wilde]

After some reflection I talked that if I stop caring about the main character or feel that they have been through too much abuse (and I mean abuse; it's okay to be mean, but when there is no reprieve and it's just turning into a pity party for the mc...) I put it down. The only book to date that I have not wanted to pick back up was Shanghai girls by Lisa see. And it was because of that kind of abuse that did not ever resolve itself, our if it did, I was too far gone to find out.

 

See, in that kind of situation I have to finish the book or I kind of die inside a little. I need to know how it ends, on the off chance that it gets better.

[Former Member]

See, in that kind of situation I have to finish the book or I kind of die inside a little. I need to know how it ends, on the off chance that it gets better.

 

LOL normally, I'm like that too.  But I put the book down with less than 30 pages.  I didn't think it was gettin' better XDD

[ACADAMS]

Poor writing will make me put down a book. Run on sentences and such. One of my pet peeves is when an author goes on telling and telling. A book has to have some telling for sure, but show me the character in action. I like interesting dialog. I hate dry boring dialog. I like descriptions that are evocative. Don't just tell me the sun was hot and shining. If I see sound effects like "bang bang" or "knock knock" in an adult book, I'm putting it down. If you can't describe someone knocking at the door or shooting a gun, you're not a writer--in my opinion. Everything doesn't have to be at the level of Toni Morrison or E. Annie Proulx, but should at least strive for that level.

[Thorn Wilde]

Poor writing will make me put down a book. Run on sentences and such. One of my pet peeves is when an author goes on telling and telling. A book has to have some telling for sure, but show me the character in action. I like interesting dialog. I hate dry boring dialog. I like descriptions that are evocative. Don't just tell me the sun was hot and shining. If I see sound effects like "bang bang" or "knock knock" in an adult book, I'm putting it down. If you can't describe someone knocking at the door or shooting a gun, you're not a writer--in my opinion. Everything doesn't have to be at the level of Toni Morrison or E. Annie Proulx, but should at least strive for that level.

 

See, I think both run on sentences and 'sound effects' can be used to great effect in a narrative. A run on sentence can create a feeling of hectic confusion, and use of a sound effect does not have to mean that the writer isn't able to describe the thing they used a sound effect for. It just means that they thought it worked in the narrative right then. What is the most correct isn't always what's the most interesting. And there are a lot of stylistic choices to be made while writing which have little to do with right or wrong. I don't want to write like Toni Morrison or E. Annie Proulx, I want to write like Thorn Wilde.

 

...And my transition to subversive artist is apparently complete. I apologise for any casualties. 

[The Pecman]

If we are limiting to stories published on sites such as GA I stop reading when the first line is:

"Let me introduce myself"

The other is when the POV changes within the same chapter, it becomes redundant and confusing.  It is one thing to have a chapters narrated by different characters, but I just cannot read a story where after three paragraphs the narrator changes and then begins to repeat parts of the story I just read.  It is as confusing as this post!

 

Both of these should be engraved in bronze and put on the front page of this site. I hate, hate, hate both of these things, and (except under unusual circumstances) they'll almost inevitably cause me to bail in seconds. 

[RobsWriting]

It's unusual for me to put a book down once I have started it, however it's not unheard of. For me, there are certain authors (Shakespeare, Tokein and Gregory Maguire) who I have to be in the mood for reading. If I'm not, they will only hold my interest for a few pages before I give up. On the other hand, when I am in the right mood, these same authors are compulsive page turners for me (particularly Maguire's books "Wicked" and "Son of a Witch", heavy-going though they are).

 

In terms of classics, I tend to find too much a language barrier is off-putting as it means having to mentally translate into modern English, which is something I'm not always in the mood to do. It's why I love books like Bram Stoker's Dracula. In that story the writing still feels very fresh, vivid and modern, even though the story is over a hundred years old now. Ditto for Jeckyll and Hyde (apologies if I haven't spelled that correctly). On the other hand, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein I find completely impenetrable, and I gave up on both The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Les Miserables after a few chapters of trying. Another example is my love of Dante's Inferno, but my impossible relationship with Homer's Ulysses and Odyssey (again, apologies if I have spelled the names incorrectly).

 

I also fail if suspension of disbelief hasn't happened within a few chapters. That was my major problem with the Twilight novels. I found it too difficult to accept what was being said on the page. On the other hand, The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out Of The Window And Vanished was a brilliantly entertaining read, but I have not yet finished it as I can't focus on it for too long. Yet To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my favourite books of all time. The plot could be considered dull, but the world is brought to life in such vivid detail that I have been Scout Finch in my mind more times than I care to count.

[thebrinkoftime]

I love Tolkien's long descriptions and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's one of the reasons I love the books so much.

 

On the other hand, there are two recent stories I dropped.

 

One had quite a compelling main character until he solved his main problem. Then he became a tedious, pseudo-psychological, fortune cookie-dispensing space buddha who never made any mistakes and always had perfect and long-winded, multiple-paragraph calm reactions to other people despite the fact that he was still only 16. It would have been awesome if the previous sentence was literal, but alas. Still, it just got completely irritating to read. The long, long passages of speech after speech of acceptance and love felt like it would be just as full of actual content if the writer had copy-pasted "It's okay." 50,000 times. I skimmed for the resolution to the more interesting, flawed character and dropped it like a bad nun's habit. I avoid it religiously now.

 

The other story wasn't so bad, it was just obvious after a certain point that the author was more interested in pursuing a political objective than telling a story and at that point, it felt like a condescending uncle trying to tell you his badly made fable on why Apple shouldn't get into the cookie market out of respect for the Chinese. Just completely not necessary.

[Thorn Wilde]

I love Tolkien's long descriptions and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's one of the reasons I love the books so much.

 

I put down The Lord of the Rings. I've tried to read that thing three times in three languages, and I just lose patience when I check to see how far I've gotten and realise I've spent an hour reading five pages. Which I can deal with if it's a shorter book, but with an epic like LotR I just lose heart. In spite of that, The Hobbit is one of my all time favourite books and I've read that multiple times.