Have you ever started a book, then completely lost interest in reading it half way through? I'm reading this book, which is just OK, and I do want to finish it... but I just don't even feel like picking it up anymore! I can't decide if it's because I really don't like the book or if it's because I've got too much to do.
Does this happen to you? How long does it normally take you to read a novel? If I really like a book, I can usually read it in 3-4 nights (staying up late)... but this book I've been trying to read for a few months now and I just can't get to the end!
[question posted by vivasuzi]
responses and comments:
I had that happen to me with "Dracula" by Bram Stoker. I just could NOT get into that book, try as I may. I barely got 100 pages into it, after taking WEEKS to get there, and I just decided to abort it entirely. I even gave it away as a donation, because I couldn't bear the thought of trying to get through it again! haha! Some books just don't "click" with everyone. And yes, it could very well be that you're simply too busy with other things in your life right now too. Have you considered trying a different book to see if you can get through that one? [QueenKaren]
I am also currently reading Bram Stolker's "Dracula" right now, it just so happens that it makes me feel freaky when reading it!;) for the past two weeks, I'm still on the continuation of Jonathan Harker's journal on chapter IV. [raijin]
I hear you on that. If I'm really interested in a novel, I'll take 3-4 HOURS(if it's a page turner) but if it's something that I don't have to rush to read or don't particularly care for, I'll not read it or take a few weeks. [Transformed]
It happens once in a while, usually I try to keep reading hoping that things will change but then I get frustrated and think of the time I wasted on it. If I am reading something from an author I am into, like Darren Shan, I can easily kill a 500 page book in one night. I don't go for romance novels so if there is a lot of that kissy kissy stuff in it, I lose interest real quick. [freak369]
This seldom happen to me.Usually I read books which my friends recommend to me,or some which is famous and popular.And before I begin,I would have a look at the preface to see whether it's fit to my taste.So once I start I would finish it with full interest.As for your problem,I suggest you just give it up for some time,and finish your present work.When you really feel at leisure,you may have interest to go on with it.Now if you still stay on,I don't think you would gain much at last.This my opinion. [zodgfamily]
That actually happened to me twice with the book Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. It wasn't that I didn't like it, because I loved it when I finally made it through it. It was just so long (I'd say almost two inches thick, and small print) and it wasn't something you could just speed through. Needless to say I kept running out of time and the library fines kept adding up so I just returned it and vowed to get through it later. I finally did this past summer and I'm really glad I did. [alantae]
well, if you're really interested in the book, you can really finish reading it in less than a week. maybe because you're busy or you have much to do that's why you don't find time anymore to read that book. or the book is really not interesting :) [jeb083079]
I'm exactly like what you are feeling right now. I also started reading this book but I've been having a hard time to read it, or even pick it up. I guess this just means that I'm more busy posting here in mylot!;) I think I was kind of little bit scared, the story I'm reading was Bram Stolker's masterpiece - "Dracula". I can't really stay late at night when reading it. Normally I can finish a novel for about two weeks (I can't read the way like you do), I have other things to take care of and I need a good night sleep to start my new day lively.. [raijin]
I have. And when I get that way, I put the book down. Sometimes I go back to it, sometimes I don't. I have never finished "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon" or "The Summons". I just can't, and I don't think that I ever will. If the book doesn't hold me, then I'm done and that is all there is to it. [serialmommy]
I am quite an avid reader finishing 200-300 page books in a single day reading throughout. But nowadays i've been reading a lot less than before. Started re-reading a book that i finished and have barely finished 50 pages in the last 2 days. But i've been preoccupied with a lot of other activity so its alrite. Well if its a novel or a book that i like and or is an inspirational book then im bound to read it as fast as possible. Otherwise i do take my own sweet time sometimes. [KwokFist]
I started reading Moby Dick in our school library but halfway through I lost interest, it just demands a lot to understand the book and I onl had a couple of hours per day to red at the time. [silentwill]
no i dont read anyboksssssssssssssss sorry lololololololololololollllllllllllllllolololololoo [saket_123sharma]
This type of situation is always happen about many persons. However we have a choice & if our gole is perfect then we can easily go on that way. So first a person has to schedule a programe of the day in morning in bathroom this is a very nice place for taking any dicision & try to achieve that scheduled programe then any person can save time for reading as per schedule. Types of books is depend upon their goal. It may be only for increasing knowledge, then it is easy to read that type of book in travelling with taking interest. [kiranjd3]
Im into a book like that right now! It has taken me well over 6 weeks, and usually a novel only takes me about a week or 2 - as I only read a bit at night before bed or on my lunch break. Before I had my daughter I would get through a book in 2 days! I never like to not finish a book - even if I dont like it - because sometimes I will stay with it and it will surprise me in the end. I feel like if I have started I should at least give it a chance till the end - then if it is horrible I can review it and warn others, lol ;) [cascogirl]
i feel tat u should stop readng the book coz u arent findng it tat interesting.......... waise which book r u readng??? [stutiaquarian]
i usually take two to three days to finish a novel.... that is i sit and complete in a stretch.... novels which i dont like will be returned immediately.... [nafeesa_mohd]
I love reading, normally if a book can hook me within the first chapter then I will read it right thought to the end. However, sometimes even the best books can fail to hold your interest that when I put it down and leave it. I have a few books I have started to read and found them to be hard going, these I put away and try again later. Perhaps this might be a good idea for you. [recycledgoth]
I am not an avid reader but when the third Harry Potter book came out a friend said I should read it, how wonderful it was,so I went out and bought the first one read and thought it was ok so then I went out and bout two and three got half way through the second one and just gave up....hmmmmmm not good. [lilaclady]
yes wat discussion topics nice [salman149]
Yes this happened to me also, before when I was still in my 20s I really would not let go of the book until i finish it or i am eager to read where I left behind. But I notice that as I grew old I lost interest in reading much. I am used to be a fond of reading Historical novels but now I cant even finish five chapters and I am losing interest already. Maybe because I am already tired in doing other things but some readers even they are tired can still read while resting. But me , i dont, so i guess it is in the personality of the person. [ireneortiz]
Before MyLot I read more often. Gotta get back to that, and less of this. Since this isnt doing as well as I thought! :)) I put them down all the time and forget. I have A.D.D. so I read several books at a time. I hear if you cant get into a book by the page of your age then give up. For me it would be 27. [monkeywriter]
This used to be my case a few months ago, when i decided to make sure to dedicate some amount of my time to quality reading.This has been floowed for a few months now and now i have ample time [Bangalorean]
i read the important part of book, if it's no important will leave that part to the other, because i read for know something. [cliff19id]
If it dosen't take off like a rocket i trash it,i need to be able to read and see what i'm reading in my mind ,if that dosen't happen right away HASTA LAVISTA BABY and i chalk it up to money wasted.i can't be WASTING my time trying to get into a book that doesn't grab me right away [max1950]
Though I love reading as it is my greatest hobby I still manage to not read half the books I already have and yet buy more. I sometimes only manage to get done with the cover of the book! But here's the deal: Why don't you give yourself a time frame? Depending on the pages of the book and your reading speed, allocate the amount of time you would give yourself per day to complete it (considering all your other activities that could be keeping you busy). It can even be just 20 minutes of reading. Another thing you could do is : Let's say the book is based on the topic of love, go pick up romantic movie and engross yourself into until it seeps into you. That might just get you started and going to the end! [ReshVal]
If it bores you then just find another book to read... Don't waste your time reading something that doesn't suite your interest... There are tons of good books out there maybe you'll find the ones that you'll like... [yenoh03]
Well, if you get off myLot you probably can get it read pretty quickly. HaHaHa...It is hard indeed to start a book and finish it with so many other things in life going on. Especially when you have children, you are caught up in putting them to bed, cleaning up, feeling like you just want to mindlessly watch TV. If I am very interesed in a novel, I will read it for about an hour a night for about a week. Happy Reading! [hewesy2]
Never mind about it. I think it happens with many people. It has happened with me too a few times. Some books are not that interesting, and thus readers don't manage to cling to them. Some are so boring, that it becomes hard to even read 10 pages. That's why, there is an old idiom that, "Don't judge a book by it's cover". If you can't read, if you don't feel like reading the book anymore, then don't struggle to read also. You will not enjoy it then. The real enjoyment of reading a good book never comes, if it is imposed on a person. I generally complete reading a novel in 24-48 hours, if it's a 100-200 pages book. If it's longer, then I take upto a week. Once I completed a very interesting and long novel in 1 month. [moumitamazumder]
I have been there many times, I live by one rule when it comes to books. If I am not into the book by the end of the first chapter i don't bother with it no matter how much other ppl said it was great. I have favorites that i read over and over again, All the harry potter books, The earths children series by Jean m Auel those books i can't get enough of. So i find I reread more books than i start new. I must learn to broaden my horizons lol. [kakuemmom]
I love to read. But I find has I have gotten older I find myself reading less. I go through spells where I read all the time and then stop. [riskey58]
yes this is very true/this things happen especialy when we are very busy and have other distractions such as computers and television wich presents a far more interesting way to get informed and be entertained. [alinmandrut]
oh yaa this always happens to me i start a book and then in the middle i loose interest or i get bored of it.Even if i like the book i would just read half and get bored of reading. i Guess i juz dun have the patience to read the book [coolali143]
i remember when i in my childhood,i read many books.the most faverate thing is reading. now i seldom to read. the first reason is no time ,the other is ,you know,when you read a book ,you should keep peace inside,but now little time can keep peace inside.i wish one day i can enjoy a book and a cup of tea and some cookies for a day. [newtopwin]
I love reaing Paulo Coelho's books,they are wonderful. But one of them I couldn't finished at all[Na margem do rio Piedra eu sentei e chorei]. The last book I read was "O diário de um mago" and it was completely gorgeous:) [diexxx]
This happened to me once, guess I was yet in high school when I started reading that novel and haven't finished it 'till now. Am not even sure if the title is "Forbidden Passion" or "Forbidden Ecstasy" LOL, but one thing for sure, it's by Sidney Sheldon. I don't really know why I lost interest in that book unlike the others that I just finished in like 4-5 nights. :) [Rexy_leigh]
from the college i don"t read a book,because a lost my interest!i am naw in the faculty and i don't read yet a book,mybe are another thinks who macke me to forget like :computer...in the most part of time,faculty and another thinks. [marianaalina]
i like to read books, but i don't have time because i want to go to school and i have a pasion for football. [maryus_78]
That kind of thing happens to me too, but only with really long books. After a while, life gets in the way of the book and I don't really feel connected to the plotline anymore - and suddenly, I'm no longer interested in the characters or whatever else is going on. Because of that, I've learned to only read books that aren't longer than two hundred or so pages. [snapthat]
i can give u an idea why dont you read the end chapter then that will close every thing hope that works bse i works 4 me [jkpaid]
put a time table for each chapter and read other books [jkpaid]
I've started maybe one or two books in my lifetime that I haven't finished. I might be more likely to do that now, as I find that I'm getting pickier as I get older. I usually can take a look at about 30 seconds of a TV show (a new one) and know if it's nothing that I'm interested in. Other times I'll watch half of something and say ugh, I'm just not enjoying this, and give up. So I know that i would do the same with a book, if I were still reading as much as I did when I was a teenager and younger than that. I used to be such a bookworm, lol! I know that I finished most books in a half a week to a week, but I'll never forget the time that I was sick and read Steven King's "Misery" in one day. That's the biggest book that I know of that I've ever read in a day! ^_^ [shywolf]
This often happens to me too. I am also no slow reader, but I started many books, but didn't finish. The last book I read in summer (holidays) and it took me just a few days at the beach. But in every day lifes routine I am not able to finish a book. [missknox]
I've started a lot of books and never finished. If the book doesn't interest me I just don't read anymore. There are a lot of good books so I don't waste my time with one if it doesn't interest me. I don't buy my books either or I would feel like I'm wasting my money if I didn't finish it. I get my books at the library, that way if I don't read I don't feel guilty. [helenfillion]
the best time you can read it, is when you can't sleep. Coz that book will surely put you into sleep. [roelie_17]
That has happened to me on occasion. Usually I end getting busy with other things and it takes me awhile to finish books. Sometimes though you want to keep reading, but the interest just dies out. So I understand where you're coming from. [nangel78]
this happends to me alot. i start a book then i dont get chance to read it due to university etc :S not good [vicky_lane4987]
When i come to know that i wont be able to finsih the book or jsut have lost interest in reading the book...i simply make it point that i scrap through rest of book by skipping pages rather than completely turning away from the book...i think thats best possible way of getting really aclaimatised with novel completely if not fully... [avs189]
Before,i really like to read a book but right now i don't have enough time.I have a novel that i start reading on it for i think a few months already but until now i did not finish reading it coz i have so many work to do.Besides i have a baby to watch. [mommyaiai]
If I really like a book I can read it in a few hours, however I have had books like the one you're talking about. Sometimes I will force myself to continue reading it thinking it's eventually going to get better and then I'm really disappointed in the end to find out that it never got any better and I just wasted a ton of time, lol. [XxAngelxX]
Yes it has happened on a couple of Books and in the End I just put it away as I did not want to read it anymore, once I loose Interest I don't bother carry on reading it, I then start reading one of my favourites Authors. [gabs8513]
yeah that has happened to me a few times. but that is why i usualy read two or more books at a time. if i get bored with one of them o get the other. if i like it i usually read it very quickly. but it did happen to get half way through a book and completly loose my interest. [Lardiel]
I used to read a lot , Loved Catherine Cookson , I would stay up till all hours just to finish it , Then I went to others and did the same my hands get sore now just holding the books up so I have given it up , If I couldn't get into a book in the first few pages I gave it up altogether , xx [weemam]
Well I thought of giving up the book, but since I had paid for it I wanted to at least give it a try. It's not horrible, but it's not good either! [vivasuzi]
I've definately had that happen! I usually can read a book with in a couple of days, but once in a while an "ok" book takes me awhile. [starr4all]
I have this every times I try to read Dickens. I think I've tried to read Bleak House four times, and have never made it past the first chapter. It's because the style of writing is so ornate. By contrast the TV adaptations of his books are great. Re how long it takes to read a book - it depends on how riveting it is. I've been known to stay up all night reading books that I can't put down, and I finish them within a day or two. With mediocre books, it takes me about a week. [snowflake5]