Публикация

Why waste NYTs time on this?

Yes.

Last week I walked out of a movie that everyone loves.

no. life is too short to read books you don’t want to.

It’s very hard for me to do. I have a hard time giving up on movies too.

Everyone is different. For movies, tv and games… I’ve got no shame in DNFing stuff I’m not connecting with. Reading I do for reasons other than entertainment, so I never DNF a book I’ve started

Put it down, pick up another one, and maybe come back to it later...

As a lit prof, my class hated the highly esteemed novel I’d assigned and they were all about 150 pages behind the reading schedule. We had a great discussion about why they didn’t like it, why it was so respected, and why it was okay to not finish a novel. We stopped reading it and moved on.

Jfc. It's *my* time.

I have always loved to read. But have maintained a "100 " page rule. If the book isn't interesting to me within 100 pages I quit reading & find another book. This rule has served me well.

Sensible. Personally, I won’t give up till I’m 2/3 through the book though.

A wise man once said: "They have my money; they can't have my time."

Is it boring? Predictable? Poorly written? Or does it stir something uncomfortable, challenge cherished beliefs?

The fact that this is even a question reflects the way we have sanctified having books and reading books. I love reading and have a lot of books in overflowing shelves and stacks, but I don’t find a sense of virtue in owning and reading them.

If I found the book in the remainder pile or at a book sale, I am more likely to DNF it if I’m not really feeling it, and not feel too guilty about it.

Would it be shameful to stop eating food that tastes terrible? Is it sensible to continue exercising if you’re suddenly in pain?

It is fine to stop reading a book. Give it a chance, if it doesn’t draw you in after a while, it’s ok to move on. I’m glad you read at all.

No, why?

When I was younger, I used to force myself to finish every book I started, no matter how boring or awful I found it to be. One day, I realized that this was a ridiculous rule I imposed upon myself & I’m now free to move on from a book I’m not enjoying. Life is too short, books too numerous. ♥️

It's MY time, I'll spend it how I please. If a writer expects me to finish their book, I suggest they write really, really well so it holds my interest. I buy a lot of books. I finish about a third of them. I see no earthly reason to keep reading if I am finding the story or characters lacking.

I DNFed the tradwife book and am 100% ok with it

It's actually buyers remorse - hard to admit you made a mistake choosing it.

I used to have a compulsion to read books until the very end. I would mutter hateful things about the authors whilst aggressively turning pages. I thought I owed it to the book to finish. I’ve got to an age now where I will not suffer that which displeases me. I DHT - shorthand for don’t have time.

How does “shameful” even come into the conversation? Every literate person has stopped reading a book — and probably more than one book — for perfectly legitimate reasons.

Not DNF but DUR: 'Delayed until ready'. Sometimes you just have to wait a few months. Or years.

Rule number one, do not stay in a movie you do not like nor finish a book you can’t stand.

I DN even F reading your post. Just came for the comments

What a ridiculous thought. Of course not!

There's a debate about this? Do what the hell you want.

Skip to the last chapter.

I will give a promising book 50 pages. If the author has not interested me in that read-span, it goes back to the library.

Not at all The choice to read what I enjoy & find interesting is foremost. C'est ma vie

What about skipping sections? It doesn't make sense for fiction, of course, but if I'm reading history, and a chapter isn't keeping my attention, I recently started giving myself permission to skip ahead

Please. With all due respect, I’ve tried to read two books by Joyce Carrol Oates and couldn’t finish either.

I have a 100 page rule. If it doesn't hold me by then, off with it.