tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post93892717143835920..comments2024-02-22T07:47:22.661-05:00Comments on The Bathroom Monologues: The Last Eight Books I Abandoned and The Psychology of AbandonmentJohn Wiswellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07416044628686736927noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-41469709804388896432013-08-05T06:28:53.719-04:002013-08-05T06:28:53.719-04:00I only finish about one in four novels that I star...I only finish about one in four novels that I start. I can often get past halfway before a book loses me.Bernardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13194421719317300410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-65004220209228393902013-07-18T08:17:03.123-04:002013-07-18T08:17:03.123-04:00I haven't abandoned many books - but I'm f...I haven't abandoned many books - but I'm fairly picky about what I pick up. The only two I can think of off the top of my head (there have been more than two) were because:<br />1. The first, a so-called "classic" had so many swears in the first paragraph (and a brief skim of the next few pages attested that this was not going to change upon further reading) that I couldn't find the story.<br />2. The most recent was one that started out truly promising and I really wanted to like, but the events of the story went from unbelievable to shocking to truly horrific, until I just couldn't stand to read one more word.<br /><br />Oh, there was a third book I put down last year because I just got bored. I read a ways longer than I normally would have because a friend who generally likes the same stuff I do had recommended it quite highly. But when I start to describe reading a new book as "slogging through" it's time to put the book down and go read something else. It wasn't bad, just not my cup o' tea.J.L. Schmidthttp://jenelleschmidt.com/blognoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-45127295353645062412013-07-15T18:07:43.386-04:002013-07-15T18:07:43.386-04:00I was previously of the "I usually finish no ...I was previously of the "I usually finish no matter what" party, but in recent years my lack of time has made it so I have to give up if I'm really struggling. I'll still try for awhile, but when I can't bring myself to go to bed because I desperately don't want to read the book waiting there for me, it's time to shelve that sucker.<br /><br />Shannon at <a href="http://thewarriormuse.com/" rel="nofollow">The Warrior Muse</a>Shannon Lawrencehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00934641808195675935noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-23848518116755497742013-07-15T11:03:43.581-04:002013-07-15T11:03:43.581-04:00Gigantic multi-prize nominated historical novel by...Gigantic multi-prize nominated historical novel by Flavor of the Moment author. Yodels of praise, warbles of ecstasy about immersive experience. By p200 I was so bored I was prepared to jab the scissors into my leg simply in order to feel something. So I quit.Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15481936090455797869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-85403909059242890432013-07-14T20:10:42.447-04:002013-07-14T20:10:42.447-04:00I loved the line about fake maturity -- that sums ...I loved the line about fake maturity -- that sums up a lot of failed books, methinks.<br /><br />I've thrown a couple of books across the room in the past twelve months. Let's see: one of them had a plot with a lot of internal contradictions -- I scanned ahead to see if anything ever matched up, and they didn't, so I dropped it. <br /><br />Another book depended on ethnic stereotypes to categorise the good guys and bad guys, which got tiresome very quickly. Katherine Hajerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08270232675026751342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-64760621100681518462013-07-14T11:45:57.106-04:002013-07-14T11:45:57.106-04:00I can only think of a couple books that I've j...I can only think of a couple books that I've just walked away from. One was a series of books. I read the first book and it was fine. Read the second book...it wasn't great, but I managed to finish it. Got the the third book and had nothing but negative feelings toward the character I was *supposed* to be liking. I mean, I got angry just picking up the book knowing I'd probably see those characters win the day, and I didn't want them to. It felt unhealthy, so I stopped reading. >.<<br /><br />Another was a series of short stories about characters from a series of books I LOVE. I thought it would be great, and in a way it was. It filled in some missing pieces. I only got about three and a half short stories into it before I completely stalled, though. The problem was that I had already read everything out in the series, and these short stories were SO far behind where I was in the plot. I think the problem was that I had *just* finished the last chronological book in the series out so far, then hopped back to those short stories. It didn't work. I wanted the next chronological book, not a jaunt down memory lane. So I'll no doubt pick it up again when I'm in a better mindset for it. ^.^CJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11278319811173190031noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-33644680172006107942013-07-14T11:30:17.249-04:002013-07-14T11:30:17.249-04:00There aren't many books I give up on. I'm ...There aren't many books I give up on. I'm easily entertained. =) There's only a handful I didn't finish from start to end. The first one I put down because I figured out how it would end within the first five pages. Flipped to the back to confirm. The other two started out amazing but kept having moments that were too unbelievable for me and ruined the story. The other books that come to mind, I ended up not finishing because I put them down and got distracted and have never picked them back up.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-45006683079619224402013-07-14T11:16:02.631-04:002013-07-14T11:16:02.631-04:00I am almost certain I know what #5 is ;)
This is ...I am almost certain I know what #5 is ;)<br /><br />This is interesting. I'm having a hard time coming up with anything like a rule for when I abandon books versus when I keep on keepin' on. I finished Swords and Deviltry, although I hated almost every word. But I stopped less than 50 pages from the end of Perdido Street Station--an amazing book, but not the most engrossing read in all parts; plus, it slid under my bookshelf and I lost it for a few months. (Once I've put a book down for that long, it's really dang hard to pick back up). I also have only read half of Games of Thrones because I didn't finish it in time for the book club meeting and wasn't inspired to pick it back up?<br /><br />I suppose there is a species of "as a rule, I like to finish things" in me, but also a bit of "once my attention has been diverted, it's really hard to get reinvested."<br /><br />Btw, good to meet you yesterday!Lise Fhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16254900461916653605noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-32981857104215143062013-07-14T08:47:11.650-04:002013-07-14T08:47:11.650-04:00Abandoned one book about a superhero. Meant to be ...Abandoned one book about a superhero. Meant to be sympathetic, she was just... nothing. She didn't do anything because she was depressed about how her life had been up to that point, so despite having various superabilities, she mostly just moped and griped.<br /><br />Stalled on another book because, after 100 pages, the hero has a) sat around a lot, b) bickered with his wife, c) smoked cigarettes.Tony Nolandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15090583562737225942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-73458763103381830482013-07-14T08:11:14.416-04:002013-07-14T08:11:14.416-04:00Hopefully that first one wasn't mine...Hopefully that first one wasn't mine...Alex J. Cavanaughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09770065693345181702noreply@blogger.com