I have a 100-Page-Rule. Simply put, I give a book 100 pages to grab my attention and make it worth my time to read it. That, in my opinion, gives the book a fair chance of capturing me.
If I am not invested in the book by then, I abandon it with no guilt.
What causes me to put a book down unfinished? Several things (with examples):
> It has subject matter that is too disgusting for me to stomach. (Chuck Palahniuk's "Haunted")
> It is poorly written. (Eric Wilson's "October Baby")
> Totally uninterested in the characters/story (this is the most frequent cause to abandon). (Ruth Ware's "The Woman in Cabin 10")
> The story is too heavy on negative, so as to make a possible redemption impossible. (Janet Fitch's "White Oleander")
The reason I write this is because my best friend, also a voracious reader, recommended "Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine" by Gail Honeyman. She just knew I would love it, and I really, really wanted to like it. However, I just couldn't. I invoked the 100-page-rule and put it down yesterday. Now I have to work up the courage to tell her.
I may have to make a list of talking points.
Commenti