How, why and when you should DNF a book
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- čas přidán 16. 07. 2024
- Michael's video: • The Rules For Reading
@michaelk.vaughan8617
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Reading a book at the right time is a great piece of advice. Sometimes the current moment is just not the right moment.
Yeah, I think it's really important to consider that element when reading/DNFing
This is so true. I DNFed Christine by Stephen King because I wasn’t feeling it at the time. I picked it up a year later and liked it.
I am firmly in camp DNF, although I do understand about persevering if you think there will be merit in it. I don't often go back to DNFs, but occasionally I do when I know it wasn't the right time first time around. My DNF rate for the year so far is about 30% which I know seems ridiculously high but I am happy with my life choices 🤷😊
30% does seem high, but I think DNFing is almost always the right thing to do!
This is how I DNF. If I realize partway through that I don’t actually care about these characters, then I read one more chapter. Then I go to the end and read the last 2 chapters. If I still don’t care about how these events came about . . . Then it goes into the donation box. It might resonate with someone else.
That seems like a very good way to do it!
The only reason I would finish a book that was boring, annoying, or disappointing me would be because finishing it served a greater (more important) goal; i.e., reading a book that has been assigned to me to read and report on as part of a curriculum for some education I was interested in getting. Otherwise, no way.
I stop watching movies that are bad or stop playing video games that aren't entertaining me because my time is too valuable to waste, and will run out eventually. The same goes for books. They are meant to entertain, educate, and enlighten. If they aren't doing that then they are just a waste of paper and ink.
All of this is subjective, of course (one man's trash is another man's treasure). But nobody should feel guilty for not finishing a book, that's silly.
“Dost thou love life? Then do not squander Time; for that's the Stuff Life is made of.” -- Benjamin Franklin
Great quote! When I used to play video games I think it was much more likely that I wouldn't finish one than that I would - they take so much time!
I'm with Michael K in that I never DNF. I go with all his reasons but have a further one of my own in that I feel I owe it to the author to finish the journey that you start when you begin a novel. However, I think it's important to choose the right book for you (as you indicate) at the right time and work your way up to certain types of books. For example: don't dive into War and Peace if you normally read shorter fiction and are not familiar with 19th Century literature. Know what you are getting into before you start. There are plenty of reviews and guides to classic (and not so classic) fiction out there to help you judge what you might (or might not) enjoy. I'm a firm believer in putting in the work to get your rewards from reading. Glad you are having another attempt at As I Lay Dying. I would place it in my top ten greatest novels and have read in a few times over the years.
I think that's an excellent 4th reason! And great points on building up to more challenging books.
I finished As I Lay Dying this afternoon and really liked it.
I suspect there are quite a number of occasional readers who really would like to DNF a book, a book that is not even just a classic, but a top classic!
I DNF'd Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand 900 pages in. I think it's somewhere around 1,150 pages long or something, so I read more than three fourths of the book. I really tried to push through, just so I could be able to say I had read it and have a comprehensive opinion on it, but what finally had me throw it away was when I realized the main female character had fallen in love with John Galt, whom she had just recently met. Prior to this happening the book spends an insane amount of pages dwelling on her super strong love for this other steel magnate, and then she just throws it away randomly when she meets this new boring douchebag. It just felt like such a betrayal on the part of the author. Like, why in the world did I read 900 pages of this boring love story when it didn't even matter shit in the end? So yeah, I missed Galt's famous radio speech at the end. Just a super weird book overall.
I also DNF'd Frankenstein by Mary Shelley about half-way in just because it was so goddam bleak and depressing. I actually really liked the book to that point from a literary point of view, and especially the intro was fantastic, but I just wasn't in the mood for that type of bleakness and soul-crushing content at that particular time.
@@okyouknowwhatever I binged the movies series of Atlas. I don't recall there was a love story, not much of a one at any rate! It's easier to finish films I guess.
I’ll never DNF no matter how much sense you make!
It’s important to have standards!
I try not to DNF. I have put down a book to reset and return to later. Example I try reading King Lear this year but really struggled early on. So I stopped. Watched a BBC production of the play on stage. And then went back to it and it was worth the effort. An aside, you really need to do shelf tour, I couldn't stop scanning the spines in your new bookcases 😀 while I was listening to you. My main takeaway here is more preparation required.
I think preparation is definitely a good idea when reading something you know is going to be challenging.
I'll definitely do a shelf tour soon! This week or next
I never used to DNF. I hated the idea of being beaten by a book. After struggling with a massive reading slump for most of 2020 I've now realised that there are too many books that I want to read but I'm not willing to waste my time reading bad books. I agree that if I think a book might improve then I'll stick with it, but if I am genuinely hating something (especially if it's more than a couple of hundred pages) then I'll leave it. Sometimes it isn't necessarily the book's fault, it may be that I'm struggling with other things in which case the DNF may only be a temporary thing - I might go back later and retry.
Agree, there are way too many books out there to struggle through something you're not enjoying
I think I’m somewhere in between the two opinions. I’ve DNF’d two books in the past year and have a strict DNF process, but only because if I decide to DNF it’s a permanent choice for me. So I give a book three opportunities over several points in time and if it still isn’t working, then I go ahead and DNF it guilt free.
3 strikes and you're out seems like a pretty good rule!
Camp DNF here. If I feel like I don't care about the story, I do the Comet test. I imagine that on the next page a comet would wipe out everyone and everything in the book. Do I feel hurt and sad? I should continue reading. Do I feel relief? I need to DNF asap.
(Also, I agree with your assesment of Michael's points. Life's too short to read what we hate.)
ha ha the comet test is brilliant!
I agree partially with you. I think you can judge a book without finishing it. You can get a feeling for the quality of the writing early on and whether it is for you. I used to not DNF and felt horrible about not finishing a book but in the last few years I have embraced actually DNFing books. If I don't care about the characters and finding out what will happen to them, I quit without regret. And I find myself reading a lot more and constantly because I am not dreading picking up the boom and don't have to force myself. This is different if I find myself thinking about the book or the characters later on and pick it up again but this is very rare. It's happened maybe twice for me. Other times, I stop knowing I like the book but just don't want to read it at the moment. The book I'm currently reading was one I took a break from earlier this year because it was too depressing and I was going through a blue period but I really like it. I actually DNFed The Lord of the Rings 3-4 times and then one day I couldn't put it down and it is a book I absolutely love. There are so many books I want to read and I don't want to waste time in something that is obviously not for me. Also, lately where not all books are printed the quality of books being published has decreased. There are many books that are published that feel like fan fiction and that feel like they are not edited at all. I need a little bit more quality in the writing to enjoy it.
Yeah I completely agree that DNFing is the key to reading more and enjoying reading more! 😊
I “unofficially” DNFed lord of the rings too!! I am waiting to go back and finish it later on, i feel like the journey is so very descriptive and slow paced, and I can’t bring myself to read any further and enjoy it 😭 glad to hear you finally finished it and enjoyed it, I hope I bring myself to finish it as well!
@@fennerolivia for me it took getting through the Tom Bombadil part and then I was hooked. That part was just unnecessary frankly.
I DNF'd a non fiction book about Metal music a couple of years ago. I just found it stored away and found I was halfway through when I put it down. Being a while back, I can't remember why I put it down, but knowing me I got a couple of books I was excited to read so put it aside, then forgot about it. I've got a couple of books lined up beforehand, but I've added it back to my TBR and looking forward to picking it up again
Hope you enjoy it when you get back to it!
I wish I could DNF, but I have OCD. To make matters worse, even if it's a horrible book, I will still underline any words or turns of phrases I feel I should know, and put them in my Commonplace Book. I will also listen to audiobooks at half speed and do this. Skin, by Koja, I came super close to chucking--I love a lot of her work, but this one felt like a Bataan Death March. But it yielded up some nice imagery. I just can't let go, even with the reality of my own Death breathing down my neck. Thank you for sharing.
I do DNF, but often times the determining factor is not that I hate the book, it’s if I’m not reading it anymore and not reading anything else either. If I’d rather stall out reading than finish a book, it’s time to move on and get my pace back up where it should be.
That does sound like a good reason to DNF!
I do sort of have a mental DNF scale like yours. I used to almost exclusively read nonfiction (and still prefer it to fiction most of the time), so I am currently on a sort of quest to discover what my personal preferences are in fiction. Therefore, I have frequently chosen fiction that was simply not for me in any way. I simply did not know that ahead of time. I generally read until I get 1/3 of the way in before deciding whether I should keep going, put it aside for a different time, or just abandon it entirely. I do give classics and modern classics more of a chance than other fiction, partly because they are referenced so frequently in other works and I want to catch those references.
That being said, I even have limits when it comes to these books. I have a 3 strikes and you are out rule for classic authors. If for whatever reason I cannot stand one of their books. I give them 2 more shots. If I fail to get something out of them on the first three attempts, then I eliminate them from the list of authors I "need to read". This is how I came to divorce myself from the work of Earnest Hemingway. (No regrets at all!)
I completely agree that, if you force your way through something that you are not learning from, being enlightened by, or being entertained by...then that thing has beaten you, not the other way around.
That 3 strikes rule seems a very good one! I think I've only read one book by Hemingway, the Old Man and the Sea, which I wasn't a big fan of.
Same. It sounds like I am somewhere near to where you are at, discovering fiction/classics/novels! And I also gave serious attention to Hemingway (even his short stories), and found him disappointingly short in several areas.
Yep life’s too short to read books you’re not enjoying. Great chat!
Cheers Crystal!
Your new bookshelves might be the most beautiful bookshelves in the history and existence of bookselves. 😲
I'm not sure they're quite that nice, but I am pleased with them!
One thing that can make me stop reading a book pretty soon is the author's writing style... if I can't connect with it then it's dead, reading becomes a slog and it takes me aaages, which feels like time sacrificed when I could read something else :/ The worst is when lots of elements of the story interest me but the writing style is in the way so much that I just can't continue... hate when it happens. An old lecturer of mine would teach us to not waste time reading books you're not enjoying for whatever reason, even if they're supposed to be timeless classics and revered, life's too short...! 🤷♂
I associate so much guilt with DNFing, but in a lot of other mediums, comics, magazines, albums that I (and I think a lot of people) can generally drop out of without any real worry. At some point I just have to remind myself that reading for me should be fun, and when it isn't feeling that way for a while it's usually a sign that it's DNF time
What I find also really helps when I'm reading a series like Mistborn is to do a really light, schlock easy fun read in-between so I don't get fatigued on the series storyline
I completely agree with that fun part. I think the problem with the way we are taught to read is that it can feel like a chore and also that we feel guilty if we don't finish something
That's a good technique! (and sorry it has taken me so long to reply!)
I’d just like to say that I DNFed Dracula at least twice. I actually really liked it, but it was really dense. I had a few moments where it got to be too much and I had to put it down. I’m happy I finished it. Bran Stoker put a lot of time and love into Dracula.
Yeah it’s a great book, but agree it can be heavy going at times
I did it! I didn't finish a book that I was really looking forward to reading but was kind of hating the first 50 pages. I let myself set it aside to come back to when I'm in the mood for it. I picked up a different book that I really enjoyed! I always felt so guilty in the past if I didn't want to finish a book. Or I would just push through the book, which was never enjoyable. Reading should be fun!
That’s fantastic! Really glad you were able to do it!
I once forced myself to read a book series I enjoyed at first but started getting increasingly annoyed with as it went on. When I finished the last one, I tore it in half and used it as kindling. Definitely put me firmly into DNF camp. =P
(Funnily enough, there were since books that I DNF'd but would still recommend giving a shot because I objectively think they're good but found them too difficult at the time, with 'As I Lay Dying' definitely being one of them.)
Ha ha that’s a pretty strong reaction to a book! You have to let us know what the series was 😂
I am one of those that like to finish something I start. I know what I like and now I basically read for enjoyment. If it is just boredom, I slug through. If it is unsettling and upsetting, I may stop reading. I will not read about subjects like physical abuse, child sexual abuse, or murder and have no compunction at DNRing the book.
I think getting to that point where you know your own reading tastes well enough that you can pick the right books for yourself most of the time is really great.
I have the same situation with Donna Tartt books! But I think they are masterpieces no exaggeration. Have ordered the little friend with the best cover that I love and I would say she is one of those writers who even if maybe sometimes the story wise or pure plot wise could leave you with a bit of a 'downer' the prose and how she weaves the web of meanings is actually one of the greatest ever and actually enriches you internally massively!
Yeah she is an incredibly good writer. I need to try The Little Friend and The Goldfinch soon!
@@CriminOllyBlog absolutely man!
Start of this year I started reading The Wheel of Time. My goal was to finish all 14 books. Once I finished book 7, I decided to DNF the series. A little different than stopping mid book but I stopped mid series. Looking back, I’m mad as I feel I wasted my time pushing as far as I did.
Yeah I've read the first one and think that will be it for me and that series. It's hard to make an argument for reading books that long when they're really not that great.
I've just DNF'd the first book in the series. I mean, it's utterly awful in so many ways but there was the occasional bright spark so I persevered up until page 400 or so and then realised I was subconsciously skimming and paying little to no attention to what was happening - I was effectively sleep reading it. I think this may have introduced me to my confirming trigger for DNF'ing - if I wander off mentally as well as having a suspicion the book is a dud then it's time to make like Elvis.
I have a few classifications for a DNF. A sickening lack of moral character anywhere. Child rape. I don't mean not finishing the novel, "Interview with a Vampire" was tossed into the woodstove.
That seems like a decent set of reasons to get rid of a book!
Great video!! thanks for your input. It really helps me get an idea of how other readers decide to DNF or push through a book. :D
Thank you - glad you enjoyed it!
I DNF'ed David Copperfield three times before finally reading it. It's now one of my all time favorites. Great video. I get an awful case of the guilts when I DNF a book.
I hate DNFing also, but I have done it a few times. I, personally, love As I Lay Dying and I think it's because I read it in school. Faulkner's stream of consciousness is hard to follow, but what I remember doing was writing out a list of all the characters and jotting down their versions of the same story. There is a pattern that emerges - I remember being astounded by that fact. Good luck with it!
I finished As I Lay Dying yesterday and really liked it. I do definitely think I need to read it again in a more measured way as I think at least some of it went over my head!
I stand proudly in the DNF camp. Life is too short! However, I had an enormous library in my home. (I am currently between houses and have placed roughly 260 boxes of books into temporary storage. I miss them all dearly. Aren't they much like beloved friends? And I want them near me.) I am a fan of re-reading books at different stages of my life. I will say that if I am struggling with a book, I will put it aside and return to it. If I am still not a fan at a later time, I will donate it or pass it along to a friend. I am a writer and I know how much work goes in the process. I want to do the author justice and be fair about it...but I also read approx 5 or 6 books a week and I don't want to waste time on something I don't enjoy. I do try to give them a fair go. I have an eclectic taste and will read anything except romances (my English Mum called them "bodice rippers", lol). I am just not a fan. I struggled with The Secret History as well but I was loathe to get rid of it as it was gifted by a dear friend who has excellent taste. Sigh. Thank you once again! Love and Bless xo
That's a LOT of books! I'm not surprised you miss them.
Your advice is sound. I think my criteria for dnf'ing are basic:
1) If I've made it halfway through and I'm bored, Idnf
2) If the writing is god-awful - characters that I actively hate, cliche-ridden, female characters written by men who've never had a girlfriend, and it's not trashy (I can forgive these sin in Trashy books), I dnf
3) With challenging books - Gravity's Rainbow and Lolita in my case, I will dnf in the knowledge that I will eventually read them (and I did).
3 very good reasons!
When I was a kid, I refused to not finish a book once I started. I don't have that issue anymore. There are few times where I'll finish reading something that I'm not enjoying: if I feel there's value in it (literature), or if I want to be able to actually speak on why i didn't like it. For instance, I was not on the Twilight train, have never been on the Twilight train, but my best friend raved about it. She and my sister-in-law insisted that it was good, and I just wasn't giving it a chance. I read all the books and proceeded to tell them all the ways everyone was awful, and they haven't recommended anything like it to me again! Another for instance, I did not enjoy 1984 as much as everyone talking led me to believe I would. Instead of being "the most disturbing thing I'd ever read", it was the most depressing. But I didn't DNF because there was still value in the read; there were things to think about and chew on. Maybe if I had read it years ago instead of recently? Timing is important. I used to also refuse to re-read things, but now I want to go back and read things that I KNOW I was to young for the first time, just to see how my opinion changes.
When I'm not enjoying a book I drag my feet reading it. A book that takes two days ends up taking weeks... so I've learned to DNF so as not to waste time. I've kept a track of everything I properly DNFd and it's interesting to note trends in the list (I DNF nearly all YA novels I read for example) which is something to be wary of when choosing books in the future.
This is my new comfort channel
Aww, thank you.
I am a big fan of DNFing books! I try to give it between 30-50% before giving up completely on it but I won't keep reading a book that''s making me fall asleep. I want reading to be fun, and reading books that I'm not enjoying isn't fun. There's also time when I was temporarily DNF a book if I start it and feel like it would be best to read in a particular season or if I'm enjoying it but just don't feel like reading that type of book at the moment. I'm a mood reader so I DNF a lot of books, and more often than not I'm temporarily DNFing. I will only permanently DNF a book if I find it extremely off putting and not worth reading through.
Yeah I think temporary DNFing is a good way to go
I can easily DNF a book - page 50 is my drop dead page to DNF. If I'm bored or if the book is too slow, I give it up at that point. There are too many other books to choose from and life is too short to feel compelled to complete a book that isn't either needed information or entertaining.
Totally agree - I think the 50 page point is a good one to stop at
i need to implement some of these tips in my reading life asap!!!!
Hope they work for you!
Talking of DNFing - I've just finished 'Things Have Gotten Worse...' It started OK, but rapidly went downhill for me. I nearly DNF'd at the crucifixion scene but forced myself to continue as it's such a short work. I wish I hadn't! I now have to make the decision as to whether finish the rest of the book. I know I'll never want to reread the main novella again.
On the same topic I have just rebought a book that I got rid of after 3 DNFs over a number of years - the first book in Gene Wolf's Book of the New Sun. I'm determined this time to finish it! I really think it warrants the effort - the 'problem' is that there are then another 3 books.
Yeah I have to admit I don’t think Things Have Gotten Worse deserved as much hype as it got. I do think LaRocca has something though and the other book I read by him I liked a lot more.
I read that Wolfe book (and I think books 2 and 3 as well) as a teenager, but for some reason never finished the series. I remember them being excellent.
i do feel bad when i DNF a book, but it needs done occasionally. i once DNF'd a book that was so tremendously awful i was compelled to throw it in the bin, so that no one else would have to read it - strangely, i didn't feel bad about that.
That does sounds like a book worth DNFing!
I tend to put books on hold before I decide to dnf them and get back to them later. The only times I've dnf a book directly was when something in it made me feel that finishing it was bot worth it.
I think I tend to be quite deliberate about it, although sometimes it does happen by accident in the way you describe
Respectful disagreement?!?! ON CZcams?!?!?!?! STOP THE PRESSES WE GOT A HEADLINE!
😂😂😂
There are times when reading s book that something comes up that seems like a better offer. I don’t feel much obligation to finish a book and it’s easy to DNF. I just don’t worry if the I DNF a book. It’s not like the BookTube Police are going to knock my front door and arrest me if I do.
I try to avoid thinking to much about other books I might be reading so I don't get that "better offer" dilemma!
Hate reading ! Yes, thats what happens to me. I get personal, I get bookrage, insults are thrown, paint peels off my walls, it's all very nasty. God I love it 🤣 But I really should DNF more. I've only DNF'd 2 books: The Iliad, and A Brief History of Time.
Ha ha1 Hate reading can be fun, but also kind of a waste of time. Better to DNF really
I never give star ratings to unfinished books. A few books I forced myself to push past the 1/3rd mark and I was glad I finished: Rough Animals by Rae DelBianco. The Institute by S King. Both really made up for the slow beginnings later on. If I set a book down and read a few other books, I have to surrender to the fact I’m not going to finish the one put down. I still plan to finish the last half of 11/22/63 as I feel the ending is worth it. The middle section was so slow and painful but I think I can push through it. Someday. (The TV series with James Franko was great)
Reading for entertainment? I don't think I have ever picked up a book to be entertained. I am always hoping to get something more out of a book, ideas, or knowledge. This is why I have mainly read science fiction. Most other forms of popular fiction seem to be lacking. So if a book is tagged as literary or philosophical I am more likely to give it a try.
Ah that's fascinating - SF definitely feels like the best popular fiction genre for acquiring knowledge
I don't DNF very often, but I should probably DNF more than I do. Typically the only reason I push through a book I'm hating is for the sake of the content. Who doesn't love a rant video 😂
Ha ha ha yeah rant videos are always fun
The reason why I don’t DNF is because there is value in everything that I read even if that value is negative. I treat it like an experiment. There was a reason why I picked up the book and decided to read it in the first place. At the end of the experience I can look at who I was at the start and who I was at the end and see the difference. Even the worst experiences in my life are still the worst experiences in my life even years and years down the road. But the difference is that when I go back at recall those memories, I’ve changed and maybe I’m looking at them in a different light. There might be some value in that I might not have gotten had I stopped entirely. But I respect those who do DNF. If you do review something that you DNF, you should make that clear in your review
I read so much more now that I've given myself permission to DNF books (maybe about 5-8 years ago). I have a rule for it too, generally if I'm not liking it at 20%, I DNF. Or, if I read the first 5 pages and it's not jiving with me, I don't consider that a DNF, I consider that more like I'm not in the mood. Some of the books I've DNF'd over and over I still want to read but want to be in a better frame of mind. My reasons for DNFing are probably arbitrary to most. There's a story of how I developed the ability to DNF and it's sort of funny.
It all started with how much I absolutely detested Atonement. I read the whole book save for the last 30 pages and I kept pushing myself through it because people said it would be worth it for the ending. I finally just looked up the ending and when I found out the ending I refused to read further. It's the only book I've DNF'd that I actually gave a star rating to LOL.
As for reading the classics, I'm working my way through the 1001 list. I've calculated that if I read 36 a year for the next however many years, I should be done with the list in my 60s. I imagine this might become more difficult as I narrow down to books I'm less interested in. I've currently only read about 115 of them.
I love reading, and I read books for a lot of reasons. But I do DNF, usually I go longer than you do, about 50% but if I am still struggling, I just stop. I don't get rid of book, and I do come back to them. One book it took me four times to get to the end and it was because it was a book club selection. Just a page or two after the last time I stopped was a really great character and a fun part of the book, I had missed all those times. Thank you for a great video.
Thanks Sherri - really glad you enjoyed the video. Totally agree with the not getting rid of the book part (most of the time anyway), often it's just not the right time for the reader and the book to get together
@@CriminOllyBlog thank you😊 A lot of the time I just put back on my shelf and come back to you when I feel I am ready to give another chance, sometimes I watch an adaptation if there was one, to see if I like it that way. That helps me to see the book in a different light and If that goes well I will give it another go.
I'm trying to DNF after reading 75% of Killer without a face by Hennig Mankell. I waisted so much time but I am so far in the book that I just feel like it would be even worse if I stop now. I decided to use Your advice on DNF in the future after giving a try and reading 25%. Unfortunately I read not only for pleasure but also to improve my third language so even if the book is terrible I would continue and consider reading it as an input. I feel more comfortable about DNF books after watching Your video, I was not expecting it to be possible that You DNF books:)
Oh no! I'm reading that next month!
This is a great answer! I'm dnf-ing a book! I'm going to move onto something else.
So I have finally come to terms that I am DNFing all my religion and spirituality books because large parts are boring drags (I read them to understand the motives of others), but I keep the bookmarks in where I broke off. I may or may not resume where I left off or start over 10 years down the line! There is a fantasy book I have NOT DNFed, but put on hiatus simply because the book is not portable and I have read it once before. I'll probably get back to it once I finish 'Garden of Beasts' by Jeffery Deaver.
Yeah I think non fiction books are great ones to pause and go back to.
I really liked Garden of Beasts - hope you're enjoying it
Very interesting video! I've leaned more and more to DNFing a book in recent years, especially if it's a dnf for now and worth coming back to. Better to dnf, and later get something out of a book than pushing through and hating it or not getting anything out of it. But mostly it comes down to too many books, too little time for me! DNF away!
Thank you! And yes there are always better options than keeping on with a bad book
I normally hate not finishing books. I have hit dnf on 2 books this year though. I gave up on "The Art of Invisibility" by Kevin Mitnick because I learned little if anything from the first couple of chapters, then today I gave up on "Sapiens" by Yuval Harari because I take issue with almost everything I did read. I have other books however, that I regret not finishing and intend to restart in the future.
It took me 3 or 4 tries to read The Kitchen God's Wife by Amy Tan and when I did stick with it I loved it. There are some books I have hated within the first chapter and its usually because the author is trying to shock, or to be funny and failing miserably.
Yeah those are 2 things that can really turn me off a book too
I DNF'd The Cadaver King and The Country Dentist 1) because Libby took it away from me, and 2) the reality of the situations discussed in the book pissed me off
Good morning. I haven’t DNF’D a book in a very very long time. I pick books that I read. I read nothing but romance and I enjoy all of the books I read. I am also a mood reader and I get in the mood for certain books. When I start reading I like to finish reading it. I have always read romance which is why I enjoy all of the books I read.
Knowing what you like that well is a real talent!
Being okay with DNF'ing makes it easier to read out of my comfort zone. I often do the 'not the right time' DNF, or sometimes with non fiction I'll take more than a year to finish, but still appreciate the book. I usually DNF for good when I can't stand an important character or dislike the way the author views (or dislikes?) the characters.
And how about DNS? Getting rid of a book with our even trying it?
I am such a compulsive book buyer that I definitely DNS sometimes. When I was going through my books to fill my shelves I found a few things I have no idea why I bought!
I have been beaten by books in exactly the way you described on more than one occasion. 😑
I go with the 50 page rule most of the time.
Great video Olly
Thanks Brian! It’s easily done I think
I think percentage is better. 50 pages of a 600+ page book and you arent giving it a solid chance imo
I do try to pick books I will enjoy, but I am not afraid to DNF a book I am bored with because even if it gets better I just don't care...lol. Saying that I don't DNF a lot and there have been times I finished and should have quit and feel like I wasted my time.
Yeah I think we are far more likely to finish books we should have DNFd than DNF books we should have finished
Oh! Stay with the Faulkner or James Franco did a movie based on the book. Excellent!! Book and movie!!
I finished it this afternoon, after that it was excellent
You mentioned Charles Dickens. I had never read any Dickens so I decided to read one of his books and got a copy of "David Copperfield" at a used bookstore. The book is over 800 pages. I'm not a fan of books that big, but I felt I should read some Dickens. I am a slow reader for more challenging books so it seemed like I was reading the book forever. I eventually got the point with about 200 pages to go that I really didn't care what happened to the characters and stopped reading it.
A more recent example is Robert Heinlein's "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress." I have had this book for years and decided to read it this year. I mostly enjoyed the first half of the books, but the next quarter of the book just slogged for me. Many of the characters I liked in the first half were offstage at that time. I did finish the book and liked it, but it is going to the used bookstore for a trade-in.
I don't remember DNFing a book when I was younger. I would just slog through it. Now that I'm older I feel if I'm not enjoying the story or don't care about the characters then I should stop reading it. Maybe I will come back to it at another time...and maybe not.
I see you finally escaped that Sicilian jail cell!
Tunnelled my way out with a teaspoon.
I have no problem with DNF a book, I feel I am not in school, so I don't have to be forced to read it. I don't have a scale when I DNF it, but I have gone beyond 50 pages, before I DNF the book. Some books are slow to state the point of the story. Some stories are all over the place before we come to the point. Other times I can tell after 2 chapters I don't like the book and cannot get through it. I do rate my books I dnf it, mostly 1 or 2 starts its only for a column in goodreads of dnf books I have, it will not stay there as read unless I rate it. This way I can see if I read it or dnf the book, if I am picking it up in the library or bookstore. This way I can see if I want to try to read it again or not.
I have a separate DNF shelf on Goodreads for things I haven't finished. I give it a scan every so often and see if there is anything I want to go back to.
The other thing is the d/ce b/n DNFing a series & DNFing a book. I think DNFing a series after the 1st book is fine if it's a trilogy and 2 to 3 if it's a longer series is I feel the right amount.
But, when it comes to just 1 book & you can just get through it DNFing is fine...in the end life is short....lol
I have two camps:
DNFs and Not feeling it right now.
DNFs are books I will never finish because they are absolutely trash in some way or another. Either outright offensive content, extremely poor writing, or absolutely boring prose. Started Psycho 2 and got 30 pages in before deciding that it was REAL bad and REAL offensive...so I needed to stop reading it and getting it out of my apartment immediately lol.
Not Feeling it are books that I now aren't terrible, it's just my current headspace at the time. Tried starting The Fog by James Herbert this month and decided I was not in the mood for it...stopped reading it but didn't throw it out of my apartment lol. Similarly there was a book I started thinking it was a Slasher but it wasn't so I just put it aside.
Thrillers are the bain of my reading existence because a GOOD one is great but a BAD one is often juuuust interesting enough that I need to learn what happens in the end. Had this happen with Final Girls by Riley Sager which was an absolutely AWFUL book but it was JUST interesting enough that I powered through it. Finishing it did not make me feel good....it made me extremely angry that the book was so stupid. I should have done a DNF and just looked at the wikipedia page. It has spoiled my feelings on Thrillers haha because it really all falls upon the reveal at the ending. A Bad ending will make me so mad and spoil the whole book lol.
This was a great video!
Yeah I think those are my two camps as well really. Maybe we need a snappy acronym for that second camp (NRN?)
I agree about thrillers and especially The Final Girls. I really hated that book
Haha I feel like a book I don’t like is giving me the beating.
lol I know what you mean
Just imagine it's your last day and you've spent it on a book that you hate. I am firmly for DNF-ing. Even if it's to challenge oneself - the options are limitless and not everyone is going to enjoy the same "great work of literature". I never enjoyed a single American classic. The culture is so different that it feels absolutely alien to me. As it might feel for some people to read War and Peace no doubt. What's the point of torturing one self? There are no teachers to give us an A no more.
God that is a scary thought! I agreed with your teacher point, although I think there can be a personal satisfaction to conquering a big and challenging book like War and Peace
@@CriminOllyBlog Of course there could be this satisfaction! But one has to know what they get into. If one doesn't care about rich people problems when poor people had no freedom and were basically slaves (while never called that) or doesn't care about war chronicles then it would be quite an unpleasant chore full of french dialogues)) I felt smug for a moment when I finished it long before it was due in school but then teacher just turned on the TV adaptation and that was that. Never returned to it since. I liked his Resurrection better, I must admit.
I've been pretty disorderly over the years, so I've dnfed a ton of books just by losing them for an extended period of time. I hate quit a book once, _The Temple of Elemental Evil_, a novelization of the dungeons and dragons adventure. I can't say I've ever hate read a book before, but I've quit many books. I wish I dnfed American Psycho. I felt degraded afterward and didn't feel like I got much value from it.
I suspect I’ve dnfed through misplacing books more often than I’d care to admit!
I didn't used to DNF books, but sometimes I think I'm just not the right audience. (Or, like you mentioned, not the right time.) I will push through a difficult book to get something out of it, but that's different than being the wrong audience.
I think it's important to let yourself DNF sometimes
I have at least two books I have put down and waited months if not over a year to try read the book. I don't start over I just pick up were I was. The reasons for both are the same, they are real downers. One is It by Stephen King that I have hard time with the kids and the non penny wise horror and misery they run into and the other is the passange by Justin Cronin it is post apocalypse book which I have been reading for a least four years off and on. It gets really too grim for my mood and I will put it down. I don't toss either because they are good but emotionally hard to read.
The Passage is one I tried to read a few years ago and didn't get on with (partly for the reason you state).
There are books I put aside to read later, some I DNF.
Hi. Thanks for the excellent channel!
Have you reviewed the deeply weird and sometime threatened with censorship, Philip José Farmer's "Blown" and "The Image of the Beast"?
I haven't. Farmer is one of those authors I've always meant to get to but never quite managed. I'll have to give these a look
@@CriminOllyBlog They're extraordinary. He got a lot of flak at the time apparently but, they have a lightness if touch and simple playfulness. As you'd expect from him! His prolific output with so many genres and myth/reality mixing is amazing.
Who else would create a family tree that linked Sherlock Holmes, Doc Savage and Sir Richard Burton? (River-World) Wonderful. Have fun!
The two books I recommended would fit well with your "Difficult to read" series for sure. But, sensibilities move on!
Do you have any horror book Recs for beginners? I’m just starting in the genre and I’m loving it!
It might be an obvious answer, but Stephen King really is pretty great. I did a video ages ago with my top 5 King books for new readers which you might find helpful.
czcams.com/video/jReQXoeXotY/video.html
Thanks for watching!
@@CriminOllyBlog thank you!! I’m on my third King book right now (Salem’s Lot)! That man is a genius
@@LJ-ld1lp yeah he’s excellent at what he does
I DNF popular fiction and new releases all the time. I own the book -- it doesn't own me. And there is so much material out there why should I put up with flat characters and flatter prose?
Outside of Trollope (who sapped my will to live) I don't think I've ever not finished something considered a "classic" or "better" book. And good luck with the Faulkner!
Thank you! I found the Faulkner surprisingly easy
I think this is an important video. I rarely DNF, but readers need to feel comfortable DNFing books; we shouldn't have such a sense of shame that a book wasn't a good fit for us. I'm not sure if I could get onboard with there being a list of books that are "worthy of no one DNFing them" as you seem to be suggesting here. We should probably avoid asserting such a list onto other people. Peace.
Thanks Jeremy! Re the list of books worth not DNFing, I think it's going to be different for everyone, rather than there being one list
Hi Olly I know you have been reading sone disturbing books recently. As I saw a review of a novel called ' The 8th ' by Matt Shaw. A lady reviewer claimed its one of the most disturbing she has ever read. Thought you add that to your list 😁
Thanks John! I might check that one out! I have read a couple of Matt Shaw's books and wasn't a huge fan
When do you D N F a book? When it's boring and it's dragging.
Yep!
I DNF'd Wonderful Life: the Burgess Shale about 100 pages in just because it felt like such a boring slog.
It does seem like quite a dry topic!
The levels of dryness achieved by the author is impressive.
I probably have a 80% DNF rate. I need to read better books or it could be just me.
Yeah I think picking the right books in the first place is the key!
There are many times I’ve stopped watching a film or listening to music because I disliked it or got nothing from it. The same goes for books. If a book is very badly written, has no value or gives no enjoyment, then bin it.
There is not enough time in life to read every book that you would like to. By wasting a day on a poor book you are wasting the opportunity to read something else.
With that being said, some books are worth the effort: I tried 3 or 4 times with The Stand before reading it fully.
Yes completely agree - there are so many great books it seems wrong to waste time on ones you aren't enjoying
I was the same with Under the Dome
My dear Book Buddy,
First. I gave your thumbnail a serious eye roll, thinking that you need to follow your own advice more often 😂 Second, I learned that “hate reading” IS a thing. Third, I have to change my GR shelf titled “Never to Open Again” Lastly, Dorian Gray! 😂 All kidding aside, great food for thought regarding value and multiple chances. I do take my DNF’s semi seriously - at least in the moment. 😉
-📚MJ
I will probably try Dorian Grey again sometime when I’m enjoy myself too much and fancy being bored
@@CriminOllyBlog You never even got to the fun parts! 😜
@@M-J The Picture of Dorian Gray is a great book. There's one really boring chapter in it though where Wilde's only listing a bunch of perfumes and jewelry and shit, which I think is an homage to À rebours by Joris-Karl Huysmans's.
@@okyouknowwhatever Thank You! I completely loved Dorian. Olly needs to give it another go next year. ☺️
@@M-J Dorian Gray strikes me as a fairly odd book to DNF honestly, because it's not overly long and doesn't have any hard language obstacles or such, and is also straightforward in its storytelling. Though everyone's got their own taste obviously.