Friday, May 4, 2012

DNF: Are You a Patient Reader?

In the writing/reading/book blogging/generally bookish community, the acronym "DNF" stands for "did not finish". Basically, it says that for whatever reason(s), you didn't or couldn't finish a certain book.

A lot of factors go into whether you keep reading a book. It might be that you picked up a genre you don't normally try... and realized why you don't usually read it. Or maybe you can't click with the writing; it just sounds too stilted and unnatural. Many many times, it comes down to patience.


How often have you read a review that went along the lines of, "Once you get past the beginning, things start to get going"? I know I've personally had friends say to me, "Yeah, it's kind of boring in the middle, but the ending's awesome." With these books, it seems to boil down to whether or not you're willing to slog on for a hundred or so pages to get to the really good part.

So how patient are you? Would you be willing to take on the task of finishing the book even though it looks as though it'll take effort? Or are you the one with the full-to-bursting "did-not-finish" shelf on Goodreads? And what makes or breaks a book for you?

8 comments:

  1. I usually give up on books that move too slowly, unless there's something unique about the character or the idea. Then I'll be patient and hang in there a little longer.

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  2. I'm pretty patient. I have mega-guilt if I don't finish a book, so it takes a lot to get me to walk away. Sometimes, that's a good thing. Other times, I shake my head and wonder what the heck I was thinking. :)

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  3. I've only ever given up on 2 books in my whole life. I don't know if it's more because of my discerning taste or because of my tenacity, but I generally don't buy book unless I know I'm going to love it. Probably as I become more connected to publishing, and get more and more ARCs, my DNF count will start to grow.

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  4. This is a tough one. It depends on the subject matter and the author. If it's an author or genre I really like, I'll try and get through the slow parts, even skimming a little. I hate shelving a book, but no one wants to feel like they're wasting their time. Even though books like this do get published, they are good learning tools of what not to do in your own WIP's. Great post, Yahong!

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  5. Hmmm, I used to be a very patient reader - willing to give everything a chance and see it through. But then I had kids, and my reading hours or few and far between. So if I can walk away from a book, I often do. Or, almost as often, I skim.

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  6. Good question, Yahong! :-) For me, whether to keep reading or not depends on what else is going on in my life and what other books I have on my shelf, and why I'm choosing to read the book in the first place.

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  7. I used to be patient to the extreme, now I'm more selective. It varies with the book, that's for sure.

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  8. Absorbing that does not waste minutes of your life like what you see on countless other blogs.

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Thanks for adding to the mayhem!