# How many books do you not finish? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 30, 2025, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-not-finish/1023525 "2025-09-30T14:36:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2025, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-not-finish/1023525/41 "2025-10-07T18:39:13Z")
The devil did it! ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-not-finish/1023525/42 "2025-10-08T00:47:40Z")
I did on my Kindle. It allowed me to pick up where I’d left off and took about two years. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-not-finish/1023525/43 "2025-10-08T02:41:36Z")
I did it when I was young and thought there was something there. Never, ever, ever again. Most boring novel ever unless you love seeing the word begat over and over again. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-not-finish/1023525/44 "2025-10-08T14:04:10Z")
In the Bible’s defense, it eventually gets more interesting. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-not-finish/1023525/45 "2025-10-08T16:00:36Z")
Slightly… How many people would read it cover to cover if it was universally viewed as a novel? It wouldn’t be on any best sellers list. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-not-finish/1023525/46 "2025-10-08T16:03:38Z")
I was pretty motivated to read it when I did read it, being, at the time, a devout Christian. But I still find it kinda interesting from a historical perspective. I don’t know what other historical texts to compare it to but it seems like it at least deserves a place in the pantheon of “things written a really long time ago.” But no, I’m not blaming anyone who quits. I’ve quit much more interesting books! ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-not-finish/1023525/47 "2025-10-08T16:28:06Z")
> [@DMC](#): > > I actually got through much of Don Quixote Reading this reminds me that I started _Don Quixote_ about a year ago, put it down, and now I don’t remember where it is! I do recall that it was hard reading for me. I tend not to quit on books, mostly due to Miss Anderson, my 10th grade English teacher. She was an avid reader herself (an important trait for an English teacher!), and frequently said, “There are no boring books, just boring READERS!” Her maxim lives rent-free in my head, and when a book gets dull, I automatically think it’s _my_ fault and not because some writer got lazy or was just not very good to start. One I wish I had abandoned was _The Interior_ by Lisa See. I’ve enjoyed most of her books because I have a similar family story of Asian immigration that informs much of her work, but _The Interior_ just didn’t do it for me and as I approached the last couple of chapters I realized it wasn’t going to get any better. Still, since I’d invested so much of my time into it, I plowed on and finished it. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-not-finish/1023525/48 "2025-10-08T17:33:19Z")
I’ve learned to tell myself that I’m just not _ready_ to appreciate a particular book yet. ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-not-finish/1023525/49 "2025-10-08T17:54:05Z")
I’ve had that experience, too. I can’t recall specific titles, but I do know there have been a few (3-5?) books I hated the first time, but re-read them years later and appreciating them much more. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-not-finish/1023525/50 "2025-10-08T21:40:12Z")
I have started to read Ursula K. LeGuin’s _The Left Hand of Darkness_ at least twice, but for some reason have never been able to finish it. It’s not that I don’t like her writing; I’ve enjoyed a lot of her other books and short stories. It’s been quite a while since the last time I’ve picked it up. Maybe I’ll dig up my copy and try again. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-not-finish/1023525.md?page=2)