Should You Force Yourself to Finish a Book You’re Not Enjoying?

For such a long time, I would force myself to finish books that I wasn’t enjoying. It didn’t matter what it was or why I didn’t like it, I was finishing it. Why? I’m not entirely sure… maybe because it seemed like the right thing to do, or maybe because I just felt like I should. Perhaps I didn’t like the idea of being a quitter (actually, I still don’t like the idea of being a quitter, but that’s another story). Then, one morning, I woke up and everything had changed. Completely out of the blue, and for no discernible reasons, I decided that enough was enough. I would read 10-15% of a book, and if it hadn’t captured my attention by then, I wouldn’t be reading any more of it. That may seem harsh, but I was taking no prisoners. I was tired of taking prisoners. The only books that escaped this rule were those chosen to be read for book club (because I have to have something to moan about on the night, right?). I still follow this rule today, and I think you all should, too.

Why would you even do that to yourself anyway?

If you’re just the masochistic sort, who likes self-punishment or gets a kick out of pain, there’s not a great deal I can say to you. Good on you for choosing books as your punishment tool. It could be worse. It could be stale bread and sweaty cheese. But you know, whatever floats your boat. If you’re not a masochist though, then what’s going on?

I’ve heard people say that they finish a book because even if they’re not enjoying it, they want to know what happens in the end. Well, I call poppycock to that. If the story is pulling you along and engaging you enough that you want to know what happens, then the book doesn’t fall into this category – it’s not that bad. Whether you like to admit it or not, you are enjoying it – even just a teeny tiny bit. Or, you know, you could also look up a spoiler on the internet. There’ll be a spoiler somewhere; there always is.

The other thing I’ve heard people say is that you just never know when it’s going to get better, and they’re right about that at least. It happens, sometimes. A book can be completely pants and then suddenly start glimmering like a stripper’s glitter that’s fallen into her client’s fat and sweaty ass crack. Or maybe not like that, because that’s a bit gross, but you get my point. Sometimes, books get better the more you read. Honestly, though, they are few and far between, and I can’t see the benefit of forcing yourself to wade through all the pants before finding that one bit of glitter. Besides, you could always pop over to So You Want to Write a Book Nook on Facebook and ask for advice on whether you should continue.

Stop this unnecessary torture!

During an interview in 1986, author John Irving said, “grown-ups shouldn’t finish books they’re not enjoying,” and I wholeheartedly agree. It’s torture, plain and simple, and do you know what? Life’s too short. There's too much to fit into our already crammed lives and certainly too many books to read to waste time on doing something you’re not enjoying. Chances are, you wouldn’t do it with anything else – you’d give up on a TV show you weren’t enjoying, or a meal, or a relationship – so why do it with books? It’s sheer madness!

Besides all that, it doesn’t mean that it’s a bad book so don’t fret about offending people. It’s just not for you, and you’re almost definitely not alone in that. Even the most hyped books have their haters. Even the most hated books have their lovers. And it could be just a matter of time and place. Pick it up at a later date, and you might find you love it. Book love works like that. It’s weird. Whatever you do, don't force it. Forcing is bad.

So, if you’re a fretting finisher, do yourself a favour and stop. It'll be okay, I promise. Start enjoying everything you read instead - that's why you're doing it in the first place, anyway, right? You can thank me later