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I got that book as a Christmas present from my niece. Still haven't opened it. Don't plan on it. Too busy with other books.

I trudged through the first book. I don't really know why. I think I wanted to finish it before the Swedish movie came out? Maybe? Started the second one but put the series away for good when Lisbeth got fake boobs.

Good luck!

I had the same thoughts reading the first 100 or so pages of Dragon Tattoo. It does get better, but doesn't live up to the hype as far as I'm concerned. Maybe I would have felt differently if I had pictured Daniel Craig as the main character while reading...

I'm not going to say too much, because I don't want to give anything away, but for me these books (I've only read the first two) are all about the plot.

There are some good characters, but it's the plot that rules.

The writing is kind of like Swedish architecture and design: austere, yet functional.

I never finished the first chapter because of the boredom factor. I assumed it was one of those books that didn't live up to all the hype.

Great post. I haven't read this book yet but, of course, have had it recommended to me. I might give it a go some day. Loved the character analysis. Some stuff to think about.

Not I book I'll be attempting again anytime soon. I prefer to keep down the food I've eaten, and this one tripped my "ick" sensors.

Was this book translated from Swedish? I found the writing to be unmusical. In fairness to Larsson I haven’t read many translated books that are.

As for the rest of the book, I think Larsson lost track of his story’s boundaries and because of this the book feels overwritten.

I like Matt's description relating this type of writing to Swedish architecture.

Haven't read this book yet, but I agree that characters are what attaches me to a story. If I like the characters, I'll read a couple of chapters to give the story a chance. I do like some hint of the plot near the beginning of the story.

Aren't we all contradictory in some ways? We want this or that, but we know we shouldn't; duty calls, but temptation lures.

It makes writing enjoyable when we give these conflicting traits to our characters.

I never got to finish the first chapter because I got bored. I remember I kept asking myself why the heck it's so popular. I watched the movies and loved them! I guess it's one of those very rare instances where you say the movie is better than the book. I wish I had the patience to wait until the book got better.

This is why a lot of people couldn't get through the first chapter of FREEDOM.

I did and loved it...I love Dragon Tattoo as well. But it's love/hate with most people.

Now, WATER FOR ELEPHANTS depressed the hell out of me and I stopped reading that one. I want to read about old people in old age homes?

I enjoyed the movie, as well. Didn't even want to tackle the book after hearing so many reports re: pace drag, but now I'm curious. I think that there's a difference between deliberately constructed contradiction, and an author not knowing his characters and consequently being inconsistent as hell, then saying "well, people are conflicted in real life" as an excuse.

Loved your analysis, Nathan! You may have almost tempted me to read this - even though it sounds suspiciously like literary fiction - which I tend to avoid, because it makes me THINK.

Your post made me think in a good way, though. It sounds like the author was able to capture fascinating characters. Making internal contradictions believable - that is real skill. And I also loved your description of his authoritative style - confident to the point of invisibility. That's also exceptional skill.

Love reading posts from Nathan the editor. :)

I plowed through it because a friend pressed it into my hands. It seemed to me a book bookended by another book. The middle was great, the bookends dull. The same friend claims the next one is better. I doubt I'll read it, although Lisbeth is one of the best characters around.

I read this one, but had no desire to read any of the others. I didn't get the hype, and just felt maybe something had been lost in its translation. If it hadn't been for book club, I never would have finished the book.

Thinking back on it now, It was plot driven, the pacing often times racing once you got past the middle. The characters were hard to follow. And the names...oy!There were a couple of threads dropped, so it didn't truly stand alone. Also, there were one or two eye-rolling coincidences. Then it got all squicky. Yuck.

In truth, it felt to me like this was one of those suitcase jobs where the author packed everything, including the kitchen sink.

@spytower: I actually think a lot of the Latin authors translate well. Isabel Allende is breathtaking, for example.

But I know what you mean. I've read translations that seemed flat and wooden. I always wondered if it was a stylistic difference between cultures.

@Anonymous 8:31- they don't stay in the nursing home for long and it's a great story, again, because of the character and their drama/tension. Plus, once you meet the elephant, she is quite the character herself.

I was warned also about what a long intro the book had before it got meaty, and have to say, it didn't seem that way at all to me because I was drawn in by the characters immediately. The writing didn't bother me because I am quite used to reading translations of the Swedish and Icelandic mysteries that became so popular in the last few years. It is the last book of the trilogy that I found hard, but I won't say why because it might be a spoiler for those of you still planning the whole thing.

I got about 2/3 of the way through the book. Still wasn't motivated to finish it. I could see how it could have been a great story and I hear the dry, clinical tone is common in that genre in that country. Didn't do it for me though.

I don't remember the first chapter of Dragon Tattoo being boring.

The first book held my attention all the way through. It's different for everyone.

I was just so happy to finally have a really different female main character, someone who is damaged and not always pleasant.

Laurel, I think you’re correct. I read the Jarvis translation of Don Quixote and it’s fabulous. Certain languages, German comes to mind, are structured differently than English (Long sentences with the verb at the end). Because of this, works in those languages don’t translate well. This can contribute to a story in unintended ways. Kafka reads as strange and, in an unusual way, beautiful in translation with its long, uninterrupted blocks of text. More often than not, for me at least, it makes the writing ponderous or dull. Maybe that’s why The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo feels lethargic at it’s beginning. Maybe in it’s native language it has better rhythm and flow and thus feel “faster”.

As for slow buildups, Steven King has more than one book that takes its time getting off of the ground and, as far as I can tell, he’s been mildly successful. Is mildly the correct adverb here?

When I first started writing, I had a steamy love affair with similes and metaphors until I realized it wasn't really going anywhere. My engorged writing was like a huge public display of affection (ahem - I apologize for yet another simile). Now I realize that it is much more difficult to get together with tightly driven plots and intriguing story questions. Lucky Steig has adroitly pulled this feat off in this book. I give him full props!

To be as spoiler-free as possible, I thought the way the investigation unfolded was quite clever, and the end has it's payoff in regard to shock / thrill value (and ick factor, which it has in gross abundance, pun totally intended).

The main detractor for me was the back-and-forth between the story and back-story. It seemed as each new character was introduced, he/she entered the scene with 2-3 pages of back-story, and in most cases, that back-story had nothing to do with the actual story.

I think about 150 pages could have been edited out without sacrificing anything.

But I did finish it and I did read the second in the series, so that must count for something...

Very interesting you mention how you might not have sent this book out in its present form. I read this in my book club earlier this year, and I thought the same thing, which made me wonder if the conventions in contemporary writing differ depending on the region/country. Do you think that's likely? I haven't read any other books from Sweden or Northern Europe, but I wonder if they all begin in the same sort of fashion--a slow start and build up--and the readers from that area have come to expect that. Perhaps they (or some) might find western books to be too, well, fast, or too immediate? Just a thought. I could be completely off the mark, but that's what we discussed in our book club. :)

No matter how much people urged me to continue, I could not get past the start of Lord of the Rings. 100 pages into it and all they did was walk to the end of the road and stop to eat for the fifth time I was done.

I will have to implement a contradiction or two into my current work in progress.

@spytower: HA! I was thinking primarily of germanic language translations, myself, when I referenced the ones that seemed dry. Almost bleak.

And this King fellow...name sounds familiar ;)

I'm also surprised at how popular these books are. The beginning of Tattoo is definitely a drag, but it picks up. I found the tone appropriate and personally loved all the mentions of Swedish cities and specific locations, but I wondered if a lot of people would get bored with it.

The second book is definitely my favorite, and the only one of the 3I felt wasn't overly long. I think Tattoo could be tightened considerably and it would be a great read.

I bought it in June. I trudged through about 75 pages before realizing that, although I'd heard good things about how suspenseful the book was, I didn't care about the characters.

So I stopped reading it, and I haven't felt any impetus to start again.

Since then, I've spoken to three other people who read the book. Their reaction: "I wish I'd stopped at the beginning rather than trying to slog through it!"

I think that we have to remember that books don't become best-sellers because they're good books. They become best-sellers because people buy them, not because people finish reading them afterwards.

I'm with Heather that this is two books in one. There's a boring story about the libel suit, and stuck in the middle of it is a strong but gory mystery-thriller. Were I an agent, I would've passed after seeing the partial because it'd all be the boring libel suit.

Funny, though... I thought the translation was excellent. I didn't find anything that made me even slightly aware that it'd originally been written in Swedish.

For the third book, they even moved the apostrophe in the title of the American edition so that it was misplaced just like Americans would do. ;) [UK: Hornets' Nest; US: Hornet's Nest]

I didn't care for the book, but I have to admit that Lisbeth Salander is one of the most memorable characters I've come across in a long time.

You've absolutely nailed exactly what I loved about the books. The characters are compelling.

Kudos to you, Nathan, for praising a book you would have turned down as an agent, I’m guessing because U.S. publishers wouldn't have bought the book, even though it went on to huge success. This is why self-publishing is such a wonderful opportunity for writers...or, in the case of THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, it was published outside the United States first. (I have a writer friend in a similar situation. He has an agent, is published and receiving top literary awards outside the U.S., but can’t even get an agent inside the U.S.) There are lots of simply amazing self-published books available right now, readers can find out-of-the-box novels that are going on to receive fantastic professional reviews and awards. Agents have passed on so many amazing books because the query letter didn't read well, the book didn't grab them in the first chapter...or, in many cases, the first paragraph, it broke too many rules, and so on. It's wonderful, I think, to have many different writing styles available to readers. In the past few weeks, I’ve discovered quite a few self-published books by Hugo and Nebula Award winners, an Aurealis Award finalist, authors published in Asimov’s Magazine, etc.. It pays, I think, to keep an open mind about books because, otherwise, every book you read fits the same old pattern.

It took me 60 pages to like it, but i also think it says something about the book that I continued reading. I wonder if somethings been lost in the translation to English. It seemed a bit bland. Once my head was tuned to bland translation I was away. I too loved the characters.

I thought all three books kicked ass. I liked that first chapter, when he just got out of court and he's been beaten.

But overall, the theme of those books is so strong. The whole feminist theme really stuck with me. Those have got to be some of the most powerful books I've ever read.

Also, Marilyn Peake's comment was really good!

Ah, but you're only on page 50. I would love to hear what you think of the book IF you finish reading it. I won't spoil the book for you, so I won't comment on either the characters or plot.

I will tell you that when I got to Chapter 11, page 221 of the book, I felt like I had been reading backstory since page 1. So I stopped reading, flipped to the end and read enough to determine that it wasn't worth my time to plow through to the end.

Hurry up and finish reading as much as you're going to, so we can discuss the characters and the plot. :)

Haven't read the book but I know I've read books where the narration is transparent like you describe. It's a style of writing that doesn't to draw attention at all to the writing. I wonder if that was intentional on the part of the author or just his particular voice.

It's a snoozer in the beginning. But it gets good, and yes, the characters are fascinating. I ended up loving it and appreciating how stylistically different it was from most books I read.

I agree with you about the beneficial effects of the clinical prose style. I actually really liked it (at least as translated). I've heard many people refer to it disparagingly, but to me it was kind of like Ikea-style prose - spare, streamlined, and functional, giving you the essentials at a fair price.

Interesting, not least because I am about to embark on reading the book (in Swedish) having first seen the (two of three) film(s). The films don't drag in the least but are very hard work in the nasty violence area, albeit, for brief episodes. Will be interested to see if the films and book match up - and after reading this I will do an English first 50 pages to compare with the original. But I think to be fair, he did die before these were published right? So he may have planned to edit the opener some more. Who knows!

I happened to read this series while taking some novel writing courses at my local university (focusing on commercial fiction), and I remember thinking, "These books break every rule I'm learning about how to write a salable novel!" I do think the entire series could have used a strong edit--there is much that is overwritten. It seems doubtful the books could have made it in the American publishing climate (at least the traditional industry). But the story and (especially) the characters are compelling. So I guess it's good for the Larsson estate and the series' thousands of fans that the books started out in Europe. Otherwise they'd likely be mouldering in a trunk or withering on Amazon.

ZOMG you're an agent? Can I send you a query? (j/k) :-)

I wasn't planning on reading it due to my friends not liking it, but maybe I'll pick it up. I need help w/ character development.

Your 'inconsistencies' aren't though

I know a number of people who are 'irresponsible and surly turns out to be wildly intelligent and competent' - in fact surly almost *goes* with intelligent like chips and ketchup. There are exceptions, but the smartest people I know are the grumpiest, with very rare exceptions.

Buttoned up =/= equal 'impervious to scams' - anyone can get taken by the right scam,


Sorry, I love your posts, but this one doesn't make any sense.

(BTW I have not read these books, so I am only going by what you say. Intelligent people are often irresponsible - see the fine line between genius and madness.

Just because some one is irresponsible and surly doesn't mean they aren't damn good at their job or thicker than pig shit. Gandalf is surly, and not stupid. Captain Jack Sparrow is irresponsible and not stupid. Both are damn good at what they do,

Sorry - while I haven't read the books, your description shows no obvious inconsistencies. That would come in the writing. Your issue is with the characterisation and the handling perhaps. Not that these things cannot exist in one person. Because they can and do.

Anon-

People are like that, conveying that on the page and making it believable isn't easy. We don't walk around thinking, "Yeah, I don't believe that you're actually a real person," we do think that a lot while we're reading.

Exactly - so the problem is not with inconsistencies, but with the writing/handling of the characters!

Because a great writer can make you believe ANYTHING!

I could not, for the life of me, make it through the first ten pages. I started falling asleep. I couldn't take it. It drove me crazy.

I read the first and second but could not finish the third. By that point- I had enough of the sexually irresistible Blomkvist and all of the female characters that dove into his bed! The only character I cared about was Lisbeth. I was really hoping that she'd resist Blomkvist's advances but of course she didn't. Although the plot is interesting, the writing was a bit dry and slooooow. I was disappointed.

I am an American Scandinavian. We really are that complicated, and I suspect most folks in the world are as well.

What has happened to Americans that they need a gun fight or auto chase every other chaper? Sheesh!!

www.VermillionRoadPress.com

Three years ago I found that book next to the mailboxes in the mobile home park I live in. I'd never heard of it and it looked unread. The title was intriguing and so I gave it a shot. Five pages later I was ready to give it away. Then six months later when I saw something about it in a mag, or online or somewhere, I gave it another shot. Still haven't gotten to the end of chapter one and probably never will. Like so many others, just can't get into it...which makes me think I should write like that since it became a hit! Geez.

Funny, I just started it today. I just finished the 1st chapter, but was ready to put it down several times. Let's see what happens tomorrow.

I haven't read the entire post, but already feel compelled to chime in. Perhaps you address this later, but the remarkable (in a bad way) about TGWDT is that the writing is so dreadful. Yes, perhaps it's the translation, but the idea of such a dreadfully written - on a granular level - novel being published in the U.S. seems slim. I made it through the first book, and quit the second not even halfway through. The wooden prose was about 99% of that. I couldn't help but wonder if Steig was given a pass because the expectations for the writing were less ("Oh, he's Swedish"), or because the story does (grudging admiration here) become, eventually, totally involving?

I read all three novels and I had trouble putting each one down. They were rip-roaring reads for me. In addition to the translation issue, I think Larsson was a journalist (and an expert on the neo-Nazi right-wing movement in Europe) which could account for the authoritative tone.

@Anonymous -- Nathan definitely did address the "wooden prose" near the end of the blog post. He made some very worthwhile observations about Larsson's (translated) style. Take a look! I really loved this style of writing and the way it served the characters and story. It didn't need flowering up at all, and it sometimes it was so literal and straightforward that it felt as though Larsson was winking at the reader. (Think the detailed paragraphs about how Lisbeth "did this, this, and that, then immediately feel asleep for eight hours without waking up once." Or her Ikea shopping trips...)

It's just a style thing, which obviously isn't for everyone. After page 85, I could not put these books down, all the way until the end of "Hornet's Nest." The plot is so expertly crafted, and Lisbeth was extremely fascinating to me.

Similar to what Marilyn said above, it will be very interesting to see what comes out of this new publishing frontier, now that a select few are no longer the world's literary gatekeepers. I consider the Millennium Trilogy to be one of my best reading experiences (for a number of reasons) in the past few years. Funny to think that it easily could have been left on the slush pile floor.

Darlene Underdahl
It wasn't because it was "slow" that I, personally, stopped reading. I read a lot of books that most people would consider slow. I stopped becuase there were so many unnecessary side trips that went nowhere and because I couldn't care about the characters.

If all americans cared only about the car chase and explosion type reading I think the rapes and sexual content would have kept them enthralled. As it is we just couldn't get through the extraneous stuff to get to the characters and story.

I say this speaking for myself and not having finished the book. If I've made wrong assumptions I apologize.

I like characters that are multi-dimensional. I've read books where certain characters didn't change at all from page 1 to the end, and they were less interesting because of that. I think that people in real life are full of contradictions, so it's nice when authors can show that in their books.

I think you've hit on a few things here.

1) Scratching "Bransford" off the list of agents I intend to send my latest project to.

Seriously. I'm wondering if it's even the tone, more than the characters, that carry the book. The authoritative tone. The airtight, here's what happened and I know because I was there sort of indisputable voice.

As an example: The beginning of "Lord Jim," by Joseph Conrad, isn't particularly capitvating, until he abandons his first ship only to have it saved by its Malaysian crew (the embarrassment is the key, of course).

Conrad in a few sentences shows us the expectation of the character--his own, and those who judge his actions based on what actions he was expected to take.

I'll never forget someone telling me at a party how much fun I appeared to be (uninhibited), confessing "I always thought you were so buttoned-down!" (A description, by the way, that had my wife and close friends in stitches for years).

Perhaps--just perhaps--today's agents are in too much of a hurry, wanting to be wowed immediately, by "high concept" and "blockbuster" and "exciting" openings, and not actually erudite or patient enough to read, truly read, let the words and tone and story sink in, before judging the saleable, as opposed to literary, merits of some works?

I confess, I've had the same problem reading David Eggers, and even Annie Proulx. Not to mention agreeing largely with B.D. Myers' "A Readers Manifesto" that "Snow Falling on Cedars" should have been named "Sleep Falling on Readers."

I still laugh reading about what some thought of "The Sun Also Rises" before Max Perkins took the risk and got Ernest Hemingway to break his contract with Boni & Liverite by agreeing to publish both it and the abominable, purile "Torrents of Spring."

"A bunch of people going around Paris and Spain and not really doing anything."

Fair criticism, for that, essentially, is true. Yet, the characters are memorable--perhaps because the revelation of Brett Ashley's true self as actually a caring individual contradicts her initial appearance; or, perhaps, just perhaps, because in that novel, as with his short stories, Hemingway wrote as if all of it were airtight, indisputable truth.

And maybe it was...:)

I love Conrad, by the way, because his 'slow' beginnings--Marlowe sitting in a chair on a veranda on a tropical night, lighting a match--are exactly what draw me in, like a moth to the flame interrupting the darkness above his smoke, to the words that follow...
Best,
T

But I haven't read Larsson's series, and thanks to your endorsement--I don't have time or the need to read books just to say I have--I'm unlikely to, unless your post intrigues me enough to double-check your usually excellent analysis.

The discussion brings me to another question, though: so, what agent read it, in Swedish or English, and, based on its sales in Sweden? decided it would be big here?

And why WAS it so big here (it was), so well-hyped, that EVERYONE who was ANYONE HAD to read it and pronounce it of such greatness that nothing written in English since Dashiell Hammett's "The Dane Curse" could possibly compare?

It obviously made a lot of money, for somebody (since Larsson was dead when it came out).

Another example of "literary" taste being defined by sales figures and ancillary rights profits? Who and how figured they could make a mint with it, and why, after having to push through the first 50 pages? Aren't we actually saying that publicity and marketing, more than characters or tone, were responsible for the series' "popularity," not to mention sales? And how many other less than stellar works have been paid for by a similarly swayed public?

Don't worry, Mira, I'm unlikely to insist you read my novels, or any other for that matter. But I must say, your honesty is most refreshing!

For my shame, I have not heard of this author, but seems very interesting! I will look for his books!

I'm a big fan of novels that open with eccentricity. (It's one of the main things I emphasize in How To Write Your Best Story). Eccentricity is naturally intriguing; normality is not. It's what makes a story worth telling . . . "something interesting happened today that was odd." Or in this case . . . "here are some truly eccentric characters. Want to hear more?" Then, once you're pulled in, the plot can develop. But story comes first, and is what (as Nathan points out) tends to appeal to literary agents and attract readers. As an acquisitions editor, I agree; it's why we can read a chapter and already want to publish the book, long before we discover where the plot goes.

I thought I was crazy.

Page 63.

That's where I made it before I shut the book over a few years ago. I've looked at it on the shelf, wondering if I'd ever open it again. Wanting to open it, just to read what's spawned two films and a book trilogy.

I made it to page 63, largely because I realized there was probably something lost in the translation.

Something about Larrson's work reminded me a lot of Henrick Ibsen. Painfully slow setup, giving us a great full depth of character, and setting up the problem -- but man, pick up the pace some.

So maybe it was the language barrier.

And I wholeheartedly agree -- Lizbeth is the type of character I want to read about. I was sold a few pages in. But the more I read, I more I begged the book (no shit, actually begged the book) to get started.

I've read through my stack of new books. Haven't picked up anything in awhile. And there it is, staring back at me from the shelf.

This review couldn't be more aptly timed, as I've found myself wrestling over whether or not I can torment myself by re-reading those 63 pages, and marching on through to the end.

I'm not sure I can do it.

I'll just watch the movies instead -- (David Fincher's version looks like it got Lizbeth's character wrong. She looks soft in a way the foreign version doesn't. She looks absolutely badass in the foreign version).

Great post, Nathan.

Also, I read this book. I found the characters compelling and the plot as well. What threw me out of reading the sequel was the gratuitous violence. That seems a dark ingredient often used in the Swedish writing (i.e., "Let the Right One In"), like they must include such, at least in those Swedish novels I have seen published that I have read or started reading.

Thanks for this post. I'm glad to know I wasn't the only one feeling as if the opening was pure torture to read. I gave up, actually, deciding to just watch the movie (which I haven't done yet either). My daughter told me I should stick with it, that it gets better. As a writer, it goes against everything I have ever learned about engaging your reader in those early pages.

I'm trying to remember the opening of the book (I read them about two years ago now) and I can't picture what it was that was so boring. It started off with Blomkvist being sentenced, and I found that compelling enough myself.

But, I also was one of three people on the planet who enjoyed the financial dealings and unravelings described in such detail, and enjoyed knowing what Blomkvist ate for lunch (all those open-faced sandwiches with unlikely ingredients!). The books were very different from how I write, but I still enjoyed them immensely. Thanks for the post disssecting what did work about the beginning for most!

My spoiler-free review of Dragon Tattoo, for those interested...
http://ajmass.blogspot.com/2011/05/book-with-draggin-plot.html

In fairness, all 3 books could use a LOT of trimming. Book 2 has an entire beginning section full of characters with no connection to the rest of the story. The only part that was important really was that Lisbeth has gotten some bodily alterations.

I've read all 3 books and watched the Swedish movies. The movies in this case are much better than the books because they trim out all the extra stuff that weighed the books down.

If you haven't read the books, watch the Swedish movies because they're worth it.

I never read the books because I watched the original films, but now that you've written this post, I think I will check it out and see what I think. I LOVED the original movies and when I saw the English movie trailer I was in AWE - looks so great I can hardly wait. But the books would add another level to the stories. I have always loved contradiction in characters - it reveals the underlying bias in people (in real life) and sets up some surprises if done properly in fiction.

I usually stop and let it sit for awhile until I think I can handle the story and try again.

I power through.

Shoot me if I know why, though.

:-/

First I get mad at the author. Then I stop

Usually I'll finish it anyway. I don't often come across a published book that doesn't at least leave me wondering about how SOMETHING will end.

But last week I put down a book that I got about 30 pages into. I'm sure the idea was great, and apparently lots of people respected the authors as being the guru's of the genre. But in 30 pages I didn't wonder if the characters would succeed, or get hit by a bus. Then I finally gave up trying to parse the convoluted sentece structure.

I like to learn from what I read. I don't like to get a headache from it. Usually I get guilty, or eaten up about "wait, how did she resolve..." but there was really nothing TO resolve, not in 30 pages at least.

Depends on the book and why I'm reading it. If it's for a review for my blog or because a friend asked my opinion of it, I'll finish it eventually. If I'm reading it just for myself, then I'll power through a book that starts slow, but I'll put aside one that has a lot of typos or just doesn't live up to its blurb and cover art.

Word verification: gonasing

I'm like you, Nathan. I used to suffer through. But now, I invoke the words of Milan Kundera (told to me by a fellow-writer friend) ... "Life is short; reading is long."

That being said, I think about the books that I have suffered through only to be completely wowed by at the end (A.S. Byatt's POSSESSION) and wonder if there are gems I'm currently tossing aside. Oh well.

I have to admit, I power through. While there have been times when I've wanted to quit, there is always the voice in my head chastising me for entertaining thoughts of quitting something that I've started. The only book I've ever stopped in the middle of was THE HISTORIAN. No matter how much I tried to power through, I just couldn't do it. The story was too arduous to finish.

people admitting that they power through things they don't like doing are need in psychological help ....

stop before you make yourself sick

If nothing about the book grabs me at all, or I dislike the writing, I just put it down and don't bother with it again. Usually before the end of the first chapter.

If I have read a few chapters and then decide I can't bear to read anymore I might first skip to near the end - to see how it finished, without having to go through any sort of reading torture first!

I won't stop right away, but I'll definitely stop before just powering through. Maybe at the 30-70 page mark, if it's not showing signs of life or if there are plot gaps and typos everywhere, I'm just done.

If it's considered a classic, however, I might just read it through to say I've read it.

It really depends. If I borrowed it from the library I'll stop anywhere from page 50 to 100 (to give it a chance) and just let it go.

If I bought it and it's too late to return (I often buy books in bulks of like, you know...6 or something) I'll finish it (and cringe the whole time or criticize it, etc).

I sometimes stop after a few pages, and sometimes even 50 pages toward the end if I've lost interest in the characters (or if a major character dies for no particular reason except to add some drama to the story and it isn't a mystery--I hate that!)

Sometimes I'll power through a book if I have nothing else in the house to read or if it's a book everyone's talking about. I put down FREEDOM and was about to take it back to library and then powered through and was glad I did.

I do both. It really depends on whether I have something else more interesting to read at the moment. I'll rarely give up on a book entirely, though, unless I need to return it to a library.

Lol. Something about this whole poll just tickles me.

For me, a book has about 2 pages to lure me, or it's a goner.

Except classics. Classics, I'll read the whole way through even if it's torture. I want to see what the big deal is. I read Lawrence's Women in Love that way, and I hated every single second of it - that book makes no sense whatsoever. I still hate that book. Just typing its name makes me see red. But hey - I read it. Yay!

Fun poll. :)

I've only powered through on a couple of books by new writers, but by the end it didn't get better.

I don't throw books, why destroy a book that may not be to my liking? I give them away hoping they may appeal to someone else's taste. That said, I don't keep reading it.

I usually look for authors who write on their own, who don't piggyback off a successful author. I've never found one to be as good as the original. I tend to read through an author's list if I find a writing style I like.

Right now I'm reading two books that are old - a French historical - Madame Bovary, and an early Agatha story. Makes me wonder why some books stand the test of time better - maybe because the writers put more quality in their writing?

I read mostly free e-books, so "I bought it and I'm danged well gonna read it" doesn't factor in. Also, I have hundreds of free e-books waiting to be read. There's no reason for me to waste time reading stuff that's either awful or simply not to my taste.

There are two spots I'll typically bail out: about page 30, and about 1/3 through.

There are occasional exceptions. "Everyone" raved about The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, so I pushed on through. That didn't pay off.

I recently pushed through "How to Write a Sentence" because I thought there had to be a pony in all of that manure. Nope, no pony.

It's often been said that life is too short to read good books--one should only read great books. Reading books that aren't even good seems like a poor usage of one's time.

I never have as much time to read as I'd like so I just have to stick with books that I'm enjoying.

I do skim through chapters that are boring me and sometimes I skip them entirely. I do this quite a bit with Dickens, who I LOVE, but, let's face it, sometimes he was boring.

If it's really unbearable I'll cheat and read the ending. If it has any redeeming qualities at all, I'll go back and read more to figure out how they got to the conclusion.

I usually know if I'm going to like something after a page or two but I'll give it 20 pages or so before I chuck it. I used to power through but I realised I'd never have enough time to read all the books I DO enjoy in my lifetime so why waste time on ones I don't like.

As long as the book isn't really long, I keep reading unless I absolutely hate the book with a passion.

Maybe it's the obsessive writer in me, but I like to get a firm concept of why the book isn't working for me and what I would have liked to see done differently.

Also, I like to see what happens at the end for some reason, even if I'm not enjoying the book.

Maybe I should just start skipping to the last chapter like some others have mentioned ...

Even if the book is awful, I don't believe you can pass judgement until you've read through to the last page. I powered through The Shining and it was a harrowing experience. Don't read it. But if I found myself in a similar book I'll still finish it. You've gotta read a few stinkers to appreciate fine lit sometimes.

I generally weigh my expectations for the book against my experience of it. If it's a classic that everyone loves, I'm way more likely to power through. But if I'm reading a little-known story with no literary merit, I'm flinging it in the fire for sure.

I always stop after about the first three chapters if I can't bear any more but I will read the last page just to see if it's as awful as the beginning.

There have been exceptions, though. As in: I used to be a major James Patterson fan until he went off on an exclamation-point tangent. So I read a couple all the way through just to see how many !!!! there were...both times, I lost count and never read any of his books again.

Actually, the answer is "it depends." If it's something I really WANT to get through, I muscle through. Most of the time, though, I give up.

Ugh, it depends so much on context. If it's a book I have to read, for some work-related function or because somebody is expecting me to discuss it with them, then I try to power through. I'll also try to power through if it's a book I feel I should have read, usually a classic. As I get older, I find I give up on a few more books if they really irritate me, but I still finish the majority of them, gritting my teeth if I have to.

If I hate a book by page five then I would put it aside and never return. But if, say, the pacing is too slow through the middle of the back or I hate one of the characters, then I'll power through.

I've also become a "stopper." Life is too short to read something I don't enjoy. The last one I stopped was "South of Broad" by Pat Conroy. I wanted to love it, but put it down about midway through and ended up sending it back to the library, unfinished.

And I love Pat Conroy. Sigh.

i've been both. Lately i'm more likely to give up on them due to a lack of reading time. i'm not going to waste what little i have on ... um... mediocrity.

Generally, I stop. But it usually depends on a few things. The voice, the plot, or where I think the book is going. There have been instances where I'm very glad I read all the way to the end, but there was usually that little something special towards where I wanted to put it down that told me to keep reading.

Very long sentence.

Like Nathan. I once HAD to finish...for all of the aforementioned reasons and then some. Then it was, "Life's too short."
Now...I'm very selective about what I start (check: back blurb, first page, general skim of book and if it's looks well-written, but so depressing that it may lead to suicide I actually Check The Ending, which goes against everything I believe in...except for not killing onesself over the ending of The Awakening, etc.).
Fun question, Nathan. Thanks, I'm kinda in a funk. You guys often brighten my day.

I used to be a "finish no matter what" reader, but I've gotten less indulgent as I've gotten older.

I don't decide to quit a book lightly, but generally, if I get 50-100 pages in and I'm having trouble coming up with good reasons not to put the book down, it's over.

I came across a recent post on Boxing the Octopus that talks about this issue and
The Rule of 50. Interesting idea.

Funny you should ask. I'm reading Wizard's First Rule right now - mostly because I loved the Legend of the Seeker television series and wanted to see what the books were like.

I know this is a beloved, bestselling fantasy series for some, but I have to admit... I'm really not enjoying this first book. I'm at the halfway point, though, and powering through it anyway, with the (futile) hope that it will in fact get better.

I've thrown two books against the wall. Given up on dozens more. Stayed with some even though I hated the characters, just so I could see them get their due. Holy crow, I hope no one throws my book against a wall!!

I usually power through. There is something about putting down a book half read. I just can't do it.
A friend of mine advises reading to page 50. If you are over 50 years old, subtract a page. So if you are 60, only read to page 40.

The only times I don't stop are when I'm more personally invested into it - i.e., it's something a close friend or family member read. Then I feel like I owe it to them to read it through . . . But I'll take my time about it if it's really bad.

I have to keep reading. If I park it on the shelf it sits there like a dirty little secret.
I've read with a book in one hand and a dictionary in the other or an atlas/photocopy of the map provided/scientific journals /physically acted out the scene to see how on earth it worked: I don't give up.

If I'm not impressed within the first hundred pages of a book I'm going to move to something else. If the book is only 200 pages long I might stick with it but any longer it stops being worth it.

I stop. Reading time is too precious when you're a mom to young children.

It's rare for me to stop, even now when my pile of books just keeps getting taller and taller.

Don't really know why, but I will push through all but the most awful books!

The thing about when you are younger is that "finishing" a book can be like an achievement or a marathon where making it to the end implies you are a winner, smart enough, educated, a person "who can complete things."
In addition, in high school, college, grad school, etc., we are given "required reading" whether we "like" it or not.
But eventually, we trust our own reading and we don't have to prove or achieve anything outside of our own interest, pleasure, understanding, etc.
Sort of like dating. You may not fall in love with everyone you go out to dinner with, however there comes a time when you don't date outside of what is, for you, "good material."

I usually power through, because it counts towards my Good Reads challenge!

It's not like it used to be, Nathan. I used to plow through. However, nowadays you can't be sure what you're reading unless you do a thorough background check on the book, the publisher, and the author.

For example, I downloaded a book on my e-reader without checking it out first. The back cover copy looked interesting, but that's all I had to go by when I purchased.

The book was awful. And when I checked it out online two days later I found it was self-pubbed and I was basically reading throught the slush pile.

Like I said, it's different nowadays.

I've given up on two books. One because the first ten pages of the novel described the forest. I was like okay, I'm done. The second was the charcters doing the same thing over and over from one house to the next. I was like ummm seriously if it was the same results at the school and the first two homes why would the third be different?this is the definition of insanity and I think I am going insane reading this. Ugh. Then I was pissed I spent money on it knowing I won't finish it.

I usually stop. There are so many books on my to-read list that I do not want to waste time on something I am not enjoying. I do give the author a generous amount of pages to try and entice me, but sometimes it just doesn't happen.

I buy millions of paperbacks and skim them to see how the author set up the dialogue, pacing, etc. Very few grab me enough to read cover to cover.

Right now they're stacked in double and triple rows in my bookshelves. I'd like to give them to the public library, but the library throws books in the trash.

There are far to many incredible books out there to read to bother with ones that don't catch my interest!

For me, it depends on what I dislike about the book and/or what I've heard about it. If the plot is boring or moving at a slow pace, but I've heard people say it gets better and is worth it, I'll power through. If the main character is aggravating me, I stop.

I've powered through books and thought the experience was worth it, and I've done the same and regretted every moment wasted on it. Other times, I powered through then decided the last forty pages couldn't possibly make up for what a miserable reading experience the 2-300 pages before it were. Then I go on to Amazon and see if I was the only one not feeling it, and I find out how it ended. There. Curiosity satisfied, time saved.

At the end of the day, there really are tons and tons of books that are/will be better then the one you currently don't like, so you have to decide which book(s) are worth your time and what you have to gain/lose from going on or quitting.

Most times, I quit, though.

I used to power through, but with so many books waiting to be jumped into on my nightstand, I have to admit I've been giving up on the ones that don't catch my interest with the first few chapters.

There are very few fictional themes I'm prepared to take up. There needs to be something very original or sweet or with fantasy elements for me to enjoy it - preferably with all three. Even if a book has all three of these, there's no guarantee it will sit right. The Harry Potter books I couldn't get into and never finished the first one. The Twilight books I liked more but, again, never finished the first one. I prefer non-fiction, usually spiritual. Well, I've no trouble finishing them.

I will admit that I could not get through Blindness. That was the first book that I let myself give up on. Just could not do it.

I've walked away from books before, but I don't do it often. I give them a chance, just like I'd want my readers to give me one day.

I voted that I stop reading, because I usually do.

But, if it's a book for which I had a review requested, I plow through. (Often while voicing my displease who anyone who will listen.)

I'm actually going to modify my answer.

If it's a book I made the decision to buy/rent/borrow, then I stop. I don't owe the author anything; it was my mistake to pick it up. (I don't usually blame the author; it's usually just that the book isn't for me.)

If it's a gift, then I plough through. I need to see what someone thought I'd like, so I can consider whether to delete their number from my cell phone.

I give almost every book until its halfway point. If I'm still not into it, its chance is lost. There's only one book that thoroughly bored me before the halfway point, and I did my best to give it a several-chapter go. It was sad day.

The only time a crap book gets a full read is if I've read previous works by the author and have enjoyed them. It's like listening to your friend's really boring story just because she's your friend. Most times, even though the book probably still sucks at the end, I'm happy to have supported my beloved author with the purchase and reading of their book.

I stop and don't look back because I usually have tons of other books that I really want to read so I won't waste time.

The exception is, if I sort of like a book but am not in the mood for that genre (if I start a fantasy but am in the mood for a mystery) then I will put it down and come back later.

I only stop if it's too hard to continue. If the book's boring me senseless, or if I have to wade through too much description or fluff or the writing style to get to the story.

I need option 3. :)

I used to always read to the end of a book. I saw it as a personal challenge, and hoped it would get better.

I still continue to read on, hoping it will get better, but in some cases I will eventually give up.

The first book I ever 'shelved' I loaned to a friend. I think she took it as a challenge, since she'd never heard of me putting down a book unfinished. She made it to the end. It didn't get any better.

I plough through. Especially if the book was a gift. Even if I don't end up liking the book, I feel like I learn something from every book I read. Sometimes reading a "bad" book can teach you what not to do in your writing.

I started to drop books when I started to trust my taste.

In my youth, I finished everything because I was learning the difference between good, bad, and what I like.

After many years of reading, I have more of a clue. I'm relieved to drop a frustrating book and move on to a fresh hope.

I find I learn the most as a writer from bogglingly excellent books. Mediocre ones drag me down.

If a book is clearly good but not working for me, I will persist a lot longer, trying to figure out why, and whether I just need to push my boundaries. This pays off occasionally.

I used to power through because I was young and thirsty for words, but I've learned that my time is worth more than I'm willing to waste.

On the plus side, my friends are awesome and recommend a lot of winners for my reading list. I haven't had to abandon a book in ages.

I power through only if it's already a favorite author and can trust that it'll get better--I love Dean Koontz, and have read nearly everything he's done, and although I powered through Odd Thomas, I really wish I had that time back.

I usually quit. There are too many books in the world for me to read, so why waste time on one I'm not enjoying? The only time I don't follow that is when someone's chosen a book for me, or given me a book that means something to them (especially a student - I'm an English teacher to 16-19 yr olds so books are a thoughtful thank-you/parting gift).

no, if it doesnt interest me right away, it goes back to the library. Too much junk being published now to waste my time. I used to think that one had to read the whole thing now, not so much

I still remember the incredible rush of power when (a few months after college graduation) i realized I didn't have to finish the book I was reading! What a concept, not-reading for pleasure!

I'm a stopper. Like you, I used to be a power-through-er, but I just don't have that kind of time. If I've absorbed most of the meat from it, that's one thing.

Honestly, though, I'm more of an audiobook junkie as I don't have as much time to read anymore (3 small kids at home so there's NEVER down time). I can listen to audiobooks in the car and finish a book a week up. Sometimes it's harder to just stop those because they're more expensive. :)

If a book is difficult but intriguing, I continue.

If it's incompetent, trite, or lame, I quit.

Curiosity is the key.

I said I stop, but there's a caveat: if it's a mega-selling blockbuster of a book, I power through to see what people are so excited about.

I power through. I picked it up for a reason … a good review, a recommendation from a friend, knowing I liked something else the author wrote. And for that reason, I want to finish. Even if it’s just so I can legitimately get in an argument with whoever told me to read it over how awful it was. Sometimes it takes me forever and I pick up a second (better) read, but I finish.

The only exception to this is library books. If a library book reaches its due date and it’s not good enough to check out again, I sadly let it go. But this has only happened a couple times.

I used to power through in my youth. Now, I know better. As The Librarian Nancy Pearl advised in a radio interview I heard: Life is too short so give a book about 50 pages, and if it doesn't click for you, move on to another book. For every year over 50 in your age, subtract a page.

I'm currently subtracting a few pages.

Reading a book is like getting to know a lover...you have to invest your love wisely....when I was younger, I could afford to waste my affection on fly-by-night tomes knowing that there would be the occasional Lord of the Rings or Tale of Two Cities to carry me in a long term relationship.
But now? I don't have the time or energy to invest in creating a relationship with a story if it's not satisfying me. Live and Learn. And I don't want to WRITE a story that doesn't seduce and ultimately satisfy my readers. I want my story and my characters to be faithful companions for the long run that will stick with my readers through thick and thin...Friends they can mentally and emotionally return to when the going gets tough. Now That's Love!

Funny - I just wrote about this exact same thing on my own blog (last week, beat ya!). I've decided life's too short for literary guilt. Move on...

I usually power through books I buy (can't waste money) but give up on books I borrow. Luckily, though, with books I buy, I usually know what I'm getting, so there is no need to worry about giving up on them--I enjoy them. I'm much less discerning with books I borrow (usually from the library), so I start many that I decide I'm not that into. Usually, though, I discover that the books I figure I'm not going to enjoy turn out to be excellent reads, which is why I choose a wide variety from the library.

I normally power through. Every now and then I might take a break, read a different book, and then come back and start all over.

But admittedly there is one book that I just cannot (and will not) finish. I was so excited to get my hands on it and finally start reading after all of the praise and good reviews that I had heard! But when I finally started to read The Bell Jar I just couldn't do it.

If I bought it or won it in a giveaway, I'll power through. I might as well since it's my own copy. However, a few years ago I bought an historical novel that was riddled with lazy inaccuracies, despite the fact that in her afterword the author practically bragged she had gone to great lengths to make the details accurate.

Because of that book, I'm a lot more careful now about what I buy. I read several reviews as well as actual samples from the book if they're available. Only then do I purchase the book. Now I rarely have to worry about putting down a book in the middle.

Both. If's it a book lent to me/highly rec'ed by a friend (or it's for class) I try to push through it. Everything else, I stop.

I stop. I have read a lot of books half way through. The last one I stopped in the middle was: The Breach. The story became too absurd for me to want to finish.

If the language has a rhythm I can't get into (like someone talking over you), I stop. For YA books that don't work, I rapidly skim through the rest, so I know what went wrong and do my best not to have MY writing turn out that way! :-)

I finish them, even when they're so bad it's driving me crazy. I never feel I can pass proper judgement on a book unless I've read the whole thing. Yes, there's a chance it'll get better, but if it's truly diabolical I know that's highly unlikely. But I have to get to the end so that I can look at the book as a whole and then sum up my feelings about it. I keep a journal of little reviews of all the books I read, and there's nothing more satisfying than summing up with a rant-infused diatribe just how bad a certain book was. And then I appreciate the next good book all the more for it.

I take a different approach. If it's not holding my interest, I also consider the mood I'm in. I'll put it aside for a few weeks, read something else and then come back to it. If it still fails to keep my interest, I give it to someone I think might enjoy it.

On the other hand, if it is one of my favorite authors, then out of loyalty, I might try it more than twice. But I simply won't finish something that can't keep me engaged.

I keep reading, not regularly because I believe the book will get better, but because I like to finish what I start. Even if it is the worst book I've read.

I also got a lot out of Francine Prose’s book when I read it. You’re right that a love of reading and writing has to be there for someone to be a writer. If you don’t love it, I think it’s easy to give up. As for the more technical aspects, usually those come with practice (lots and lots of practice).

Anna: Yes, lots of practice helps. You can learn so much from actual writing and getting feedback from a good critique group or a mentor. Being in a class helps too but a lot of the learning happens out of the classroom. When I’m reading a book, I love to break down a scene — it’s really helpful for me.

Thanks for the tip, Jack. I've got Prose's book on my shelf, and I'm eager to dive in.