July 9th, 2009
Fellow writer and reader, ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
mrissa, pointed out various reasons why she quit reading certain books.
Andnephele wrote about what keeps readers and agents reading.
Both are very interesting, from the point of view as both a writer and a reader. As a writer, I take this kid of advice in, and then promptly place it in the cellar of my mind. Stashed there in case its needed for future use.
In general, I find the different reasons why people keep reading or quit reading certain books. In my own reading, I have a hard time pointing out specific things that would make me put a book down. I suppose the only reason I can think of is drudgery.
If a book begins at any point to feel like more work to get through than it's worth, then I put it down and move on to something else. It's just not worth my time anymore to plow through a book that feels like drudgery to read (both times I attempted Crime and Punishment felt this way). My time is too valuable these days, so now I don't bother.
Other than that, I just go to where my interests lay. I'm such a broad reader, though, that my interests are rather vast. I read scifi, fantasy, romance, historical, classics, comedy, modern literature, as well as nonfiction books ranging from memoirs to science histories to criticism to whatever. I don't general go for mysteries (not my cup of tea), but I have read them, and would not claim that as a reason to put it down.
Basically, if even a small thing, one character, one moment, one idea catches my interest, I will ignore many of the other things I don't like about a book and keep reading. It's amazing how small of a kernel of interest can keep me going on a book. I think it's mainly due to a driving need for me to know what's going to happen. I'm often too curious to quit a book. (I'm easily entertained.) Only when there is sense hopelessness over finding anything even vaguely interesting about a book will I put it down (and even then I may come back to it later, see Crime and Punishment).
What makes you keep reading a book? What makes you quit?
mrissa, pointed out various reasons why she quit reading certain books.And
nephele wrote about what keeps readers and agents reading.Both are very interesting, from the point of view as both a writer and a reader. As a writer, I take this kid of advice in, and then promptly place it in the cellar of my mind. Stashed there in case its needed for future use.
In general, I find the different reasons why people keep reading or quit reading certain books. In my own reading, I have a hard time pointing out specific things that would make me put a book down. I suppose the only reason I can think of is drudgery.
If a book begins at any point to feel like more work to get through than it's worth, then I put it down and move on to something else. It's just not worth my time anymore to plow through a book that feels like drudgery to read (both times I attempted Crime and Punishment felt this way). My time is too valuable these days, so now I don't bother.
Other than that, I just go to where my interests lay. I'm such a broad reader, though, that my interests are rather vast. I read scifi, fantasy, romance, historical, classics, comedy, modern literature, as well as nonfiction books ranging from memoirs to science histories to criticism to whatever. I don't general go for mysteries (not my cup of tea), but I have read them, and would not claim that as a reason to put it down.
Basically, if even a small thing, one character, one moment, one idea catches my interest, I will ignore many of the other things I don't like about a book and keep reading. It's amazing how small of a kernel of interest can keep me going on a book. I think it's mainly due to a driving need for me to know what's going to happen. I'm often too curious to quit a book. (I'm easily entertained.) Only when there is sense hopelessness over finding anything even vaguely interesting about a book will I put it down (and even then I may come back to it later, see Crime and Punishment).
What makes you keep reading a book? What makes you quit?
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