Books - Are you a perseverer?

Definitely abandon any book I'm not enjoying, I'm with the 'Life's too short...' folk. As for 'Girl on the Train' - I think I managed about 40 pages then it was off to the charity shop.

It's pretty rare for me to give up on a book, though I admit I am selective about what I start in the first place. When buying a book, I try to make sure it's something I really want to read, either from reviews or personal recommendations or authors I'm familiar with.

I belong to a book group so have read some excellent books I'd never have picked up of my own accord, which is probably the downside to the self-censoring I've described above!

If I can't get into a book in the first chapter I'm onto the next one. Too many books to read,not enough time !

I agree with those who say life is too short. I gave up on Captain Corelli's Mandolin and Love in a Time of Cholera but will persevere if it's a book club read.

I used to always finish a book, it just seemed the right thing to do and I read a lot and am quite fast. Nowadays I think I'm never going to get to read all the good books there are so won't waste my time. I am however re-reading some books I loved when I was younger, including Poldark, which is still good (like the dramatisation).

If I'm really not enjoying a book and am so unengaged that I can't remember the names of any of the characters, I give up.

Someone whose taste is similar to mine recommended The Paying Guest by Sarah Walters (I loved her book The Little Stranger). I found it boring and repetitive and eventually gave up.

What I find really irritating is a book that, for the most part, has been really engaging and then has a ridiculous resolution. This has happened to me today. I read several glowing reviews of a book called Why Did You Lie? by an Icelandic author. It quickly sold out at Waterstones and I had to wait for a new delivery. Up until about two-thirds of the way through I really enjoyed it and then, to my mind anyway, it became completely implausible. What a disappointment. I must remind myself not to rely too much on fabulous reviews.

One book that I nearly gave up on because suddenly there were several pages of what I found to be very boring Greek mythology was The Secret History by Donna Tartt. I didn't give up though and it turned out to be perhaps my favourite book of all time.

Never! But I take it to the library for our independent stock so don't feel bad about it - out of sight out of mind!

TerriBull- I make good use of my local library & "try before I buy". Like others have said, if a book doesn't really hold my interest I discard it & return it.

However, if the book in question is the library's Reading Group book, I do my best to work my way through it, as I feel that you can't have a reasoned discussion about a book you don't like without being able to say exactly what it is about it that you didn't like, can you - if you're still with me!?
I admit that if that happens,(a book by a motormad chap called Jeremy Clark-something springs to mind), I will skim or give up very quickly.
Waiting patiently on a shelf for me to have another go at is Gormenghast.

If I think 'I really don't care what happens to these people ' out it goes!!

Must admit if I am not enjoying a book, I will not persevere with it, though in some cases I know I probably should give it more of a chance. Such a recent book was "Behind the Scenes at the Museum". I had a struggle with "A God in Ruins" but stuck with it and was glad I did, but I lost the will to live with the aforementioned. I do sometimes go back to books I have abandoned. I have tried several times over the years to read C.P. Snow's "The New Men", but it has defeated me (lightweight!).

DanniRae - Yes, I do - & have paperback & Kindle copies of favourites!

I loved Life After Life preferred it to the sequel which I also enjoyed but not as much. I always keep my stand out books.

I didn't enjoy Girl on the Train, either.
I tend to read the first few pages of a new book, read the ending and speed-read a bit of the middle. If it grabs me I read the whole thing.
Just re-reading Life After Life. Best book I've read for quite some time, and the sequel's good, too.

No, I don't carry on reading a book if I am not enjoying it. As already said - there too many good books to read. However, I do re-read books many times over if I've enjoyed them and strangely always find bits that I don't remember. Does anyone else do this?

I had to put Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell aside, 100 pages in I was beginning to form the opinion "this is worse than homework". It's still on my shelf though.

I used to persevere, an attitude hanging on from school I think. Now I don't, if I'm not interested after a couple of chapters I put it aside. Thinking about it the only ones I do persevere with are the GN giveaways, I sort of think I should finish them. .

I read Girl on The Train a couple of years ago and Apple Tree Yard and thought they were both quite good. I think there are a lot of writers trying to produce that genre with quite mediocre results. I've been picking books up in Sainsburys prior to googling their reviews on Amazon and find I'm often disappointed. I think I should stop doing it and go to my husband's "recommended read pile". I'm a bit addicted to buying books, eventually they find their way into a charity shop if they're unexceptional.

I could not get into Girl on a Train so I did not bother.

I finished Girl on the Train and at the end thought 'why did I bother'!
Especially since the ending was obvious way before

I always used to plough on and finish a book even if I found it tedious [why?]

However, I think my philosophy is more the same as whitewave's now, although I have found exceptions.
I have just gone back to a book which I had started then put into the pile for the charity shop and I'm glad I had a second try because it is quite gripping.

I'm not a person who perseveres with a book I find tedious either. Recently got really irritated by a book with several spelling mistakes in the first couple of chapters. I lost the thread and just started looking for more mistakes then.

I go on for 20-30 pages and if it hasn't got me by then, I give it up. Also if while I'm reading it I keep thinking about another book that's waiting to be read, I reckon it's a loser!

Perhaps I persevere more as books in English are very expensive here, and I have pretty much read everything I like on the Church bookshelves.

I am another who agrees with whitewave. Life is too short, there are too many good books I haven't read yet. I don't like a book to be too light hearted - e.g. cosy murders or romances, but I am not really into 'literature' read enough for A levels.

I usually pick it up 3 times and if I haven't gotten into it by then I'll give up and either charity shop it or pass it on. Girl on the Train is currently on its 2nd strike so one more go and thats it