I’m really hoping that when this post is published I will be hit with an onslaught of readers who tell me this isn’t silly at all, that every one who reads feels this way. But I ain’t too sure…
So here it is, I cannot leave a book unfinished. Even if I hate it. Even if it is written in the most convoluted ugly prose ever. Even if it is full of misspellings and grammatic errors the size of the grand canyon. Even if there are plot holes big enough for Pluto to fall through and put an end to this whole planet/not a planet bull. I can’t, I can’t put it down and walk away.
It’s like they call to me. “Come back, I know I’m the worst friend you ever had but you won’t know what happens if you don’t keep reading.”
And that’s how they lure me back in. I have to know. No, seriously, I HAVE TO KNOW.
I cannot sleep at night unless I know how every story turns out. And books are the worst. Maybe because they are my oldest friends. I need to know each one inside and out so I can put the relationship in proper perspective.
But I did it, finally, recently, I returned a book to the library unfinished. It hurt. A lot.
Behold, the miracle, I left a book undone.
So tell me, am I alone in this compulsion?
T.A. Henry 
A decade ago I was maybe a bit like you…after all I’d bought the book so I was damn well going to finish it! Nowadays I’m swamped with books, I’ll always read my favourite authors (and there are quite a few) who I’ve had to spend decent money on; but Kindle Daily Deals so tempt me I’ll pick up all sorts, read a chapter or two and move on to the next one, always with a view to coming back to, but mostly haven’t yet. And then there are the free ones, which I end up reading for those I know online, but in all honesty I do the same thing, flit from one to another and another and another a few chapters at a time; makes writing a coherent review a bit confusing, which is a shame as the whole point of why the books are free, well mostly. So I’ve now disciplined myself (like of today) to no more than three at once (and your Scripting the Truth is one right now) to finish and get a decent review done; note that I didn’t say by when though!
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You are too funny.
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It takes a lot for me to give up reading a book but it has happened on the odd occasion.
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First time ever this past week. But I haven’t worried too much about what happened to the characters after I abandoned their saga. LOL
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Ugh, yes. There was one book that made me so angry I almost exploded, and it still makes me angry just thinking about it now, but I finished it. I’m not sure when I last gave up on a book– All I remember is failing to get past the first few pages of Moby Dick in 4th or 5th grade because I thought it was dead boring.
I tend to get all my new books from the library though, so feeling obligated to finish because I spent money on it isn’t a factor.
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I used to feel like I had to finish everything I started. I think that was at least partially because I could only get new things to read at the library, and getting to the library wasn’t easy for me. Now it is much easier for me to get to any of several different libraries, not to mention free e-books, etc. I have active library cards for 4 different library systems, and multiple libraries to choose from in some of those systems. These days I only finish reading things that are actually good. This probably saved my life when I attempted to read the new Dune series… (“I will enslave you with my sexual power!”)
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ROFL
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I’ve only put down an unfinished book twice but it was the same book. I gave it two chances but still couldn’t get into it. Surprisingly it was American Gods by Neil Gaiman. I don’t know what it is about that book but it just can’t keep my interest.
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I haven’t read it.
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