I am one of those people who commit myself completely to a book no matter my opinion on its contents. My sister always can tell when I like the novel based on whether or not I will finish it. I fly through classics like the Scarlet Letter, and Wuthering Heights, but find myself unable to "finish the job" when it comes to the Lord of the Rings or the Count of Monte Cristo. Likewise, I seem to lack the tenacity to complete the most recent book in the Ender's Series (Ender in Exile). My heavy mental shoes prevent me from reaching its end. In truth, the fear of losing characters I fall in love with halts my progress. I am writing this thread to see if anyone else shares these feelings of hesitation when diving into these books even knowing that more of Ender will surely come in the near future.
Posted by Tara (Member # 10030) on :
You don't finish books if you like them?
Posted by Keivan Ettefagh (Member # 11940) on :
I end up finishing them, but it is always a struggle, a love hate relationship with the last chapters, knowing it is going to end soon but not wanting to leave it. As a result, towards the end of each book I slow down dramatically, mentally digesting what I have read, fearing the conclusion.
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
If I want to, I'll stop reading a book. I have enough books I want to read that I see no reason why I should spend my finite time reading something I don't want to read.
Posted by Traceria (Member # 11820) on :
You know, I do that sometimes, but only if I've read a book before. Usually, though, I end up making it back to finish the book later (after being diverted by several others), even if it's months to a year later.
Do you ever try to psych yourself out by telling yourself you can just reread it once you finish it the first (presuming it's the first) time?
Posted by Dogbreath (Member # 11879) on :
Book 6 of the LotR was like that for me the first time through. I had been reading pretty quickly through book 5... and really slowed down after that, taking in every word, thinking about it during my day, and at night dreaming about what I had just read. I was really amazed, when I reread the LotR and found out book 6 only took me a few hours to read. The first time it had taken me 2 weeks!
That being said, it depends on the author. Tolkien's prose is nearly poetic, ever word is so perfectly placed and descriptive. I couldn't imagine doing that with most books.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Originally posted by mr_porteiro_head: If I want to, I'll stop reading a book. I have enough books I want to read that I see no reason why I should spend my finite time reading something I don't want to read.
"This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force."
- Dorothy Parker
Posted by Josh Cooper (Member # 11533) on :
I know the feeling, but I don't express it quite that way. I find it hard to stop when it's a new story. The disappointment is when I want to know more and the story ends. Depending on the book, it can make me really sad. But that doesn't slow me down because I'm too eager to know what has already been written.
Posted by Samprimary (Member # 8561) on :
The desire for entertainment drives the effort to read the book. If I am not being entertained, the book just starts getting read less and less in a sitting, or I just quit bothering to read it.
Occasionally a book will be so perversely bad, or stuffy and obviously moralistic in an annoying way, that I'll push through a chapter or two to be sure it's as bad as I think it is, then I'll babytalk at my dog about how terrible the book was.
This was a terrible book! yes it was! yes it was! who can't read this terrible book? you can't! yes, you can't!
Then the book gets buried and my general apathy towards book-reading grows.
Posted by Keivan Ettefagh (Member # 11940) on :
Forgive me, for I must distinguish between entertaining and some other adjective that I do represents something more moving than entertaining (captivating perhaps). While yes, the entertainment value of a book pushes me through, however if I happen to fall in love with the book I don't want the romance to end. So in short, I am talking about a level above entertaining when describing the Ender Series and Lot.
Posted by Samprimary (Member # 8561) on :
I guess I'd have to hear something which gives a pretty complete understanding of what level of attachment to a book can be said to transcend being, at its core, entertaining. That it no longer factors into why you read a work of fiction.
Posted by DDDaysh (Member # 9499) on :
I know what you mean about being reluctant to leave characters you've come to love. Occasionally I'll feel myself slowing down toward the end of the book too - especially after the climax - just to prolong my relationship with them. Still, it rarely helps much because I like them too much to not read as much as I can.
I do satisfy this need by being an avid re-reader. Some of my books have been so read that they're literally falling about or crumbling into dust.
Posted by CRash (Member # 7754) on :
quote:Originally posted by DDDaysh: I do satisfy this need by being an avid re-reader. Some of my books have been so read that they're literally falling about or crumbling into dust.
That's sort of my solution too. For example, I reread all of the Ender books and stories before Exile came out. (This came to be annoying when actually reading Exile and finding the same stories like "Gold Bug", but my solution was to just skim those parts.) For the first read of Exile I went straight through because I was excited to find out what happened. After a couple of days to digest it, I did a reread, this time more slowly.
I think my method is kind of the opposite of what you do, Keivan. When I love the characters, I can't put the book down until I'm finished simply for the joy of reading them. If I miss them, I just reread yet again. I'm not sure why I developed this habit; perhaps partially from being a naturally fast reader, and maybe more practically because of internet spoilers. I absolutely can't stand hearing about what happens before reading the book. It really irritates me, so to be spoiler-free I tend to read quite soon after the release date.
And of course I am a child of the Harry Potter generation: get the book at midnight and read it straight through till morning. Posted by antronics (Member # 11894) on :
..I did the same thing with R.A. Salvatore's Drizzt novels.
Posted by Traceria (Member # 11820) on :
quote:Originally posted by Samprimary: Occasionally a book will be so perversely bad, or stuffy and obviously moralistic in an annoying way, that I'll push through a chapter or two to be sure it's as bad as I think it is, then I'll babytalk at my dog about how terrible the book was.
This was a terrible book! yes it was! yes it was! who can't read this terrible book? you can't! yes, you can't!
*dies*
quote:Originally posted by CRash: When I love the characters, I can't put the book down until I'm finished simply for the joy of reading them. If I miss them, I just reread yet again. I'm not sure why I developed this habit; perhaps partially from being a naturally fast reader, and maybe more practically because of internet spoilers. I absolutely can't stand hearing about what happens before reading the book. It really irritates me, so to be spoiler-free I tend to read quite soon after the release date.
And of course I am a child of the Harry Potter generation: get the book at midnight and read it straight through till morning.
I do the same, only I'm not a naturally fast reader (more mid-speed) and so often my second read comes from listening to an audiobook. Then, months or years later, whenever, I will reread those books I've come to love over and over again.
Speaking of HP and picking up books at midnight. I went to a release thing with a couple friends for Half-Blood Prince, and this kid of about eleven or twelve who looked like he could have stolen the part from Dan R. (complete with glasses) decided to hang out with us 20-something year old girls. He was even wearing a homemade t-shirt with a Dumbledore's Army logo he'd drawn. Anyway, at some point in the evening he told us that he was one of the people who found out who the Half-Blood Prince was when it leaked on the net. We begged him not to say anything, and he didn't until about five minutes before they started calling people to buy their books. He leaned over and said in my ear, "It's Snape." I replied, "You're just pulling my leg!" And so I read most of HBP thinking the kid had tried to pull one over on me and that it couldn't possibly be Snape! Posted by DDDaysh (Member # 9499) on :
What an obnoxious little brat!
I bet he becomes a hatracker in a couple of years. ;-)
Posted by Sean Monahan (Member # 9334) on :
quote:Originally posted by Traceria: Speaking of HP and picking up books at midnight...
Uh, I hope you didn't just spoil it for *us*.
Posted by T:man (Member # 11614) on :
*SPOILER*
Obama is Harry Potter. Posted by Traceria (Member # 11820) on :
quote:Originally posted by Sean Monahan:
quote:Originally posted by Traceria: Speaking of HP and picking up books at midnight...
Uh, I hope you didn't just spoil it for *us*.
Sorry if that ended up being the case!
The book has been out since July 2005. Bigger spoilers have leaked, especially with the film release looming.
Posted by Sean Monahan (Member # 9334) on :
quote:Originally posted by Traceria:
quote:Originally posted by Sean Monahan:
quote:Originally posted by Traceria: Speaking of HP and picking up books at midnight...
Uh, I hope you didn't just spoil it for *us*.
Sorry if that ended up being the case!
The book has been out since July 2005. Bigger spoilers have leaked, especially with the film release looming.
I just realized that post sounded snarkier than I meant it. I haven't read the book, but this post did not upset me.
Posted by Traceria (Member # 11820) on :
quote:Originally posted by Sean Monahan: I just realized that post sounded snarkier than I meant it. I haven't read the book, but this post did not upset me.
Ha ha...no problem. Didn't take it that way. I just hope it didn't completely mess you up if you ever do read it!
Posted by Aaron Rosenstein (Member # 11949) on :
Kevin, letting go of a loved character is hard, but also sometimes needed. After reading an open ended series, I find myself creating all sorts of endings. This in itself is gratifying. But also, when a character has accomplished enough to make a legend out of him or her, it is time to put them to rest, end their tale, and begin anothers. Otherwise, their life's story just becomes too much and gets harder to believe when viewing the forest through the trees.
Posted by Aris Katsaris (Member # 4596) on :
You can edit your post to remove the spoiler, no, Traceria?
Posted by Dogbreath (Member # 11879) on :
quote:Originally posted by antronics: ..I did the same thing with R.A. Salvatore's Drizzt novels.
All, what, 17 of them?
Salvatore's has always been someone I've been fascinated by. He's generally a terrible writer, and by choice, too. Homeland, the first three Demon Wars books, and The Highwayman are very excellently written, so the fact that most of his FR novels are of such poor quality really confuses me.
He's written at least 50 novels I know of in the past 20 years, his books are generally very poor prose full of every imaginable cliché, completely unrealistic and improbable events, and more fake deaths and deus ex machina rescues than anything else I've read. The 20th time or so you see a main character apparently killed, your pulse doesn't even quicken, because you know they'll turn up perfectly fine in a few chapters. The Drizzt essays are cringe-worthy, most of the conversation seems completely contrived, and even the jokes are near universally corny.
And yet... I keep coming back and reading the next book in the series every time I see it at the library. For better or worse, I've read more of his books than almost any other author, and he's managed to turn himself into a best selling author with a huge following. There's something very deep and compelling that makes me genuinely care about his worlds and his characters, though for the life of me I couldn't tell you what.
As I said earlier, there are a small handful of his books that are actually very brilliant, so he's obviously not a stupid person. Maybe he's figured out the secret behind getting people to buy his books, has succumbed to the temptation, and just writes massive amounts of crap to make himself rich.
Sorry for the rant, it's just been something itching at me for a while.
Posted by Traceria (Member # 11820) on :
quote:Originally posted by Aris Katsaris: You can edit your post to remove the spoiler, no, Traceria?
I suppose...
Though how the story will make sense without it is beyond me at the moment (definitely need more sleep tonight). Posted by Clumpy (Member # 8122) on :
I'd say that my reward from finishing a book I was enjoying is greater than the little tinge of sadness I get from leaving the characters for a time. When I read HP7 it was more dramatic since I'd pretty much grown up reading those books.
Interesting that all four books in the first "Ender" quartet have really great endings, giving them less of a transitive feel and more something to look forward to. Of course, the fact that OSC didn't stop at four books helps as well .
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