Novel Thoughts: When Is Enough, Enough?

This week’s novel thought topic stems from a conversation I was having with a friend. She was telling me about a book that she hated..well not hated but disliked.   I knew she wouldn’t like it,  I was with her when she bought it( just because it was Oprah’s book club pick).  I read the blurb on the back and said “this doesn’t sound like a good book” needless to say she ended up not liking it and passing it along to her friend who also did not like it.  Anyway she said after the first chapter she had to force herself to finish reading it which leads me to  the question….  “when is enough enough?”

I had a similar experience with a book whose release  I had been anticipating. The book sucked me in touting itself as the next Fifty Shades of Grey ( Yes I’m a sucker as it seems that including some form of Fifty Shades is the phrase du jour to put on erotic fiction novels in an attempt to garner sales) but yes, I fell for it.  The blurb was interesting enough and I just knew that this book was going to be great.

Anyway, the book was finally released at the end of last year and I couldn’t wait to pick it up.  I started reading and guess where the book is now…..on my bookshelf virtually untouched. I read the first three or four pages and decided that I just wasn’t that into it. I’m sure it gets better as the story continues(it just has to…right?) but for some reason, I have not been able to pick that book back up.

I don’t know what the problem is with this particular novel that I was so looking forward to reading. I have read books before that didn’t start off all that great but I kept on chugging along and was at least able to finish. Some ended up being good reads while others remained…well not so great, but this is different in the sense that I have no desire to revisit this novel. I’m sure I will, eventually, as I did purchase it and I really don’t think that I’ve given it a fair shake.

When I’m reading a novel it has to keep me interested and this book failed to give me that certain something and by something, I mean some sort of nugget or action to keep me sated until the story picks up.  It doesn’t have to be sex, romance, flirting or anything sexy but I do need something to keep me interested.  If I’ve gotten through a chapter and there’s no “UUMMMPH” I’m done.

I just need that bit of interesting activity in order to assure me that the novel will indeed get better.

Of course, if it’s a book that I’ve committed myself to review, I’m forced to push through to the end (and I’ve had some like that as well) but under normal circumstances, I will not finish the book.

What about you..when is enough enough, how long does it take for you to know that a book you’re reading just isn’t for you? Do you finish the book despite that fact or will you just stop reading?