Do you abide by the 50 page rule?

Sage

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If I read to page 50, it's more likely that I'll finish the book because I've already invested that much time into it. I'm more likely to decide not to finish at some earlier point.
 

LJD

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I finish pretty much everything I start. I can't remember the last book I gave up on. But I'm pretty good at picking books I'll like, so doing this isn't usually a big deal. In 2014, there were only a handful of books I would have even considered not finishing. And only one that I know I wouldn't have finished...had it been novel length. But since it was a novella, I finished it, trying all the while to figure out what it was that made it so terrible. If I was more limited in the books I could choose, I might have more problems. But I can get pretty much everything in epub, and I don't have a super-tight budget.
 

Locke

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If the synopsis is interesting, I'll check out the first page. If the first page is good, I'll flip into the middle to see if it's still good. If it is, I'll give it a go.

I'll usually try to read things cover to cover. There are a few exceptions (The Sound and The Fury broke my head, and Ulysses made my eyes bleed) but especially when the book is popular for some reason I'll read it through even though I hate it. It will be worth it later on when somebody tries the "I'll bet you didn't even read it" when I'm being critical of The Road.
 

Maryn

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For many years, I had the rule of 25, which takes much less time. If an author cannot get and maintain my interest in 25 pages, I'm out of here.

However, since there are now a number of people self-publishing whose work really, really isn't ready for it, I also have the rule of 3. If it's full of mistakes in grammar and punctuation, or overt and grievous writing mistakes, I will know by page 3 and can stop there if I choose.

Maryn, who finished reading a fat book about ten minutes ago
 

CrastersBabies

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I give it less. Maybe 20 pages. No time for a book that doesn't know how to get started.
 

mirandashell

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I'm getting old and I don't have time to read bad books. So every book gets 5 pages, maximum.
 

Silenia

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Depends on what makes the book potentially bad for me.

If it's merely that it so far fails to catch my interest, but there is something about it that makes me think it may do so later--interesting subject, for example--I'm likely to read until page 50 or beyond to see if it will grab my interest at some point.

If it's failing to catch my interest and I don't see anything that makes me suspect that will change, I'm less likely to read to page 50 or beyond, but may well do so from time to time.

If it's blatant soap-boxing through the mouth of a character, or other ham-fisted approaches with similar intentions, then regardless of if I agree with the writer's stance on the issues being shoved down my throat or not, I'm almost certain to stop reading within a few pages from the point where such antics started.

If a book appears to be filled with spelling and grammar errors, I usually notice on the first page. (Excepting, of course, those books where (only) the first five pages have been cleaned up) If so, I flip through the book to a few random pages. If I don't catch any spelling/grammar errors on those, I might chalk page one up to ridiculously bad luck and read on. Otherwise, the book gets tossed aside immediately.

For other forms of (to me) annoying or bad books, it depends a lot on how much they annoy me, whether they hit specific pet peeves of mine, etc.

So basically, for me the division is between "books that leave me apathetic but with some hope" as well as "books that annoy me from time to time but that also have enjoyable parts", which get fifty or more pages and may even end up with me having read the whole book on the one hand, and "books that tempt me to throw them through the window", which tend to get a lot fewer than fifty pages on the other.
 

thothguard51

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I have read many a book that lost my interest by the midway point, but started out great. I have also read many that started out so slow that had I given up, I would not have gotten to the excellent later chapters.

So, I usually just go chapter by chapter...
 

beckethm

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My personal threshold is much lower than 50 pages. I usually know by the end of the first chapter whether I want to continue with a book or not--and if I'm any way ambivalent about it, I will move on.

The article seems to imply that readers have some kind of moral obligation to give a book a "full chance." I don't quite get that. Tastes vary. The fact that a particular book fails to captivate me isn't a value judgment, any more than there's a value judgment in saying I prefer dark chocolate to milk chocolate. If I start a book and find it isn't to my taste, I don't know why I should have to force myself to keep reading.
 

Scribesage

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I tend to play it by ear. Most of the time I can decide in the first chapter whether or not I'll keep reading. Really, though, if there's something about it that gets on my nerves or I lose interest, I'll put a book down at basically any point. If it's been recommended to me, I'll give it a couple extra pages.

I know people who finish books and then complain they were awful. I don't understand why anyone would read something if they didn't like it, unless it's for a school assignment and they have to read it. There are so many books out there that it seems like a waste.
 

auzerais

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I do not feel honor bound to finish a book just because I started it, and I only read as far as I want to, whether that's 25, 50, or a hundred pages. I will give up on a book ten pages from the end if I really can't bear to continue. Life is short and my reading list is long.
 

ishtar'sgate

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I'm getting old and I don't have time to read bad books. So every book gets 5 pages, maximum.

This is pretty much my method too. I'm not so much focused on whether it grabs me right away - some books start slower than others - but whether or not I find the author's voice and style engaging enough to follow for hundreds of pages.
 

Brutal Mustang

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I'm ruthless. If a book doesn't grab me by the first sentence, forget about it. I don't owe an author 50 pages, or even one page.
 

Bufty

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A first sentence would only cause me to put a book down if the content really didn't appeal to me or it was written extremely badly but I would never dismiss a whole book simply because the first sentence didn't 'grab me'.

I just want it to be interesting and contain a promising indication of what might follow.

I finish most books I buy. The last one I didn't finish, strangely enough, was one of Lee Childs' - I put it down at a break and didn't pick it up again. I have all his books.
 
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Cathy C

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Usually if a book hasn't grabbed me by 50 pages, I'll flip to the middle and read a chapter to see if it's just a slow starter. If I'm grabbed in the middle, I'll go back and slog through the opening. Harry Potter Order of the Phoenix was like that for me. It didn't really grab me until about page 120, but then it really took off.
 

Maze Runner

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I've never done it consciously, but have often put a book away right around the 50-60 page mark.
 

AshleyEpidemic

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I finish what I start (there are very few exceptions). However, I don't just peruse and pick up what may just look interesting. I rely heavily on reviews and related works. Thus, many books don't even get to the point where I'm reading pages. If I am reading pages, I'm already partly invest because of what's being presented and what others thing of it.
 

Emermouse

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As a general rule, when reading a new writer, I give them the first chapter to hook me. If they don't, well, it depends. If the concept laid out on the back cover is really intriguing, I might try to read a little further just to see if the story catches fire. But as a general rule, if they haven't hooked me, said or done anything that piques my curiosity, I give up after the first chapter. Life's too short to waste on bad books.

As you probably guessed, the bar isn't set quite as high for writers I've read before, because in that situation, I generally know what I'm getting into and am more optimistic: if I liked them before, I'll probably like them again. But yeah, I know even good artists can strike out on occasion. It's just I'm more willing to give them a chance to prove themselves.
 

DragonHeart

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I have the "sample rule" personally. If I read to the end of the provided ebook sample, I'll buy it and continue reading. If the sample isn't long enough (some of them literally give you like 3 pages of actual book after all the beginning stuff) or I give up before the end, I delete it and move on. I have way too many books in my TBR pile to worry about waiting for a specific one to grab my attention.
 

lizo27

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If I'm intrigued enough to buy it or borrow it, I'll finish it. Even if I don't really like it. But I'm a very fast reader, so three or four hundred pages isn't much of a time investment for me. I'm not fussed about wasting a couple of hours that I would probably otherwise waste watching TV.
 

TessB

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I give up early. alas. I've probably missed out on some things, but the nice thing is there are always more books waiting to be read.

(I bailed out of Dragon Tattoo by page ten or so, maybe earlier? (too slooooooooow. I assume it picks up later, but I just couldn't keep going.) And a series of mysteries that were supposed to be amazing, but spent far more time describing the characters' clothes and cars than any actual plot. I think I gave up on that about fifteen pages in, because I really wanted to like it.)

Basically if I'm thinking 'yes, whatever, bla bla bla' before I'm actively invested in the story, out it goes.
 
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Brightdreamer

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My rough rule of thumb is "10% or it didn't happen." If I can't make it to the 10% mark, the book disappears as though I never read it. (I only review books I actually finish, as endings can alter my reactions/rating.) I say "rough" because I've actually bailed out later on occasion. One, I got to the 40% mark on my Kindle before walking away; I still feel a vague inclination to finish and review it, if only to provide warning to others (it's one of those with glowing reviews on Amazon, part of what suckered me into the download.)

In practice, I only feel obligated to finish once I post a title on the Currently Reading sidebar of my book review blog. Once it's "official," I slog through. (Yeah, nobody else reads the thing, but I know it's there...)
 

oceansoul

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I'm pretty much on the 5-page plan. I hate it when novels start slowly. I like things to get going from the start! There are so many fabulous books to read that if I'm not enjoying something I just don't waste my time.