I’m going to start with this part of Anne Buist‘s quote, because I am sitting here going YES and wondering why publishers write vague book blurbs and fill books with love triangles and more love triangles (YA I am looking at you):
If I’ve bought a book I’m loath to not read until the end…but I’ll do it because time is too precious and there are so many great books I do want to read.
My time is precious. So is yours. I have no problem DNF-ing a book I don’t like. Sometimes, I’ll even write a review I am severely irritated by something in it. I have gone through far too many books turning pages without any text registering because I’m just not that into it.
So it gets put down IF:
It is badly written at a word/sentence level. I can put up with minor problems, particularly if the plot is gripping, but if the grammar and spelling issues jump out at me then I have to move on; this is very uncommon (almost nonexistent) with reputable publishers. They might occasionally let it happen where a well known author refuses to be touched. Sadly saw this recently with a sequel to a much loved story – the author had changed publisher because he refused to be edited. Sadly his narcissism was just that.
Minor problems are easily ignored for me too, especially if everything else is working for the book. (Is anyone else going whaaat at the author she mentions?) What elements of a book have to work for you in order to keep reading?
It’s badly written at a story or character level. Recently in a book, half-way through a character did something implausible and totally out of the character and there were no foundations laid down for it. End for me.
I might’ve cheered at this one because I haven’t quite reached being this ruthless with my reading because I keep hoping something will change and more often than not, it doesn’t. Which in and of itself, should have told me something right there. Is bad characterisation your line in the sand too?
It’s boring. I like story…and if its too much about place and not enough is happening, its time for me to move on. I thought this was going to happen with Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend...but I just needed to be patient (and not for that long): yes it is very detailed and more character-driven than plot, but plenty happens and it’s beautifully written. I’m a total convert and just bought the third and fourth in the series. I haven’t got past page one of Proust or James Joyce’s Ulysses…
Alright, hands up, who will read a boring book knowing you’re not going to like it because there’s a little bit og guilt at DNF-ing it?? No judgment, I definitely felt that guilt too, and so should you! Reading should be a guilt free zone. Right?
If it says its one thing and it’s something else. If I’m enjoying it I’ll continue, but if I really wanted a thriller or page turner and it isn’t, I’ll put it aside and review later…
This one, THIS ONE. The T-word, which I’ve started using to describe twist because every mystery promises an earth-shattering, narrative busting twist in the blurb, and in reality, when I read the book, it’s anything but. So many books with blurbs promising things, but the text not delivering. Sobs. Have you read titles like this? Tell everyone else which ones to avoid!
What do you think of Anne Buist’s quote?
Read more about Anne Buist.
YESSSSS to all of these!! Same here. Especially with the grammar/spelling issues. I can deal with some, hey I’m not perfect either, but if it’s just too much then I can’t continue.
IKR?? She hit the nail on the head TOTALLY with these reasons. The spelling bits bother me — they can just jerk me out of a book instantly.
OMG, ALL of these things in the quotes you mention are deal-breakers for me!
I get ESPECIALLY annoyed when I see many spelling and/or grammar errors in a book, whether it’s fiction or nonfiction. I mean, really, authors who write in English should KNOW the difference between “its” and “it’s”, and NO, plural nouns do NOT get an apostrophe at the end! For instance, it’s not correct to write “all the new skirt’s”. Also, competent authors should realize that “they’re”, “there”, and “their”, although all pronounced the same, do not have the same meaning!
Another thing that bugs me is the incorrect use of past tenses in books. I’ve come across writers who use the simple past tense, when the past perfect is really the one they should be using. Example: “She told him that she called him that morning.” No, no, no! This should read: “She told him that she had called him that morning.” The action of calling him took place BEFORE the telling, so it should be expressed in past perfect.
All of these things are SO elementary! Unfortunately, it’s most often Indie writers who do these kinds of things. The editing for their books is frequently sub par.
Books with blurbs that promise one thing, while the actual book delivers another, are also reasons for me to DNF a book. Sometimes publishers (or the author, perhaps, in some cases) are VERY sneaky about this, too. They state things in such a way as to make potential buyers think the book will give them a particular plot, when in fact, it’s a completely different situation in the actual reading. Well, there goes THAT book — Goodwill donation!! Lol.
Of course, characters acting in ways that totally contradict what the author has established for their personality is another pet peeve of mine. This happened to me with a historical romance novel I read some time back. The male hero acted in a very inconsistent manner when he found out that his wife had stowed aboard his ship….. Since the time period was Regency England, I thought he took things too calmly! Furthermore, he had a reputation for discipline and organization, so I seriously doubt he would have been THAT nonchalant about his wife secretly boarding his ship for a long voyage. Lol.
I could give you many other examples, but this comment is turning into a small book….lol.
Thanks for this post!! I think most of us readers can identify with these “reading deal-breakers”!