My dad told me to always finish a book even if I hate it, so I slogged through 400 pages of a terrible sci-fi novel last month.

After 3 weeks of forcing myself to read that thing, I realized I could have just set it down on page 50 and read 3 better books instead, and now I'm wondering if anyone else has a hard rule they broke and regretted sticking with?

3 comments

3 Comments

ward.jamie21d agoTop Commenter

I mean, my dad gave me the exact same advice and I stuck with a 600 page fantasy novel about a guy who turns into a badger. I got about 300 pages in before I realized I had no idea what was happening and just hated every character. The thing is, that advice works for some stuff but not everything. Most people don't finish bad books because life's too short and there's too much good stuff out there. I'd say your dad meant well but he probably confused "finishing something tough" with "wasting time on something that's not even well written.

the_hayden21d ago

Tbh you saying "most people don't finish bad books" hits it right on the head. That badger book sounds like a nightmare and honestly nobody should feel bad about dropping something that's making them miserable. I feel like your dad's advice works for vegetables or chores, not for hobbies where you're supposed to actually enjoy yourself.

mary_martin2221d ago

Dude yes, that advice is a trap. I forced myself through a whole trilogy once because I felt like I had to, and I'm still mad about the time I wasted. For every book that gets better in the second half, there's like ten that just stay terrible. Life's too short to be miserable over a hobby.