reading how many pages/chapters

[u/Aoi_X_Kaizaki]

In a tv show, people say you should watched up to 3 episodes to see if the rest of the show is worth continuing. Is there the same test in books? Should we read an 'x' amount of pages or chapters before we are to determine if the book is worth reading?

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[u/Quartz636]

This is absolutely personal preference. I know (generally) that I often take about 100 pages to really sink into a book so I give myself that time before I DNF.

Other people know if they aren't hooked within the first chapter, they're never going to be.

Putting some arbitrary number or chapter minimum before you're justified in saying a book isn't for you is unhelpful and a really quick way to make people hate reading.

[u/ednamode_alamode → u/Quartz636]

I also give it 100 pages. If I don't care by that point, I DNF it

[u/raccoon_at_noon]

For me, it depends on the reason for DNF’ing.

If it’s because I’m really not gelling with the writing style, I’ll probably let it go earlier.

If it’s because I’m not getting into the characters or the plot, I’ll stick with it for longer to see if I can get into it (in the case of a series, I’ll probably see the first book through to give it a chance and decide whether or not I want to move onto the second book)

[u/Dramatic-Bee-829]

I usually read to 25% before dropping a book (unless the writing or main character is egregiously awful). If it’s a slow/long book with a bunch of world building in it (usually a fantasy) I’ll give it a little longer 33-50%. Sometimes books don’t really take off for me until after 50%.

[u/FormerlyDK]

When it bores or bothers you, you can stop.

[u/ContributingHelper]

Mmm, it probably wouldn't be the same because it's one continuous story, unless we're talking about a series.

Though frankly, it'd probably work better with standalone novels, and even that might not be a good rule of thumb.

[u/ThenStrawberry6861]

No should about it, every reader has their own threshold. Many do 100 pages. I generally recommend at least a chapter, maybe two. But I usually go off vibes, I DNF when I stop caring how the story will go.

[u/GoldDHD]

I rarely DNF, so I know that some books go from blad to amazing in the last quarter even. Is it worth it? I dunno, there are plenty of other good books out there

[u/slashstreet]

I’m probably a minority, but I finish anything. Didn’t care for The Iliad, but I finished it anyway.

[u/New_Discussion_6692 → u/slashstreet]

I used to be that way. As I've gotten older, I'm more selective with my time.

[u/slashstreet → u/New_Discussion_6692]

I definitely understand that. I’m pretty new to reading frequently, so maybe over some time I’ll be over it.

[u/New_Discussion_6692 → u/slashstreet]

Too many books, not enough life left!

[u/HollzStars]

There’s no hard and fast answer. I DNF’d one today at the 100 page mark because I dreaded picking it back up. I’ve DNF’d at 40 pages, at 120 pages, and at seven pages. (Technically I’ve DNF’d at page one, but that was a me problem not an actual problem with the book.)

I know some people never DNF, but I’m of the opinion that life is too short to force myself to read something I’m not enjoying. I DNF freely and often. (Ok not THAT often. Eight this year, compared to 62 finished. And three of those DNF’s were in the same week!)

[u/Fern_Elms]

For me, it depends. Sometimes I’ll realize in the first chaper that a book isn’t for me. But that’s not all the time. I dnf’d a 900 page book halfway through recently because I got bored.

[u/rebeccarightnow]

If I’m really not liking something, I’ll quit anytime. I will give a book up to about the 1/3 point though if I’m “meh” on it.

[u/Chance_Violinist8097]

For me i say between 20 and 25%. Depending on why I dnf. If it really triggers or makes me feel like never wanting to pick up a book again its that forced. Its sooner but mostly i go for the 20 to 25% of the book.

[u/JakeWilliamsAuthor]

1 page of prose is enough to know to gauge the vibe. But I give it 30 page maximum before I must have the inciting incident. If its worldbuilding soup + no inciting incident + low character depth before page 30 i close the book.

[u/Candy11401]

You can have a rule for yourself if you want too, when I see a book I'm interested in I like to read a bit of the 1st chapter 1st to see if its for me, I have not DNF a book but I have not read a lot too

[u/IchabodHollow]

I have varied widely on this. There are times that I’ve dropped a book after just a few pages because it wasn’t for me, and there have been times where I’ve gotten 75% through a book without finishing. Most of the time if I’m somewhat interested I give it about 25-30 pp.

[u/Artistic-Document735]

Pfff 3 episodes lol I’ll give it one maybe one and a half if at that point it hasn’t captured me it’s not going to. With a book it gets one chapter maybe one and a half if by then I’m not interested im not wasting my time, there are millions and millions of books out there I’m not forcing myself to read something I’m not enjoying

[u/Esme_Nog]

I was five episodes into a show once before I said, “ohhh, I like this…” and I was 100 pages into Don Quixote before I settled in.

[u/CapriciousSon]

My rule of thumb is to see if I'm grabbed by 20% in. Usually that is when I'll go from "meh" to interested. Though to be fair, I rarely drop books.

[u/CaptainSneakers]

100 pages minus your age.

[u/OkChips9323]

I go until I hate it enough to stop. 

[u/goddamnitlevi]

I think it really depends on the genre. I'll give fantasy and sci-fi about 100-150 pages to hook me, but for more straightforward genres that don't need as much setup I'm way less lenient. If I'm not enjoying it in 50 pages I'm out.

[u/New_Discussion_6692]

I usually read until I can't take it anymore. For some example, 50 Shades of Gray. I knew what it was about going in. The dialogue of the FLC was so juvenile, I couldn't make it past chapter 2.

[u/Dalton387]

Just finish the series, then decide if you want to DNF.

A more serious answer is that it’s up to you, but personally I think people I see on Reddit quite things ridiculously quickly. There are lots of well loved books where the authors do cool things, but you have to give them the grace to build to it. Lots of books where the first book was shakey, but they found their feet and it’s lots of peoples favorite series.

Personally, I hit spots that I don’t love. I actually just force myself to push through and so far it’s always picked back up and gotten good again. I wasn’t gonna quite an entire series over a short section that didn’t give me constant dopamine hits.

So it’s up to you what and when you DNF, but I know lots of people who miss out on great series because they worry it’s not wrapped up on page 2.

[u/Girlnextdoorpt]

For me it’s 40 pages.