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Although not my usual choice of book, I recently read “Anne of Green Gables�� which is set in a bygone age of innocence and, to my surprise, I could not put it down. The same thing has now happened with “Fraud�� by Anita Brookner. I am almost half way through and, essentially, nothing has happened but I have to keep reading it.

Conversely, I recently read another book (The Loney by Andrew Hurley) which, at the half way point, seemed to be going nowhere, so I gave up on it. So why did I ditch that one and not the one I am currently reading?

I find the usual reason I 'bale' on a read is the authors writing style, rather than content or subject matter. I can work through difficult subject matter, if the writing style is engaging. I have also read plenty of books with next to no plot line, where essentially very little happens, but been thoroughly engrossed in the prose, or captivated by the characters and dialogue. Reading about bad people doesn't phase me. Reading a badly written book is a different matter.
Occasionally I will bale out on a book that is just too hard a slog, for the amount of reading time my lifestyle allows. That's just a 'there aren't enough hours in the day' instantaneous decision, but I always feel better for making it.

Maggie wrote: "Although not my usual choice of book, I recently read “Anne of Green Gables�� which is set in a bygone age of innocence and, to my surprise, I could not put it down. The same thing has now happened ..."

I hate to give up books Maggie but sometimes it's essential..sometimes on the kindle if i do not like i speed read and basically race to the end. I recently started and by the mid point I was so disillusioned with the writing style and feeble story that I raced to the end. I find your view of interesting, I guess like most books some love and some hate...I thought The Loney was brilliant especially the wild and rugged picture it painted of the Lancastrian coast

I get most of my books via NetGalley and I try to read to the end and give feedback but now and again I just have to give up. I had to abandon one recently - it was just too wordy. To much description and not enough story. I kept hoping it would pick up but I felt as if I was back at school and being forced to read a class text book.

I haven't given up on too many books. Maybe 3 or 4 in the last couple of years. I think I'm getting better at choosing books I think I'll like but sometimes I just get it wrong.