Do You Feel Compelled to Finish a Book?

Nancy Pearl wrote an article on the idea that if a book doesn't capture your interest in 50 pages you should stop reading it.  I have to admit, I used to feel the need to finish a book.  No matter how badly it was written or how boring the storyline was.  At times I felt afraid that the story would get better and I would miss an awesome book.  I also think I felt guilty somehow if I did not read all the way to the end, especially if I bought the book.

Now, if the book doesn't grab me within the first couple of chapters, I let it go.  It sometimes feels like I go through a lot of books that I don't finish.  But I want characters that I care about, conversation that is realistic, and a storyline that pulls me along for the ride.  It's still hard to do at times, particularly with popular books that everyone is raving about.  You keep thinking that you are missing something that everyone else sees, or that maybe it does get better after awhile.  The Da Vinci Code is a perfect example.  Everyone was either reading it or going to the movie.  The concept of the book intrigued me so much that I tried to find as much information on it as possible.  But when it came time to read the book, it took me three weeks to get through the first two chapters.  At the end of the day I just don't think it is worth my time to read a book I don't enjoy.  I'd rather go to my bookshelf and pull out an old favourite.