I don't know...it sounds like you had good reason to DNF all those books. I also found Ted Gioia's article thought-provoking and challenging, but it sounds like yours wasn't a case of putting down the books because of distractibility. Choosing where to spend your time and attention isn't the same as dopamine culture! I also find a huge difference in my reading motivation when it's quality writing that speaks to me. I hope the next few reads are better for you!
Thanks for that vote of confidence! The battle against dopamine is rough, making me question my instincts. Are they truly my own? Hah. Hopefully, I'll learn something from what I see as faults in these other books. With all the options out there, we should be able to find our niches as readers and writers.
For me, I think it's a function of a lifetime of reading, and developing strong opinions about what good writing and storytelling consists of. More than 50 pages in and I haven't been shown a reason to empathize with the characters, or a clear understanding of what problem/goal they're engaged with? I don't think that's a dopamine issue, I think it's a matter of a writer not finishing their job.
There have always been people who are perfectly happy to read clunkily-written books cover to cover and praise them. Now we get to read their reviews online. I don't get it, but I'm not going to make it about me.
Being a newbie writer makes me more empathetic with the writers, yet more critical of the writing. That and an abundant supply with a limited lifespan. But there's also the pull of doom scrolling that needs a bit of self control. LOL!
Mar 2·edited Mar 2Liked by Lausanne Davis Carpenter
I think it's not just books that people have problem finishing. It's the same way with video games. If you see the global achievement stats in Steam, the percentage of people who got the "beat the game" achievement is usually pretty low. The highest I saw was just below 50%. My guess is that if it takes a while to finish, that most people won't.
I, too, never used to not finish a book. But in the last several years that's changed. A problem for me is our library is under construction and we can't go into the stacks to peruse, so you have to order the books and pick up. Before the remodel I'd noodle around looking for books on my list, read the covers and decide. Now I just get them, and they're not what I expected. On the issue of comprehension and attention span, @Tim Denning wrote a recent essay about what would important status symbols be in 10 yrs. One was: 'a brain capable of thinking with an attention span of more than 30 seconds.' Boom. Pretty sad state of the state.
Wow. And I thought it was just me. I haven't read a book all the way through for years now. Used to devour them. I will see a book or read what it's about and buy it, only to have it pile up atop all the other ones I haven't read. Not sure how I (or any of us who have experienced this) got to this point. My suspicion is that the subtle change began when I started read more electronic versions such as kindle, etc.). Trying to move away from that now. Making it a goal to just read physical copies of books.
The dopamine factor is real. We've all fallen victim to instant gratification to some degree, no matter how hard we guard against it. The digitalization of everything is the primary culprit.
Lately, I find that I DNF more fiction than I finish. The article you linked was interesting, and I agree with the general premise of it. There is a disturbing trend in the culture away from focus and reflection (among other things) toward instant gratification. But I don't think this is why I haven't finished many books lately, as I have no problem finishing nonfiction and fiction classics from decades ago. For me, there's something about the way many modern books are written (and the criteria for publication) that is a turn-off, but categorizing my gripes with much of contemporary fiction would equally bore everyone ;-)
Funny, I've been wondering if I should reach back for some classics and see how I do with those now. Bleak House? Les Miserables? Shakespeare? Would I have the focus to dwell within those works for as long as it takes? Or would I reach for my doom-scroller after 30 minutes? Hmmmm.
Shoot, I'd be happy with 35K people buying my book and never reading it let alone finishing it!
Okay, that's an exaggeration, but just barely... It reminds me of the saying about how to really show an author you dislike their work. You buy two copies and burn 'em both! LOL
I've only ever started one book and not finished it, but time is short and there are a ton you will enjoy. I appreciate the fact that you didn't name the novels you didn't finish. I think offering feedback or review, even a horribly mis-read review, is part of the agreement an author makes with the reader. Buy my book, read it (all of it) and you get to say whatever you want. Kudos on recognizing your own interests, investment of time, and not blasting authors who you haven't read.
If folks only applied these rules to Goodreads, it might not be worth salvaging.
Thanks for the fun read and the article rec. It's in my queue to read.
LOL! Definitely would be OK to sell 35K for a bonfire. On not naming the books, I had another couple hundred words written for this article explaining that very thing but deleted them. I'm trying to keep posts short and focused, so I decided not to bring in a 2nd subject. What that would have said is: My mantra is Do No Harm. I'm here to learn, not be a critic. It's enough of an accomplishment to finish writing and publishing a novel. Writers don't need me bringing them down. Generally, if I can't honestly recommend a book—even with caveats—I won't name it, especially if I did not finish it. Yeah, we've got Goodread for that. (ugh!) Glad you enjoyed the post!
Definitely. My reading has slowed way down. This year, I decided Sunday afternoons were for reading. And well, they are for reading, playing games and watching videos, as it turns out. I told myself the book I was reading was really dense and academic, so between chapters, I did those other things. It feels a bit like I am training myself to read again. “I will finish this chapter and get a ‘cookie’!” But maybe it’s being unable to the addictive game down (I watch long form video content so while there’s still a rush, I’d posit not as addictive)... hmm ....
Sigh. Yes. I complain that I haven't time to read but I crawl in bed early enough that I should get a decent amount of pages logged. But, alas, the doom-scrolling begins. The dopamine cycle kicks in... I'll just look at this one more thing - and the evening is gone. Argh.
I don't like quitting books before I finish them, but usually I'll give them around 50 pages or maybe an hour or two (for audiobooks) before making that decision. If nothing hooks me by then, it's probably not going to happen.
Agreed, 50 pages ought to be enough. When you do abandon one, have you ever gone back to it later and found you felt differently about it? I'm considering a 2nd attempt at one of the above.
Besides The Hobbit, The Narnia Chronicles and the Bible, I don't think I've ever read any book twice. I believe I've set one or two unfinished books aside with the intent of returning to them when I'm more prepared to take them on. (One that comes to mind is Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose.) I'm not sure I've ever actually gone back and read them in spite of my best intentions.
My husband, on the other hand, is a whale reader. If he didn't reread, he really would run out of books! I believe he's read TLOTRs yearly since he was a kid.
I haven‘t read the linked article yet, but judging from my continuing struggle to finish slow-paced Dune and me noticing that many books are written in a way I have a hard time putting them down, I guess he‘s on to something. On the other hand, once you start writing, it becomes far easier to spot structural weaknesses in books. I‘ve found myself a lot pickier since I started writing, and I‘ve been picky before. That being said, not all books and all stories meet us at the right time. I think your reasons to abandon the books are all valid and have nothing to do with you having turned into a dopamine junkie. Life is too short to finish books we don‘t enjoy.
I also suspect I am reading more critically, although I always start with great expectations. It will be interesting to see if the next books I read continue to dissatisfy or if it turns out to have just been a bad batch. I will at least try to slow down a bit and exercise more patience. But I make no promises. Hah.
I don't know...it sounds like you had good reason to DNF all those books. I also found Ted Gioia's article thought-provoking and challenging, but it sounds like yours wasn't a case of putting down the books because of distractibility. Choosing where to spend your time and attention isn't the same as dopamine culture! I also find a huge difference in my reading motivation when it's quality writing that speaks to me. I hope the next few reads are better for you!
Thanks for that vote of confidence! The battle against dopamine is rough, making me question my instincts. Are they truly my own? Hah. Hopefully, I'll learn something from what I see as faults in these other books. With all the options out there, we should be able to find our niches as readers and writers.
Yes, this! I vote with Christine. ☝🏼
For me, I think it's a function of a lifetime of reading, and developing strong opinions about what good writing and storytelling consists of. More than 50 pages in and I haven't been shown a reason to empathize with the characters, or a clear understanding of what problem/goal they're engaged with? I don't think that's a dopamine issue, I think it's a matter of a writer not finishing their job.
There have always been people who are perfectly happy to read clunkily-written books cover to cover and praise them. Now we get to read their reviews online. I don't get it, but I'm not going to make it about me.
Being a newbie writer makes me more empathetic with the writers, yet more critical of the writing. That and an abundant supply with a limited lifespan. But there's also the pull of doom scrolling that needs a bit of self control. LOL!
Oh, the doom-scrolling! I know that pull as well. Holding a good thought for both of us to pull back from it.... ❤️
The challenge is real...
I think it's not just books that people have problem finishing. It's the same way with video games. If you see the global achievement stats in Steam, the percentage of people who got the "beat the game" achievement is usually pretty low. The highest I saw was just below 50%. My guess is that if it takes a while to finish, that most people won't.
Attention span at work there too.
I, too, never used to not finish a book. But in the last several years that's changed. A problem for me is our library is under construction and we can't go into the stacks to peruse, so you have to order the books and pick up. Before the remodel I'd noodle around looking for books on my list, read the covers and decide. Now I just get them, and they're not what I expected. On the issue of comprehension and attention span, @Tim Denning wrote a recent essay about what would important status symbols be in 10 yrs. One was: 'a brain capable of thinking with an attention span of more than 30 seconds.' Boom. Pretty sad state of the state.
Ack! That is a sad prediction. I'll do my best to be one of those remaining few!
Same here. Check out his post. Number 3 is a mind bender too . And not ina good way. I wonder if he’ll be right???
Wow! I found that post. Yeah, I pretty much agree with 90% of it. (including Bitcoin! LOL!) It really is going to be an "interesting" next 10 years.
Remember that phrase, "May you live in interesting times.........." haha.
For real! LOL!
Wow. And I thought it was just me. I haven't read a book all the way through for years now. Used to devour them. I will see a book or read what it's about and buy it, only to have it pile up atop all the other ones I haven't read. Not sure how I (or any of us who have experienced this) got to this point. My suspicion is that the subtle change began when I started read more electronic versions such as kindle, etc.). Trying to move away from that now. Making it a goal to just read physical copies of books.
The dopamine factor is real. We've all fallen victim to instant gratification to some degree, no matter how hard we guard against it. The digitalization of everything is the primary culprit.
You'll see that I replied to your restack. Thanks!
Lately, I find that I DNF more fiction than I finish. The article you linked was interesting, and I agree with the general premise of it. There is a disturbing trend in the culture away from focus and reflection (among other things) toward instant gratification. But I don't think this is why I haven't finished many books lately, as I have no problem finishing nonfiction and fiction classics from decades ago. For me, there's something about the way many modern books are written (and the criteria for publication) that is a turn-off, but categorizing my gripes with much of contemporary fiction would equally bore everyone ;-)
Funny, I've been wondering if I should reach back for some classics and see how I do with those now. Bleak House? Les Miserables? Shakespeare? Would I have the focus to dwell within those works for as long as it takes? Or would I reach for my doom-scroller after 30 minutes? Hmmmm.
Shoot, I'd be happy with 35K people buying my book and never reading it let alone finishing it!
Okay, that's an exaggeration, but just barely... It reminds me of the saying about how to really show an author you dislike their work. You buy two copies and burn 'em both! LOL
I've only ever started one book and not finished it, but time is short and there are a ton you will enjoy. I appreciate the fact that you didn't name the novels you didn't finish. I think offering feedback or review, even a horribly mis-read review, is part of the agreement an author makes with the reader. Buy my book, read it (all of it) and you get to say whatever you want. Kudos on recognizing your own interests, investment of time, and not blasting authors who you haven't read.
If folks only applied these rules to Goodreads, it might not be worth salvaging.
Thanks for the fun read and the article rec. It's in my queue to read.
Semper Fidelis,
Aaron
LOL! Definitely would be OK to sell 35K for a bonfire. On not naming the books, I had another couple hundred words written for this article explaining that very thing but deleted them. I'm trying to keep posts short and focused, so I decided not to bring in a 2nd subject. What that would have said is: My mantra is Do No Harm. I'm here to learn, not be a critic. It's enough of an accomplishment to finish writing and publishing a novel. Writers don't need me bringing them down. Generally, if I can't honestly recommend a book—even with caveats—I won't name it, especially if I did not finish it. Yeah, we've got Goodread for that. (ugh!) Glad you enjoyed the post!
Let me know if you want to buy a few thousand copies of my debut work later this year, and where to send the matches! LOL
LOL! We'll do a trade!
Definitely. My reading has slowed way down. This year, I decided Sunday afternoons were for reading. And well, they are for reading, playing games and watching videos, as it turns out. I told myself the book I was reading was really dense and academic, so between chapters, I did those other things. It feels a bit like I am training myself to read again. “I will finish this chapter and get a ‘cookie’!” But maybe it’s being unable to the addictive game down (I watch long form video content so while there’s still a rush, I’d posit not as addictive)... hmm ....
Sigh. Yes. I complain that I haven't time to read but I crawl in bed early enough that I should get a decent amount of pages logged. But, alas, the doom-scrolling begins. The dopamine cycle kicks in... I'll just look at this one more thing - and the evening is gone. Argh.
I don't like quitting books before I finish them, but usually I'll give them around 50 pages or maybe an hour or two (for audiobooks) before making that decision. If nothing hooks me by then, it's probably not going to happen.
Agreed, 50 pages ought to be enough. When you do abandon one, have you ever gone back to it later and found you felt differently about it? I'm considering a 2nd attempt at one of the above.
I've actually never tried going back. I'm also notorious for never rereading anything, though. Maybe I'll try it sometime.
Besides The Hobbit, The Narnia Chronicles and the Bible, I don't think I've ever read any book twice. I believe I've set one or two unfinished books aside with the intent of returning to them when I'm more prepared to take them on. (One that comes to mind is Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose.) I'm not sure I've ever actually gone back and read them in spite of my best intentions.
My husband, on the other hand, is a whale reader. If he didn't reread, he really would run out of books! I believe he's read TLOTRs yearly since he was a kid.
I haven‘t read the linked article yet, but judging from my continuing struggle to finish slow-paced Dune and me noticing that many books are written in a way I have a hard time putting them down, I guess he‘s on to something. On the other hand, once you start writing, it becomes far easier to spot structural weaknesses in books. I‘ve found myself a lot pickier since I started writing, and I‘ve been picky before. That being said, not all books and all stories meet us at the right time. I think your reasons to abandon the books are all valid and have nothing to do with you having turned into a dopamine junkie. Life is too short to finish books we don‘t enjoy.
I also suspect I am reading more critically, although I always start with great expectations. It will be interesting to see if the next books I read continue to dissatisfy or if it turns out to have just been a bad batch. I will at least try to slow down a bit and exercise more patience. But I make no promises. Hah.