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My philosophy says ” Only the first 10 pages of a book decides either it’s worth reading or not”.! Any thoughts??

My philosophy says ” Only the first 10 pages of a book decides either it’s worth reading or not”.!

Any thoughts??

Jelouane #questionnaire

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100 Answers

John

Give it a few chapters for the story to develop

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JelouaneQuestion author

I feel afraid not to find what i expected from the author!!

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Susan

I give it 50 pages.

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JelouaneQuestion author

Hmm, don’t u think that it’s too long? And what if all these 50 pages are a waste of time?

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Shirley

I do 50 pages too. Some books take a little while to get started and bring you in. Usually doesn’t take too long to get thru the first 50 pages unless it’s a complete bore.

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Vicky

Some books take time to get into. Some are quickies, some have to be savored for the full effect to be felt.

Like “Crime and Punishment”: I’ve been slogging through this one for more than a year (I read it on and off, Dostoyevsky makes me peevish), but a friend told me to stick with it, the ending is redemptive, which makes me return to it every couple of weeks, ’cause I really want to know how it turns out.

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JelouaneQuestion author

So it depends on author’s style of delivering the message?!

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Vicky

I’d say so.

If it’s a story or a message you’re interested in, it;s worth it to at least get 2/3 of the way through it.

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Frédérique

10 pages aren’t enough to give the book a true chance. For me anyway. I always read the first few chapters. Except if there is something truly abhorrent for me like the writing style for exemple.

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JelouaneQuestion author

Exactly! This is what im talking about.. the writing style

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Frédérique

In my point of view you should never force yourself to read something : give it a chance and see what you feel about it. Reading must be a pleasure no a chore.

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JelouaneQuestion author

yep, it’s a pleasure.. I do agree on that! And nope, I never read by force 🙂

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Vicky

DH Lawrence. OMG he repeats himself so frequently it makes his novels near impossible to get through!

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JelouaneQuestion author

I lately read a book that I sometimes earlier didn’t know why I bought, a book that talks about someone’s life isn’t my favour style. But I decided to give it time, so after reading two aother books I went back to the one that I didn’t like before.. and you know what, when I read it I started thinking how dumb I am not reading it before.. cuz I find amazing, a story full of adventures and wisdom.

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Vicky

Image may contain: one or more people and text
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JelouaneQuestion author

Lawrence is he american?

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Frédérique

Nope British.

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Vicky

British. He wrote “Lady Chatterly’s Lover,” “Sons and Lovers,” “The Rainbow” and “Women in Love” (among others).

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Vicky

I recommend him for anyone interested in reading classic fiction, but for entertainment, look elsewhere. Wonderful plots, fantastic characters, but his repetitious writing style is truly annoying.

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JelouaneQuestion author

I already put his name on my list 🙂

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Suzanne

Sometimes 10 pages isn’t even a full chapter. Definitely gotta give it more of a chance than that.

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JelouaneQuestion author

It depends on author’s writing style!

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Dorothy

I don’t give it a number of pages. If I just can’t get into it, it goes.

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Dennis

Not for me, but to each their own.

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Joanne

Around 70 to 100 pages, depending on the overall length of the book.

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Bryony

If the blurb is good, I’ll read the first page or two, and if I enjoy that, then I’ll buy it or borrow it

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Rachel

I read the first third of a book before I decide whether to give up on it. If I decide to give up on it, I like to read the last 3 pages just to see if I missed out on anything, lol

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JelouaneQuestion author

What if u like it then lmao!!

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Rachel

Its happens on occasion, lol. Either I’ll go back to reading it, or I will google the spoilers of the story and read a summary

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Ryleigh

I don’t know about that. I always read the whole book, even if the beginning isn’t that great.

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JelouaneQuestion author

This leads me to ask, what attracts you the most when u decide to buy a book?

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Ryleigh

I usually check books out from the library if they look interesting (I read the blurb). If I buy a book, it’s usually because I like the author or the series.

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Jenny

Fifty pages in 2 days then I’m done with it depending on how I’m feeling during that time. If I’m not reading at all I’ll give it two extra days

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Belu

I give it 30% of the book

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Candice

I try for 100 pages before I decide.

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JelouaneQuestion author

100 pages, isn’t too long to rate a book?

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Candice

Sometimes the first 50 pages are really slow them the rest of the book is good. Not often though

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Amelia

I push through the exposition before I decide.

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Johanna

I’ve been known to be put off after the first couple of pages

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JelouaneQuestion author

Both cases?

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Johanna

What do you mean?

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JelouaneQuestion author

Either it’s worth reading or not?

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Johanna

If i can’t get into it I’ll abandon it after a few pages.. if it grabs me I’ll read it all

1
Hayley

10-15 yes!??

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Cindy

It is very rare I start a book and don’t finish it… Only happened once in my memory… It’s always worthwhile to finish a book. One of my favorites, I had to read a couple times just to understand half of it, and then I had to read it a few more times to make sure I liked it. Had I given up after the first minute, I wouldn’t know how awesome that book really is.

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Ferdous

Disagree

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Jackie

Yes defiantly agree.

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Roberta

I’m right there with you!!

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Jenn

I think sometimes it takes a lot more than 10 pages.

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Tammy

My husband has the “first paragraph test”. I’m more likely to like the description and go from there.

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Margal

It took about 50 pages to get into James Michener.

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Azola

Tru dat

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Shirley

No way you have to keep at it !

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Jackie

At least 100 pages, I’ve read some good books that started out slow.

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Mrio

Be it good or bad, finish what you have started.

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Keith

Open it up anywhere, read 1/2 a page, go or no go

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Disa

A lot of older books have a slow beginning so I’d give it a bit more than 10 pages. A few chapters at least.

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Judy

I try to give it more chance than that but nice when the first few pages are amazing!

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Lisa

I agree- I don’t read books I’m not into.

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Patricia

Maybe 20?? BUT, i will let you know very early on if it’s going to be good

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Katie

Eh for me it depends. I’ve started books and got 2 pages in and just not felt it whatsoever and put it down, and then there are others that I’ve put down after 60 or even 100 pages. For me it’s just about if the story successfully sucks me into that world and keeps me there.

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Barbara

Not true. It may take more and you may find you fall in love with the book.

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Kara

Me. My books speak to me. That’s how I pick them. My hands run along the spines in the bookstore and they talk. That’s how I decide. It sounds weird. But. It works

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Donna

I try for 100 pages

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Beverly

I usually try for at least double my age. Ten pages is far too few to give up on, imo.

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Kayla

I’ve heard it’s half your age or the first 100 pages.

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Jacqueline

I agree with you give 25 pages because I am older now and have read as much as I can do not have time to wait and go 100

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Eve

Once I have started with A book, I feel guilty if I do not finish it. This makes me leery of very long books. It also makes me read bad books quickly

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Sandra

So do I but I’m getting tough, if I don’t like it then as Arnold says ‘hasta la vista, baby “?

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Maria

I give it 3-4 chapters.

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Sylvia

but if you have rad that many pages you are already too invested in it to stop…

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Slavica

YES. The 1st ten. AND the last ten. I have a bad habit of reading the end. If I understand it I will not read the book. If I do not,I may consider reading it.

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Moris

Sometimes it takes more time than 10 pages…. I think it can be 50 pages.

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Kathryn

I usually go the first chapter, if super short then 2 chapters. If I do not care about characters or what is happening, its a no

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Andrea

I do 75 pages. If I’m not into it by 75 pages, then I abandon ship. ??

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Burgess

I go further than that

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Solveig

first 50

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Lepakshi

Me too. First 50.

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Annette

I tend to go two chapters.

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Tammy

Sometimes I don’t get that far, sometimes the book turns sour later.

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Brenda

2-3 chapters

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Elinor

Not for me I keep going

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Yoram

Tanks any way

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Ruth

Agree

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Deborah

I give it a little bit more than that

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Shaerry

Some times it takes up to 100 pages before the really good kicks in !!!

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Ally

I usually give it a bit longer.

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Aischa

I give it till at least page 50 and I also love to finish what I start so I usually finish it unless it’s really horrible

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Marisa

I would say the first 10 pages makes me personally decide if I feel like reading it but you gotta be willing to make a bigger commitment than that if you want to truly understand the actual story

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Pallavi

I just give it a try .
Atleast 50 pages

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Ula

For me is 100 pages, if after 100 I’m still ‘not there’ I put book away but I’m never able to forget that I haven’t finished it which really annoys me! Often I will come back to them a few years later, for example I’ve been reading ‘Life of Pi’ for several years now and still haven’t finished it, same with poor ‘Hobbit’..I can’t just leave them unread 😉

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Susan

I will know for sure after the first chapter 🙂

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Lexi

Do the 99 page test you read the 99th page of a book and see if you like it or not

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Julie

I always say it’s the first line because it should either grab you or just close the book forever.

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Julie

The stories I write I wonder if my first line is good enough, but my business partner & editor always say, “You are getting ahead of yourself.”

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Suzie

i can’t read it if it doesn’t hold my attention. then if it does it is hard to put down.

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JosieandHomero

????

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Angela

YASSSSS

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Tahseen

But u know story can be twisted any time

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Angela

even tho i know that some books are really good especially when you are halfway, I still can’t keep reading when the first part isn’t catchy. Sometimes only, depending on the title, I don’t stick to the same author.

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