Finishing books

[heslopian]

I've probably stopped reading more books (by which I mean mainly novels) halfway through than I've read cover to cover in my entire life, but I know a lot of people who consider such practice abhorrent, and insist on reading even the shittiest tome until its close. Which camp do you fall into, and why?

[billy]

if a book doesn't catch me in the 1 two or three chapter i trash it. what's the pint of reading a book whose beginning either pisses you off or bores the crap out you. i love Terry Pratchett's books but a few i dumped after a 30 minute read.

[heslopian]

Then I no longer feel guilty about not finishing books and can chuck Wuthering fucking Heights I don't know why I kept clinging to a belief in its brilliance. It's beautifully written, and has inspired some good poems in me, but by God the Brontes were pretentious. But seeing as you're an intelligent man and not yet a daft old dribbler who reads the Daily Mail in his pants, I can stop the self-flagellation

[billy]

i could never read the wuther's or war and peace etc. i wouldn't call me intelligent by the way.
i have to admitting to putting the lords of the rings down after about 300 pages but read it again later on in it's entirety and was glad to do so.