The question that I have been thinking about is, WHY do I skip to the end of a book?
Yep, I'm totally guilty of this reading faux pas. I don't start out a book by thinking I am going to skip to the end. And I don't do it with every book that I read. It depends on the book. This is an issue that has gotten worse recently.
There are several reasons why I feel the need to read the ending of a book before I should. I tend to get to an intense moment in the book and I want to know if the characters survive. I get super anxious and I just have to find out what happens immediately. I hate when I feel like something awful is going to happen so I skip ahead to see if it does. I guess then I feel better prepared or something. I don't quite know. Does it get confusing? Yes it does. But I do it anyways so that I'll know if my favorite characters survive or if they'll have their lives turned upside down.
Another reason I skip ahead would be I get to a lull in the action and I want to know what's going to happen next, end result I end up reading the last half of the book before I should. It's not that the book is boring. I just want to read the actiony, or romancey parts to see how things end up. Once I am satisfied I will continue on where I left off.
Should I read the ending while I'm in the middle of the book? No, probably not but I do it anyway whether it is wrong or not. I just can't seem to help it. I still go back and read the book all the way through but now I know what happens. Is it weird, maybe so but I'm probably not going to stop.
So, am I completely crazy for doing this? Do you ever feel the need to skip ahead? Let me know, I won't feel bad if it's just me :D
Yep, I'm totally guilty of this reading faux pas. I don't start out a book by thinking I am going to skip to the end. And I don't do it with every book that I read. It depends on the book. This is an issue that has gotten worse recently.
There are several reasons why I feel the need to read the ending of a book before I should. I tend to get to an intense moment in the book and I want to know if the characters survive. I get super anxious and I just have to find out what happens immediately. I hate when I feel like something awful is going to happen so I skip ahead to see if it does. I guess then I feel better prepared or something. I don't quite know. Does it get confusing? Yes it does. But I do it anyways so that I'll know if my favorite characters survive or if they'll have their lives turned upside down.
Another reason I skip ahead would be I get to a lull in the action and I want to know what's going to happen next, end result I end up reading the last half of the book before I should. It's not that the book is boring. I just want to read the actiony, or romancey parts to see how things end up. Once I am satisfied I will continue on where I left off.
Should I read the ending while I'm in the middle of the book? No, probably not but I do it anyway whether it is wrong or not. I just can't seem to help it. I still go back and read the book all the way through but now I know what happens. Is it weird, maybe so but I'm probably not going to stop.
So, am I completely crazy for doing this? Do you ever feel the need to skip ahead? Let me know, I won't feel bad if it's just me :D
Hehe, I think your're crazy. ^^ I never-ever read the end of the book before, it's the worst thing ever. I did that once, with the last Harry Potter installment, read the epiloque just because I wanted to know if the parings turn out as I thought. And they did, so.... I didn't read the book until after a whole year later, 'coz I so didn't care what happened... Well, it was the most exciting novel actually, but since I had the ending first, I had no strive to know the story x) Plus, I very, very rarely drop a book because it gets boring. I ususally try to stick through til the end, and succeed at it. However, when the book turns out to be a total waste of time, I'm a little angry at myself for it x)
ReplyDeleteI know it's weird:) But I do end up reading the rest of the book right away.
DeleteThere has only been one book I DNF but that had to do with flat, annoying characters. I actually read that one in the correct order but it was too superficial so I couldn't continue reading it.
I hate spoilers so I never skip to the end, but I know you're not alone in doing so. I love the anxiety of not knowing what will happen--it sounds like it drives you crazy. Do you think you get the same enjoyment if you already know what's going to happen?
ReplyDeleteI think my enjoyment level stays the same, I'm just less anxiety ridden as I read.
DeleteSometimes I hate spoilers too! I won't read a books description for fear of learning too much, I guess it depends on the book, for me.
Caro has a good point--sometimes I do waste time by sticking with a book and hoping it will improve but then it doesn't.
ReplyDeleteHehe.... I do this all the time too. The solution I found? E-books, funnily enough. It's harder (or more bothersome) to find the last page instead of just flipping through, so when I read ebooks, I never skip anymore!
ReplyDeleteGlad to see I am not the only one:D
DeleteI just read a few ebooks and it is so much harder to skip to the end and then find my place again. It's much easier to just to read it all the way through instead of skipping to the end.