Is It Okay To DNF A Book? DNFing Books Explained

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“Life is too short to waste on bad books”

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In the world of reading, you may occasionally run into the acronym ‘DNF’. ‘DNF’ stands for ‘Did Not Finish’, and is the term used when someone didn’t finish reading a book fully. It’s a reality that not every book is going to be a success, and there are plenty of reasons why someone may find themselves struggling to reach the final page, no matter how much they may want to.

Nevertheless, there remains a bit of stigma around DNFing books, with some still thinking that a book should always have the chance to impress right up until the final page. Join us today at What We Reading as we explore DNFing books, why people give up on a book and when you know it is time to put one down yourself. 

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Why DNF A Book? 

To some, the idea of DNFing a book may seem like a strange one. After all, books aren’t always the cheapest things to buy, and if you’ve slogged through part of a story, surely you would want to know how it ends? 

In reality, there are many reasons behind DNFing books. For starters, a book might be outside a reader’s comfort genre, it could contain triggering material or simply be different to what they were expecting when they picked it up. And sometimes, like a bad Tinder date, the vibes between the reader and the author may not marry up in terms of characters, plot or writing style. 

Why Do People Debate DNFing Books? 

For us, the number one reason why DNFing books is such a controversial subject is the same reason why not finishing anything entertainment-related is so hotly debated. Whether it be a book, film, album or television series, not getting to the end of something is seen as a vote of that thing being bad. 

This isn’t always the case. Nothing appeals to everyone, and not every book that gets the DNF treatment is bad. 

Personally, we are always for giving authors a chance to win us over until the final page and don’t like DNFing books. With that being said, we can completely understand why people do. We’ve read plenty of books that other people have said they’ve DNFed and thoroughly enjoyed, and it is that variety of opinions that makes the reading world so engaging to be a part of. 

When To DNF A Book 

DNFing a book is a big call to make, and not one that should be taken lightly. It’s always important you give yourself the best possible chance of enjoying a story, even if you don’t initially feel much of a click. 

There are a few factors to take into consideration before deciding that book isn’t for you. Are you reading in the right environment? Are you in the right mood or headspace for the story and its material? 

Some people like to get to at least halfway before they decide to DNF a book, whilst others can tell after just a handful of pages that a story isn’t for them. Generally, we think you need around 30% of a book to truly get a handle on whether or not you think the style and material are really for you, as well as having a good enough idea of what it is specifically about a book you’re not vibing with. 

Can You Review A Book You Did Not Finish? 

This is a big question (especially for a platform that has a ‘Book Reviews’ tab), and one that lots of people still debate. As mentioned above, having a general grasp on a book and what specifically made you DNF can be useful information to throw into a review. However, there are a couple of caveats to bear in mind when reviewing a book you did not finish: 

• It’s always worth remembering that you might not have been able to finish a book, plenty of people did and may have absolutely loved it. DNFing a book isn’t an excuse to begin bashing an author, a story or anyone who enjoyed it. 
• We’ve never encountered a book that has nothing but negative points. Even with a book you DNFed on, it’s worth sparing some thoughts on what you did like about it. A book review with pros and cons comes across as far more measured and sensible than one that is just a tirade of negatives. 

And there we have it, our summary of DNFing books and some fundamental debates around it. Remember, no one should force you to do anything you don’t enjoy – not finishing a book should be entirely your choice. If you feel the cons of a book outweigh the pros and you’d be better off putting it down, feel free to do so. Likewise, if you believe there is hope until the very last page, soldiering on might be the course for you!