When I was younger and venturing into the world of reading new and more books, I fell out of love with reading. It was rough since I love to read, but sometimes I would start a book, and it wouldn’t vibe right with me, and I didn’t want to finish it. However, I felt there was something taboo about not finishing books. In this case, I heard the term “DNF”, which stands for Did Not Finish. (I’ve heard it means other things, too.) I don’t know when I heard it was wrong not to finish a book, but the sentiment stuck to me like sand on a sandwich.
As I got older, I questioned why it wasn’t okay to DNF books.
In every community, there is always a wide range of opinions. The Book Community is no different. Some say don’t publically rate books if you give them less than three stars, and others say do whatever. For DNFing books, I’ve seen some people write (and make videos) about how angry they are at people who admit to DNFing books.
Now, I will state that I DO DNF Books. Books can take a few hours to read, and they aren’t something I can multitask with. It’s either read or do literally anything else. So, if I can’t get into a book, it will have to be ditched. However, I do have rules that I follow for DNFing books.
My rules are simple, and there are only two points to it.
Point 1
Try and at least get 50% of the way through.
It might seem odd since I said I don’t like to waste my time on books I don’t like. The logic for this point is that sometimes the start of books (particularly the first books in a series) can be slow and tedious. After the halfway point of a book, it is like a spell has been cast, and suddenly, I’m hooked. So, I try to give the book the best chance before laying it to rest. Unfortunately, sometimes I can’t make it to the 50% mark. If that’s the case, the book is a lost cause, and I will put it away before the 50% mark.
Point 2
Review & Rate
This is the point that I see most people taking issues with. And rightly so. Some people I see who don’t like to DNF books (especially publicly) make the point that people who do DNF books still rate and review them.
If you are going to review and rate something, you have to experience it. It would be like ordering a phone case from Amazon, then rating 1 star and reviewing it as shit before the case even arrives.
If I DNF a book, I mark it as “read” on Goodreads and Literal, letting it count toward my reading goal. (I spent the time reading it over another book; if I make it to 50%, it’s getting marked as read.) However, I never rate and review books I haven’t finished. I just count it towards my goal. I never experienced their whole story, so how can I say the FULL STORY was any good? If I finish it, then it is fair.
Conclusion
Ultimately, I think there is some miscommunication regarding whether you should or should not DNF books. It’s not that you can’t or shouldn’t DNF book, but rather, make sure you aren’t rating and reviewing something you haven’t experienced in full.
I think it’s still fair to discuss the books you’ve DNFed to explain why you didn’t finish it or to add to a list post and whatnot. However, it is important not to post it to places of purchase or websites that hold value to the book community (Goodreads, Literal, etc).
Then again, that’s just my opinion and how I like to do things. Others may feel it is essential to let others know that the book was so hard to read that they couldn’t finish it. I disagree with that, but their life is not mine, and they are entitled to live that life how they feel.
Ultimately, “as long as you aren’t hurting yourself or anyone else, you do you, boo,” says Daz Games (Black).
