I hate to say it, but I give up! I’ve been trying to get through this book for weeks now but, for some reason, I just never want to read it. I’m somewhat curious to know how it turns out, but apparently not curious enough to actually dedicate the time to finish it.
I put it on my Kindle after reading a brief review in The New York Times. Sansom is a new author to me (not a new author to those who read historical crime novels, as he has many books in print). I liked the aspect of solid historical research combined with a tight plot, which is what the review indicated I would find in this book. And I did. What I didn’t realize was how much the attention to minute historical detail – whether or not it advanced the story – would drag down the plot.
So – I’m not going to rate this book, and I’m not going to finish it, either. But it has got me thinking – how do you know it’s time to give up on a book? I know people who insist on finishing any book they start. I know other’s who give it a certain amount of time, read a certain number of pages, or set other criteria for how much to devote to a book that’s not working for them. What’s your policy?
