Do you take a peek at the last page?

[shoeshine 10]

Have you ever started reading a mystery, detective, romantic book etc and within a few pages of starting it, turned to the last few pages to see how it finished?

 

I never have, and I have read many Agatha Christie books etc, but I have this sort of "religious" refusal built in my psyche to avoid doing so at all costs.

 

Having earlier today just glanced at the opening lines of Hopman's contribution for the January Theme I waited until I read it all the way through before I posted on Hopman's Thread.

 

I've not bothered starting a Poll on this. I would be interested in reading your honest responses to my enquiry here.

[coyleys 10]

With my hand on my heart.

I Never have.

[Titian 10]

In all honesty.................. Yes I have. It's only when I start the book though and then think it's not what I expected and cannot be bothered to read the rest as I've picked up some tosh from a second hand bookshop in desperation.

 

I can probably count the times I've done this on one hand though.

[Guest]

Yes, but only if the book turns out to be so turgid that I can't be bothered to read through the interminable plot machinations to get to the denouement.

 

It isn't generally within a few pages though. I'm usually at least half way through.

[Mantaspook 14]

I’ll only do this if the author has thrown so many red herrings that I’ve lost the plot so as a last resort I'll read the ending in order to clarify what’s happening - if the writing is that bad I sometimes discard the book and move onto something else.

 

I often pick up a book (like a biography) and read random chapters, piecing it all together as I go. It's not always necessary to read in a linear fashion.

[pattricia 574]

Have you ever started reading a mystery, detective, romantic book etc and within a few pages of starting it, turned to the last few pages to see how it finished?

 

I never have, and I have read many Agatha Christie books etc, but I have this sort of "religious" refusal built in my psyche to avoid doing so at all costs.

 

Having earlier today just glanced at the opening lines of Hopman's contribution for the January Theme I waited until I read it all the way through before I posted on Hopman's Thread.

 

I've not bothered starting a Poll on this. I would be interested in reading your honest responses to my enquiry here.

Ive often turned to the "dirty parts" first. If its from the library there well worn anyway.

[coyleys 10]

With my hand on my heart.

I Never have.

-------------

I will have to elaborate on this;

It’s probably a me thing, but if I look at the ending, I know I’m not going to finish the book, so I have failed to complete the book.

So I will dog ear it with the intension of coming back to it later.

I once started to read a Dennis Wheatly novel, I think it may have been “They Found Atlantis”

The first 50 or so pages was like watching the paint dry, I went back to it a few years later and found it a really good read.

OK my loft may be full of dog ears, but I can honestly say once I have started a book I finish it, Eventually.

[elora* 10]

i quite often turn to the last pages, sometimes because it's rubbish and i want to know what happens but don't intend to read the book through, and at other times i will become so attached / interested in the characters that i know i will be really gutted if they die! even armed with that foreknowledge i will still read the book, i just like to know what's going to happen

[Jabberwocky 46]

Ive done that with lots of books. I just HAVE to know, and I find that I enjoy the book more too.

[brisbane 10]

Guilty as charged, normally with most books I read I am always tempted to read the last chapter before even starting it.

 

Then again when I was reading the Time Traveller's Wife, I had to re-read pages to get my bearings with the times etc of his travelling.

[sauerkraut 10]

Once I've started a book, I just have to finish it as soon as possible, even if this means reading into the wee small hours. So if the book's not much good I take a peek at the last pages and then I can go back and skim all the rest because I know what's going to happen anyway.

[shoeshine 10]

I am surprised at some of you lot!

 

To think authors shed blood, sweat and tears to produce their "masterpiece" and they could have started it in the opening two pages, and finished it in two more pages. (Done and dusted in 10 minutes)

 

Think of all those trees who have given their longevity and sacrified their lives to fill in the other 420 pages.

 

"It was the best of times. It was the worst of times" - Charles Dickens A Tale of Two Cities. Ah well!