Is it rude to not finish a book club choice that was selected by someone else?

Show that you've made an effort, and didn't make a snap decision too quickly. A 'shock' beginning is quite a common device - read at least a couple of chapters to see if it settles down!

No you are not being rude. I don’t like violent films. I wouldn’t go to see one or watch at home. No matter who asked me.

Peaseblossom

Mollygo DNF?

Did not finish.

Mollygo DNF?

Of course you do not have to read it if it is not to your taste. However, we have found in our group (12 years old) that reading something outside your usual range/choice is sometimes very rewarding. We meet every six weeks and take it in turns to choose the books. I never read crime fiction but have enjoyed one or two and have discovered authors I would not have rried and loved them.

The wine and company are also a good reason to attend - oh and of course to catch up on the village gossip!

Indeed, not rude at all. You can feedback what it was the put you off.

ViceVersa

I think I'm a bit odd, as I just can't bring myself to NOT finish a book, no matter what.

I used to be like that and ploughed on.
Now, I don’t care and stop if I loathe the book after the first 100 pages or so!

No it’s not rude . We’re all different and have different views on books . We’re honest in my book club and admit if we didn’t finish a book or didn’t like it. It’s very interesting to get different views on books . My club has been going for 8 years and there’s only one book , which I couldn’t get past the introduction. It was a factual book and the introduction bored me to tears . A few I’ve speed read .
A few women have admitted they’ve had a lot going on and haven’t read a particular book. Book club is for a fun evening, it’s not school .
One of our women uses audiobooks as she drives a lot for work and that’s fine too.

No it’s fine, just say it wasn’t for you, don’t waste time finishing books your not enjoying… Can still communicate what you didn’t like etc ..

butterandjam, gin would have helped the pain.. Mary could have escaped her fate by putting out some crisps.

Aldom

From the other perspective, is there any one who has experienced the rejection of their book choice who would like to tell us how that feels?

Yes I have. Sometimes even I didn't enjoy the book I'd chosen for the month. I'd say so, no guilt or regret. It's just a book club; not the ECHR.

The worst thing that ever happened at our book club was that night when Mary forgot it was her turn to bring some home baking. Luckily the Spar shop was still open so we made do with chocolate digestives.

I didn't agree with tar and feathering Mary, that should never have happened. Throwing eggs at her car was quite enough.

I'll add my weight to those saying that book group discussions sometimes are all the more interesting with differing views on a book. One of the group, of whom I am very fond, has very different views on books to me.
One book elicited a 10 from her ( the top score) and a 1 from me.
I chose " We need to talk about Kevin" many years ago, knowing that it would be very controversial - and it was!

No, of course it isn’t rude - just give the reason you have given here, that it was too violent for your taste so you couldn’t, unfortunately, continue reading it. 😊

If some take umbrage that their choice hasn’t been read all the way through, so be it, but they are, in my opinion, being unrealistic because it isn’t possible to enjoy every book out there.

Surely, part of being in a book club is for the participants to be able to comment on the book choice as they found it, including sometimes to say they weren’t enjoying it and why, and because of the said reason, couldn’t finish it.

I’m not a member of a book club, but if I were, I would like to think I could say whether I enjoyed a book or not and why, and also to say I didn’t finish it if it was one I wasn’t enjoying, without feeling like a naughty schoolgirl who didn’t complete her homework 😂.

I run a book club. We each take it in turn to select a book. We might select three and then the members vote as to which they want. We have all agreed that the purpose of a book club is to read what you normally would not, but to try to finish the chosen book. When we meet afterwards we each give our opinion. It is very rare we all agree, and sometimes someone, has disliked it so much that they haven’t continued with it. All grist to the mill. All views listened too…but not always agreed with. That’s what a book club is for.
So no, you are not rude to not finish it…as long as you have and can explain your reasons.

From the other perspective, is there any one who has experienced the rejection of their book choice who would like to tell us how that feels?

When I am engrossed in a book I have two thoughts in my mind.
I can’t wait to get to the end to reach a conclusion, to find out how it ends and secondly I don’t want to get to the end because I am enjoying the story so much and it will be over for me.

I have never been in a Book Club mainly for the reason that a
I would never read a book I didn’t enjoy after a few pages.
One book passed on to me by a friend, strongly recommended by her was When The Crawdads Sing mentioned up thread.
Award winning it may be but I thought it was dreadful, not to my taste at all, maybe I am just not cultured enough.
I read for pleasure not for homework.

Of course not. It’s just not to your taste.

I’ve belonged to book clubs for over 40 years and loved all but one, which turned out to be a clique of old friends and I was clearly surplus to requirements. The rest have been lovely groups and many members have become friends.

There’s always a nice way to say that a book doesn’t appeal to you and it’s fine to say what you didn’t like about the small part you read. IMO, it’s also fine to be circumspect and just claim you didn’t get around to reading it.

Discussions would be boring if everyone felt every book was wonderful. Other people’s thoughts on books can reveal an aspect to the story that completely passed you by, too! Those are probably the most interesting.

Have to confess I gave up my book club as they never, ever, would consider any of the books I suggested, and it was run by a bit of a control freak. As a 27/7 carer, I don't have time to read books now, but when we had a live in carer for four weeks after I had a hand operation and could not look after DH, I was getting through two a week!

GrannyGravy13

I have recently come to the conclusion that life is too short to read a book that you are not enjoying.

If asked I would politely say ^sorry, I tried but it’s just not my cup of tea^

👏👏👏🙂

I too love reading, but have not finished quite a few books, either too boring, a difficult read or I just don’t like the book.

No, it’s not rude and I’d tell the book club why you didn’t finish it.

Pleasebenice

I normally read the book club choices. We take it in turns to select them and sometimes people don’t read them and others take a dim view if you reject their offering. This months book is very violent and I have given up on it. Is that rude?

In the book club I belong to we took turns to pick the next book and it was quite common for members to say they hadn't finished it because they werent enjoying it. Or they had finished it and hated it. Differences of opinion ( and reasons) were welcomed and there were never any hurt feelings.

Going off at a tangent here but, as it’s about reading can I recommend the Backlisted podcast. It says it’s about bringing new life into old books and they review different books with different people taking part. The guy who chairs it ( whose name escapes me, Andy Miller perhaps?) wrote a book called My year of reading dangerously. They are no longer doing new podcasts sadly but there are over two hundred old ones to listen to. I particularly enjoyed the Wuthering Heights review which surprisingly, considering the subject matter, had me in stitches and for lovers of children’s literature The Dark is Rising review is exceptionally good. I often relisten to some of them as they’re so entertaining.

The only book I haven’t finished, and have no inclination to try to do so is The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides.

I read a few chapters, put it aside, tried again, nope, I cannot even give an explanation why I didn’t get it