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Authors debate whether it's acceptable to stop reading a book (the "DNF" question)
Summary
Panelists at the National Book Festival considered whether readers should finish books they dislike. Anne Patchett said, "No one needs to finish a book they don't like," while others urged patience and context.
Moderator Mary Louise Kelly raised the contemporary debate about DNF ("did not finish") and whether readers should perseverate through flawed books. Anne Patchett responded plainly, "No one needs to finish a book they don't like," arguing that readers should be honest about their tastes and constraints.
The panel discussed attention spans, digital distractions and how reading expectations have shifted; Jones said she has had to "force" herself to read more pages than she once would have and urged readers to pick their fights about which books to finish and which to set aside.
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