How to Tell A Good Book from a Bad One

[Abdiel]

I know this might sound crazy, but whenever I go into a bookstore and there's so many books to read, what I usually do is, instead of paying much attention to the reviews or synopses on the back, I read the opening sentence of the book. From that, I can tell if I want to read the book or not.

This isn't exactly a technique, but do you ever find yourself judging a book not from its cover, but from its first line? The books I don't want to read, the mediocre books, usually have a bland opening like, "It was raining in [insert city name here]" and is usually some short, abrupt sentence which tries to grab your attention. Bad crime novels and thrillers and other "popular" genre books are often like that. Whatever happened to opening with something more witty, enticing, graceful, controlled, and at the same time, gripping and unexpected?

For example, the novel which grabbed my attention from its first line and made me want to read it right away was Orwell's Nineteen Eighty Four: "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen."

Tell me that ain't cool!

[Dark Muse]

My mom acutally does that a lot. She will read like the first paragrhap or so in a book if she is trying to decide on a book. There have been a couple of times when I have done that, if I was really indecisive about a book, and if either the back cover did not give much info of what the book was about, or if it like was one of those that just had me on the fence, I might open the book up to the first page.

[Equality72521]

Ahaha. I read the little info on the back or inside the flap of the cover, read the first page, and then read the last sentence! lol.

[PeterL]

The first sentence can be a good indication of the writing, but some books start off fine and quickly deteriorate. But that shouldn't discourage you from your method.

[book_jones]

Yeah I always read the first few sentences when I'm looking at a book. I think that's a good technique.

[literaturerocks]

I usually flip through a few pages...read them, trying to get a feel for the book to see if I want to read it.

[wilbur lim]

I likewise browse through the book,but I chiefly read the first page and subsequently the back page.By using this modus operandi,it's discernibly not precise.Sometimes reading reviews,synopses would be productive.

[LadyWentworth]

I always read the synopsis. Then, if I think it sounds interesting, I tend to skim over a couple of pages. I usually look over the middle of the book, though. I guess that is because I generally have a hard time getting into a book that I am just starting. They usually aren't all that interesting to me in the beginning. So rather than judging it from the first line, first paragraph or the first page, I choose something from the middle of the story. I think I do that because I figure that by that time the story has picked up and I can judge whether or not the writing sounds as if it would be worth my time.

[mercymyqueen]

I often feel uncomfortable reading without background on the author. Other than that, a wittily devised first sentence or a helpful back cover sometimes do the trick for me as well.

[JBI]

I first look to see if there is an introduction. Then I look to see if there is a preface. Then I look to see if there is any scholarship at all on the cover, such as blurbs. Then I wonder if I have heard of the author before, and check where exactly it was in the bookstore.

Generally, if the cover is very elaborate, and in bad taste, the book is junk. Anything with two lovers on the cover is usually bad, and other symbols one encounters help add to classifying the book.

The problem I think though, is I don't tend to buy novels, and for poetry I usually read 20-30 pages in the store, some times being 1/3 the volume's length.

[kelby_lake]

I read the blurb/synopsis, then read the first paragraph to see if I like the writing style

[kainso]

I would see if the books get any awards or whether I like the authors. Does the cover help? Usaually, a good edition with good paper and design would make you more likely to buy it because it can at least be great decoration to your bookselves but not too fancy though.

[kiki1982]

I usually look at the cover: whether it's a poetic cover. Good books mostly have not a very elaborate cover, they usually stay simple. Then I look at contents on the back and then, if I don't know the author I usually read the first sentence, or even better I just open the book randomly and see whether the author kept up his good writing style he displayed in the first sentence.

I don't think there is any harm in starting with a short sentence, but if you keep it going, it gets on the readers' nerves...

[Annamariah]

I wouldn't judge a book by its cover - often the author doesn't even have a say about the cover of the book. (Though I admit that the cover is the first thing one sees and if the cover doesn't catch my eye, it might be that I'll never look at the book any closer.)

I usually read the synopsis and then a bit from the beginning. From a bookshop I never buy books at random (from a flea market or a recycling center I might, because they're so cheap, sometimes just 1 percent of the price in a bookstore). When I pick up random books to read, I do it in library, which is free, so it doesn't matter if the book isn't very good after all. In that case I don't have to worry about losing any money and I don't have to finish reading it unless I want to.

[idiosynchrissy]

I generally read the synopsis and then if that sounds good, I will open it up to a random place around the center of the book and read a few lines. If it still sounds like something I might like, I will give it a shot.

[Akeldama]

I haven't bought any books lately that haven't either been recommended to me by someone whose opinion I trust or are "classics". The synopsis on the back is always important, while the little blurbs of "This is the greatest book since books were invented!" aren't usually very persuading to me, unless the quote is attributed to another author that I respect.

Of course, I don't plan to buy any more books until I get through the stack of unread novels I have laying around, a task I'm glad to say is going pretty smoothly.

[Scheherazade]

The best way to be able to tell is to read 'em, I believe.

[Bitterfly]

I think the first page tells you whether the book is worth reading or not - truly bad style is obvious straightaway (of course, you could answer that style isn't the only criterium, but I'm not a difficult reader!)). I wouldn't go by the jacket, since I've seen quite a few re-published classics with really garish covers (a Far From the Madding Crowd that I took for a Mills and Boons, once :rolleyes: ).

I tend to buy books by authors I already know, or have already heard of, and don't take many risks, anyway. And I have so many "good" books left to read that I don't yet have to be adventurous!

[ravilobo]

I don’t buy books on impulse. I did that few times and it didn’t turn out well. I already have a big stack of books to read, hence even if I buy a book now, I probably will read it after 3-4 moths.

Most of the time I read the books which are recommended on sites, I also check rating and reviews on amazon.com

Once I know the book has a good rating, I read the first page. This gives me an idea about the style of writing. There are great books which are difficult to read (Dostoyevsky, Dickens) and there are some which are easy to read (the catcher in the rye, Shantaram, life of PI, Shogun)

[JBI]

Just so you know, for all the "don't judge a book by its cover" people, the synopsis is on the cover, and it is virtually impossible to judge, at least in the primary stages, without guessing at the cover. As it known, no one can read the first paragraph of every book in the store, it would seem plausible that everyone must check titles, authors, synopses, and quotes from the cover first, thereby making a preliminary judgment solely on the cover.

[Joreads]

You have to read the book to know if it is good or bad.

[hhc]

Basically, I mostly read books that I've heard about beforehand. But when I have to decide which book to buy or borrow, I have to be quick. So I read titles and I immediately know which book is boring or fascinating. For example, The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore by Tennessee Williams was a title I fell in love with spontaneously. That's actually how I came to read Luis Sepulveda's books.

[princesspoppi]

I agree, you have to read it to know! The way I know a book I am reading is great is if I keep thinking about it after I have put it down and then neglect everything else so I can finish it!

[tubagod81]

I'll jump on the band wagon of "you have to read it to find out." I've read books that people claim are horrible and they turn out to be good and vice versa. Just cause it was written 100 years ago doesn't make it a classic and a "must read."

It also depends on the target audience. I've started reading the Twilight series cause of the word of mouth hype and they are not that good. Are they not good cause of the writing or is it because I'm not a teenage girl and not the target audience? That is for the reader to find out.

[MrK]

I always read the first line or page...NEVER the covers or flaps! NEVER the last page...thats shocking! :)
I hate any spoilers...

[ThousandthIsle]

I agree with LadyWentworth - sometimes it's difficult for me to get into a book based on its opening. There have been books I've heard amazing things about (and that were amazing) that I probably would have bypassed if I had randomly selected them off of a shelf and read the first page or so.

I hate to admit that, but at the same time, sometimes an author uses "framing" as an opening/closing technique, and therefore the first page is not a clear representation of the whole piece of writing. Or, since there is so much pressure put on finding a good opening/opening line, the very beginnings of a book may have been written in a different frame of mind than the rest of the book, if the author put exceptional effort into making a good or impressive first impression.

More and more, I've found that I've been educating myself about literature I'm interested in before going to a book store... but then again, at this point in my life, I am not reading purely for pleasure, but also for study.

In a used bookstore though, especially where old hardcovers are missing their jackets, I'll open to the middle of a book and get a feel for it that way. And if the book is non-fiction, I always read the table of contents.

[Cailin]

Like a lot of others here, I tend to go on recommendations of others (be they friends or reviewers), I go with authors I already know I like, but I also check reading lists for universities and second level education as often there are newer authors beyond the national sphere that I wouldn't otherwise have heard of. This last option has opened my eyes to many new authors. It's a nearly a decade since I finished university and I miss the world of possibilities the reading lists opened to me.... Ah to be a student again!

If I'm buying a second-hand book, I look for the well-worn copies as it suggests to me that someone carted it around in their bag unable to step away from it for too long!

[idiosynchrissy]

You toss it in a lake. If it sinks, it's a good book. If it floats, it's a witch.

[kelby_lake]

I will just pick up and read a book purely because it has a good title. That's why I read the Glass Menagerie and A Streetcar Named Desire.

Also there are key words I look for in a blurb: 'breakdown', 'tragedy', 'satire', 'love'...

[applepie]

I'm the horrible reader:D I don't look at the beginning. When trying to choose a book, I actually read the ending. Don't know why I do it this way, but if I don't like the ending of a book, I'll normally not like the rest of it. So, yep, I go strait to the ending as a means of choosing;)

[Scheherazade]

I will just pick up and read a book purely because it has a good title Like To Kill A Mockingbird? :D

[Tersely]

Well first sentences can be misleading. I usually know if it's a bad book once it's too late and I'm already home reading. How do I know? I keep putting it down and picking it up and putting it down. A good book always holds my attention. Likewise I hold the receipt for the bad ones.

[Seabird111]

I don't usually buy random books. I like to get recommendations or browse Wikipedia for books I think I might like.