The First Fifty Pages

Many writers put much effort into the first five pages of their stories, or maybe even the first chapter or even the first line. But what if I told you I don’t usually read a book based on the first five pages or even the first line. In fact, I’ve read excellent first lines and not continued the story or was totally oblivious to the beauty of a well-written opening. Maybe this makes me a poor reader or simply one who’s hard toe please. Either way, I don’t usually read a book based off the first chapter. (I’m also a bookworm who is terrible at casually browsing books in libraries and bookstores, but that’s another story).

So, you might ask: How do I decide if a book is good enough to read? Well, typically, there are three ways I find a book to read: 1) it’s required reading for class (I’m an English Literature major), 2) it was recommended by a friend/author, or 3) I stumbled upon it online and read reviews. Sometimes the book’s cover may make me want to buy it even more. That’s right. I said it. Not the title. The cover.

Once I have the book in my hands (usually I borrow it from the library unless I trust the author/recommender) I may or may not read it, but I don’t base it on the first five pages but the first thirty pages. If a story doesn’t pick up after then, I may get bored and return the book, or I may continue just to see if it ever does pick up. (I once got two thirds of the way through a boring book and finally put it down when I realized it would never get better.)

Perhaps I’m not as overwhelmed by curiosity as other people. Until I actually care about the protagonist or other characters, mere curiosity isn’t enough. (This is why, until recently, it was literally an impossible for me to get through the Mission Impossible movies. Somebody just died in the first five minutes? Who was that anyway?)

With the books I pick up, I will read the first three chapters or the first fifty pages before I decide whether or not it is worth reading. By then, I will have some idea who the characters are and if they are worth spending 300+ pages with.

While books may be competing with movies for people’s attention, most people who intentionally sit down to read a book are likely have longer attention spans than those who don’t read at all. Sure, there are reluctant readers, and I applaud authors who write books for them. Rick Rordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians is an excellent example of a series specifically geared to children/young adults with a short attention span.

Nonetheless, plenty of classics exist that don’t suck readers in from the first five pages. Take the Lord of the Rings, for example. It took me almost an entire year to read The Fellowship of the Ring because I took month-long breaks between chapters. Right now, I’m still struggling through the Silmarillion. And this is coming from an avid Tolkien fan who has LotR marathons at least once a year and could never choose between Middle Earth and Narnia.

Similarly, I don’t remember the opening lines of The Book Thief or Inkdeath. And neither of these books were particularly fast reads. But they are stories I enjoyed over a longer period of time.  

Ultimately, I don’t read all books because they are fast-paced adventures (though some portions certainly may be fast-paced). I tend to read books because they have quality. While having a gripping opening to a book may help in some cases, it is not the end-all-be-all in a quality literature. Some days, I want a book that will grab my attention by the first chapter and hold it to the end, and other days, I’ll sit down to enjoy a story over the course of several days. That’s when I’ll read the first fifty pages.



How long does it usually take you to decide whether or not you’ll read an entire book? What are some books you enjoyed despite the opening pages/chapters?

Literary references: Rick Rordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and The Simarillion, and Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief, and Cornelia Funke’s Inkdeath.

The Average Reader

From the Schloss Leopoldskron Library in Salzburg, Austria
Photo Credit: Lori Klein

It always saddens me when I hear some people say that they don’t like reading. The reader in me wants to share all the stories and adventures I’ve gone on in books. On the other hand, the writer in me wants to shove my favorite stories down their throats so they might one day read my own books, not that I would actually do that to anybody, except perhaps my family members and closest friends. I always think that people are missing out when they have not read The Giver or The Naming or The Time Machine or many other books I have mentioned previously.

I always want to be the optimist, thinking every person just have to find the book that is right for them, but is this the case? After all, not all people who don’t read for enjoyment do so because they think reading is boring, although this may be true for some, and not all people who read for enjoyment read all the time.

Over the summer, I struggled with reading because it made my eyes water so much. As it turned out, I read so much prior that I needed reading glasses. Until I could get them, however, reading was tiring. Instead of reading, I would often revert to watch a movie, play video games, or write. Otherwise, whenever I picked up, I would end up taking a nap after ten pages. 

A pair of my new reading glasses.

Don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy reading. I once read an entire series—the Alliance Series—during midterms week—yes, I still passed—because I could not put the books down. Last semester, one of the busiest and most stressful semesters yet, I took the time to read the Phantom of the Opera for fun. Nevertheless, because I read so much, I needed reading glasses, which I finally have and I can enjoy reading again.



Many other people may struggle with reading too. Some people may require glasses. Others may struggle with dyslexia, short attention spans, or boredom. For the majority of people who enjoy reading, they may not always have the time. For me, I have to read for classes. Others may have to study, work, or raise their children.

There are many reasons people don’t read, and not all of them are because people are too busy watching movies. Of course, I still believe it is important to share the joy of reading with others, especially children who may grow up enjoying reading for pleasure.

There are times when I want to read all the time, but I have to remember that it is important to build relationships and spend time in the world around me. So, whether you read for pleasure or don’t, whether you struggle with reading or not, or whether you have the time or not, enjoy life! It may be enjoyable to read, but it is not the most important thing.

Have you ever tried to share your enjoyment for reading, if you enjoy reading, with somebody did not enjoy it? Have you ever read a particular book for fun even though you felt busy at the time?

Literary references: Lois Lowry’s The Giver, Alison Croggon’s The Naming, H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine, L. Nicodemus Lyons’ the Alliance Series, and Gaston Leroux’s Phantom of the Opera.