Living With B

Have you ever spent time in a bookish circle and heard “You have to push through! It gets better after page 300!”‘

Let’s be honest, having to read three-quarters for a book to get good is not a glowing endorsement. It’s kind of a red flag.

Today, we’re going to explore why this isn’t a compelling elevator pitch and why you, as the reader, shouldn’t feel guilty for DNF’ing it.

Your Time as a Reader is Valuable

When you start feeling like reading is a chore, it stops being enjoyable! There are so many incredible books out there, it’s hard to commit to hundreds of pages before something interesting happens. It’s asking for a lot.

Our time is limited and can be a rare moment or peace for many readers. A book taking 300 pages to “get good” is a poor return on the investment.

The journey of reading should offer something of value the whole time.

Books Should Grab You Early

My philosophy is that if a book doesn’t capture me within the first 5 chapters, it’s not worth reading. A compelling opening is part of the craft because readers need something to latch onto early.

Although slow burns can be powerful and intentional, there is a stark different between a slow pace and a dull story. If you’re not infatuated by the book within the first 100 pages, let alone 300, it may not be the right book for you and that’s okay!

“It Gets Better Later” Can Be a Red Flag

Often, this phrase is used to excuse books that have poor pacing, underdeveloped characters, or a meandering plot. It’s the literary equivalent of “just wait, it’ll be worth it!”—but that doesn’t always pay off.

If the emotional payoff or plot twist is buried that deep in the book, it might signal issues with structure or editing. A story should build steadily—not rely on a late-game Hail Mary to redeem itself.

You Don’t Owe a Book Your Loyalty

Say it with me: DNFing is not a failure. You don’t have to finish a book just because you started it, especially if it’s not meeting your needs as a reader.

Reading should be enjoyable, challenging, or fulfilling—not something you power through out of obligation. If a book isn’t working for you, there’s no shame in setting it aside.

Great Books Don’t Make You Wait

The best books—whether fast-paced thrillers, quiet literary novels, or sweeping fantasies—engage you from the start. They might not explode with action on page one, but they offer something that makes you want to keep turning the pages.

If a book truly “gets better,” it shouldn’t take 300 pages to show its strengths. And if it does? Maybe it’s just not the book for you—and that’s perfectly valid.

TL;DR: You Deserve Better Than Page 300 Promises

So the next time someone says, “It gets better after page 300,” feel empowered to ask:

• Why didn’t it get better before then?
• What kept you going?
• And do I actually want to read 300 pages to get to the good stuff?

There’s no reader gold medal for finishing books you didn’t enjoy. Life’s too short—and your TBR is too long.

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Have you ever pushed through a slow book just because someone said it would “get better”? Or did you DNF and move on? Let me know in the comments!