When to DNF a Book: Why the Answer Isn't as Simple as You Think

Should you DNF books you're not enjoying, or is there value in finishing every book you start? In some circles of the bookish community—off and online—to DNF a book is treated as something unspeakable. Countless scores of people will say that they’ve never DNF’d a book (or that they’ve never DNF’d a book until the book they’re talking about broke them) and I’ve seen advice to avoid DNF’ing at all cost.

The advice essentially boils down to don’t abandon books—take breaks from them, but always come back and finish them. The thought is that you may misjudge a book early on in the reading journey and it might end up being one of your favorite books and even if it wasn’t worth finishing, then you can practice your criticism skills doing a review for the book and it can help you become more articulate when you’re discussing books.

I agree and disagree with this advice. There is merit to what’s being said, but it’s not as black and white as it may seem on the surface. There’s nuance to this attitude, as there is with most things on Earth, especially in the bookish realm.

What Does DNF Mean?

DNF stands for "Did Not Finish"—when you stop reading a book before completing it. In some parts of the bookish community, DNF'ing is treating as a badge of dishonor, with some people firm in their belief that they should never DNF a book.

The Three Truths about DNF'ing Books

In short, three things can be true at once:

1. You don’t have to finish every book you start if you don’t like what you’re reading.

2. You should probably be finishing more books than you DNF (and if you aren’t, examining why you’re DNF’ing so many books could be helpful).

3. There is value to finishing books you don’t like, especially if you’re going to write a review because a lot of people make decisions on what to read (or more importantly) buy based on popular consensus and a variety of reviews—good, bad, and ambivalent helps readers make informed decisions.

When You Should DNF a Book

As an addendum to my last point, the value that you, as the reader, get out of reading a book you don’t like doesn’t have to be practicing your analysis or criticism skills—you could be working on your craft skills, that is, identifying what you believe went wrong in this book so as not to replicate it in your own work. But if you don’t feel like you’re getting anything out of the experience, you’re trying to read for fun, and the book is excruciating to read … don’t torture yourself. DNF the book.

All of us, at one point or another, will reach the end of our lovely little lives and when everything goes dark for the last and final time—there will not be any rewards or medals for having never DNF’d a book in your life.

Morbid, but true.

And if you’re sitting there thinking, well you don’t know that—there very well could be a reward and a medal for having never DNF’d a book in my life … well, that’s true.

But the point is that we should try to spend most of the time we control (the time that’s not at the mercy of our careers or other obligations) doing more of what we enjoy vs. what we don’t enjoy and sometimes that means putting down one book you’re not feeling to read another that’s on your TBR list.

When You Should Finish Books You Don't Like

Now, before you think I'm contradicting myself—remember, nuance. I'm not saying you should suffer through every book. But there are times when pushing through actually serves you.

If you're a writer, finishing books you don't like can help you with your craft. You're not torturing yourself—you're studying what doesn't work and why. Where did the pacing drag? When did you stop caring about the protagonist? What trope made you roll your eyes? Why?

If you're planning to review the book, you should get the full picture. DNF reviews have their place (they're data points about where a book lost readers and why), but a complete review requires seeing how everything resolves. Readers making purchasing decisions deserve reviewers who've read the whole thing, because informed reviews make for informed decisions.

And yes, sometimes books could surprise you. The book might be a slog at page 50, but a page-turner at page 200. I've never had this to me, but hey, I always keep an open mind when it comes to books. You never know when someone could shock you.

So how do you know which books are worth pushing through? That's the annoying answer: you don't, not really. But if you find yourself DNF'ing every book at the 30% mark, it might be worth examining whether you're giving books enough of a chance. Or if you're forcing yourself through every book even when you're miserable, it might be time to give yourself permission to quit.

The Middle Ground: Taking a Hiatus Instead

If you’re still have a visceral response to the term ‘DNF’—I get it. I know some people pride themselves in always finishing a book that they start and that’s fine. If you’re one of those people, maybe in 2026 you consider the extended distance away from a book not as a finality, like a DNF, but rather as a long hiatus. There’s no rules that say you can’t come back to the book eventually, and you might even have that fabled, magical moment when returning to the book just clicks for you and you devour it where the last time you picked it up, it was a pain to get through.

The purpose of this article was to articulate my complicated thoughts (or maybe, not so complicated?) on DNF’ing, but if it inspired you to not be so strict with your reading habits, then I’m glad. And if you're working on your own manuscript and want help developing a critical eye for your work, that's something I can help with.

What are your thoughts on DNF’ing and do you think there’s value in not DNF’ing a book, in DNF’ing a book—what are your thoughts on the general outlook of DNF’ing in the bookish communities you’ve found yourself in?