Did you ever love a book so much you had trouble finishing it because you didn't want it to end?

Submitted by Kousaroe t3_10q4jzx in books

I've never fallen in love with a duo in a book faster than I have in the book I'm reading now. The characters Sherman and Watson in The Case of the Damaged Detective by Drew Hayes have such a fantastic dynamic that I would be entertained by any interaction they had, even eating breakfast or playing a board game. I had such a good time with it I listened to the audiobook five times in the same weekend.

There's only one other book in the series, The Case of the Haunted Haunted House that I'm listening to now and I'm having trouble finishing it because there's not another one after that. I don't want the book to end, I can't remember the last time I had so much fun with a story. I keep getting a few chapters away from the end and just starting it over. I know I'll have to finish it soon but it will be bittersweet to say bye to them.

It follows the government assigned bodyguard of a guy who was drugged by a criminal organization which caused him severe brain damage leading to madness, brilliance, and making him think he was a descendant of Sherlock Holmes. While that organization tracks them down with nefarious intent. It's hilarious <3

I love it, I love everything about it. The character, the story, the pacing, the narration, the writing style. I forgot I could have such a great time with a book.

Have you ever loved a book so much you didn't want to finish it because you didn't want it to end? How did you deal with it?

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Tricky_Owl4198 t1_j6ns0iy wrote

The Road. I knew what was going to happen. I read it for almost 80% and realised that there's just one way it was going to end. I stopped reading because I wasn't ready to end it, which is a great compliment to the author.

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mobsofgeese t1_j6nuwks wrote

Not a book but a series. When Terry Pratchett died, I couldn't bring myself to read his last book. I still haven't read it although I've reread the older ones. I read a lot of cozy mysteries now because my life has gotten busier and they're easier to pick up and put down.

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Kousaroe OP t1_j6nvce8 wrote

I have the same issue with Douglas Adams books. I've read them all but the last Hitchhiker's book. I don't think I ever will because I don't want there to be no Douglas Adams books left :(

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Gloomy-Lady t1_j6nz1mm wrote

Took me over a year (or more?) to even start reading the last Tiffany Aching…

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nzfriend33 t1_j6ovkqw wrote

I still haven’t read it yet either. 😢❤️

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Ltownbanger t1_j6oh12y wrote

HA! I have read the Master and Commander series twice. That is, all except for the last book.

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brademerika t1_j6nrta0 wrote

I can always tell a good book because the closer I get to the end, the slower I read.

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Kousaroe OP t1_j6nts6r wrote

That's a great way to describe it. I feel that.

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Pickle_12 t1_j6nu5dj wrote

Lonesome Dove

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Kousaroe OP t1_j6o08zz wrote

Never read that one but will have to check it out!

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Bitter-Repair t1_j6p3mli wrote

Ohhh this book! I promised myself to read outside of what I normally do and read this book. It has my heart forever. So increo. Loved every character.

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well_uh_yeah t1_j6nxll0 wrote

I felt this way about Secret History. Probably not because of the book itself, in retrospect, but because of the time in my life when I read it. I strung it out over maybe half a year and I felt like when it was ending it really was closing the book on that stage of my life.

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Kousaroe OP t1_j6o01tt wrote

I've had some books that I read at exactly the right time in my life to make them mean that much more. It's a special bond to have with a book like that.

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ivyra t1_j6oqtk1 wrote

Loved the atmosphere of the book 💔

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tax-evader159 t1_j6nt6bw wrote

The opposite happens for me. For example, when I picked up Death of a Salesman I went until midnight trying to read to see the ending. I did the same with Hamlet but not quite as drastic as losing a couple hours of sleep.

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BEST_POOP_U_EVER_HAD t1_j6o7ayx wrote

Both of those works are very much like watching a horrible car crash happen and you can't look away.

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Kousaroe OP t1_j6ntj9l wrote

I feel this way with some books. Which is why I was so surprised how little I wanted this one to end!

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TormundIceBreaker t1_j6nwgtq wrote

It took me a long time to finish Leviathan Falls, which is the final book in The Expanse series. I'd spent 10 years with these four characters and it was difficult to process that their journeys were coming to an end. That I wouldn't get to spend more time among them on any new adventures, but that's one of the signs of a remarkable book/series

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Kousaroe OP t1_j6nwuzm wrote

How did you feel when it was finally over?

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TormundIceBreaker t1_j6nxloe wrote

Bittersweet for sure. Extremely satisfied with how the authors wrapped up the series but like I mentioned above, it was hard to say goodbye to all those great characters

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Kousaroe OP t1_j6nzw81 wrote

I'm feeling that. It's like saying goodbye to a close friend...

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shelfdiscovery t1_j6nys2n wrote

I often feel this way finishing books! Especially if the world is really immersive, I never want to leave it. But I try to focus on the fun of freeing up space to explore other awesome book worlds and characters, and then dive into my next read and hope it gives me the same feeling as well.

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Kousaroe OP t1_j6o03s1 wrote

That's a good way of looking at it!

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TheKingofSelleck t1_j6nrr63 wrote

Nearly every book and video game and TV series I have ever enjoyed I have stopped before the end for a long amount of time.

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Kousaroe OP t1_j6nturm wrote

It helps make it feel like it lasts longer.

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nhu_nguyen94 t1_j6o56mn wrote

It’s Harry Potter for me, but long time ago when I was 12, 13. I remember borrowing those books from a friend and finishing 1-4 real fast then I realised I only had 2 books left in the series (HP7 had not even been released yet back then). I started to slow down and haven’t even touched the book or watched the Deathly Hallows by now. Dont want to end my childhood yet 😅

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kelseybennett330 t1_j6onmu9 wrote

Exactly! I remember I flew through half blood prince in a day but then when deathly hallows came I was so sad to even start it because I didn’t want it to end! I remember just holding the book and savoring it and trying to soak in all the goodness. It took me several days to read because I purposely made myself space it out.

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BrooklynBillyGoat t1_j6ogg0x wrote

I'm taking my time with Anna karenina because I know I won't find something as good for a long while after

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Complex_Meringue9954 t1_j6oswfs wrote

A series rather than a book, but I'll never finish the Discworld.

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loveisntbrains5959 t1_j6pc36w wrote

LOTR The Return of the King. I couldn't bear the idea of leaving Frodo and Sam

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Ealinguser t1_j6nz9ih wrote

No, but I have loved a book so much I restarted it straight after finishing.

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Kousaroe OP t1_j6o05zx wrote

I love re reading my favorites too!

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Notequal_exe t1_j6o1y9b wrote

I really enjoyed The Haunting of Hill House. It always made me question if there were actual ghosts or if the people just went insane.

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SAT0725 t1_j6ofced wrote

I think it was a little bit of both

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Notequal_exe t1_j6owgnb wrote

You're probably right haha. I think the fact that I can't tell sometimes is part of the magic.

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Kousaroe OP t1_j6o2281 wrote

I'll have to check that out!

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Notequal_exe t1_j6o2ncm wrote

If you like horror, it's a must read. It's probably the most famous haunted house book there is.

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lotlcs t1_j6o4p4v wrote

This subreddit needs an overdone topics list so badly.

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FlySure8568 t1_j6o5fge wrote

I came to Ian M. Banks Culture series later in life and loved them and had been through the first few volumes when I learned of Banks' passing and it utterly changed the way I read the subsequent volumes. Such a loss that I haven't brought myself to read the last. He was so full of joy and humor and ideas that I couldn't wait to see where he would go next.

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Talmaska t1_j6of198 wrote

Anything by Ian Banks. Never wanted to finish any of them.

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SAT0725 t1_j6of6vw wrote

I've been 150 pages from the end of Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy for like a month now and can't bring myself to finish.

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js4873 t1_j6oicj5 wrote

Yes! Finished Sam Lipsyte’s book No One Left to Come Looking For You. Only 200pp so I portioned it out so I could make it last a while

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macadamnut t1_j6oj7mr wrote

I took a long time to get to the last twenty pages or so of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. I had seen the TV series already, I thought the ending would be different & dragged it out.

I took my time starting Romola, I read all the other George Eliot and saved it for last.

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Sisyphean_Love t1_j6on8wl wrote

The Picture of Dorian Gray. Took me a week to read the last 20 pages. I wanted it to last forever.

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ivyra t1_j6oqz57 wrote

I felt that about Gone With the Winds.

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Wanderer5827 t1_j6oti6i wrote

I feel that way about Charles Todd's Inspector Ian Rutledge and Bess Crawford mysteries. I really like the characters and its the first time I've read books that describe what the soldiers went through during WWI. I stopped reading for a while so a few more books of each series could come out.

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No_Drop553 t1_j6p3si3 wrote

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous

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Icy-Ad2082 t1_j6p6rrw wrote

I haven’t read at all in two weeks because I have 30 pages left in “Even Cowgirls Get the Blues.” I’ve never read any Tom Robbins before but I’ve heard he is notorious for Downer endings. I feel like I’m at a fake out point in the story, it looked like the character was going to make a really bad decision, but she course corrects at the last moment. With this much story left, I get the feeling the last bit is her slowly sliding into the same scenario she narrowly avoided.

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GFVeggie t1_j6p81cl wrote

I have had that problem but it isn't that I want to put the book down, I want to wiz through to see what happens.

When that happens I will often start the book over once I've finished it. I often pick up little items that I missed while just trying to get to the end.

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Taters0290 t1_j6pf18c wrote

A lot. The first time was when I was about 9, and I was given Cinchfoot, the Story of a Range Horse. I read it 10 times in a row I loved it so much. I’d finish the last page, flip it back, and start page 1 again. Obviously, I hated for it to end, so my 9-year-old answer was to simply read it again.

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KingofOoooo t1_j6p6k2i wrote

Huh, I’m shocked so many people do this. I could never not finish a book I love.

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