The Help. I know the book had rave reviews but for some reason I could just not get into the book and finally just put it up. Maybe I will try again at some point.
I don’t know why, because I don’t even think it is a bad book, but I have never made it through “Catch-22.” I always seem to get stuck in the middle and then somehow abandon it. I guess that’s my paradox and coincidence that it is with this book?
I barely got through The Golden Compass. I love Philip Pullman as a speaker but I find his writing lacking. The flow is terrible and it’s all too over-complicated. I wanted to love it, but I really disliked it.
The Lord of the Rings and I mean the whole trilogy. I know that this book is classic but I have never understand why Tolkien is so popular or how it isn’t so boring to read how people riding around the forest almost ten or even more pages.
I bought the box set of 3 books and couldn’t get through one.. Totally didn’t get what’s so great. Ended up giving away the almost new set to colleagues. ?
I just finished the return of the king! I understand why you guys have trouble with this series, there’s definitely a lot of boring parts in the book but the good stuff is exceptionally good
I tried to read this years ago after reading and loving the Hobbit. I really liked the first book, then got hopelessly bogged down in the second book and never finished it. Then after the movies came out, I tried reading it again. Surprise! I read all 3 volumes and enjoyed them all.
Same here! I generally like Stephen King, but just couldn’t do it. I tried watching the tv series and bailed quickly. Still not sure if it was the bad acting or silly premise.
I gave up on the tv show too because it just seemed so ridiculous. I wasn’t sure if the book had all of that crazy alien stuff in it, to that extreme, but I was annoyed.
Too many people with the same name. I got half way through it and put it down. Magical realism with politics mixed in too. It just wasn’t my type of fiction. You may enjoy it.
I’ve tried to enjoy it…three times. Magical realism with politics mixed in (as June mentioned ??) just isn’t working for me in this case. Give it a try. I see a few books on this list that I fully enjoyed.
Sophie’s Choice. It was brilliant but I was pregnant when I was reading it and when I got to the “choice” scene I was so upset I put it down and never picked it up again.
Totally! I have this one too. I had such high expectations and still haven’t been past why they decided to have the fair in Chicago. ? I was like “wow”, and put back in it’s spot. ?
I managed to finish it, but kept thinking if you gender flipped it and had a man wake up one day to decide he was no longer in love with his wife and pissed off to Europe to sleep around and whinged that his wife was dragging her feet on the divorce… That man would now be dead via hateful mob
Lincoln and the Bardo. I kept hearing all the great reviews of the audiobook. I don’t get what the big deal is. I don’t see how it’s likely to win a Pulitzer. Granted, I still have a couple hours of audio to finish that I keep putting off, but I’m going to finish it at some point. I’ve been saying that for awhile though.
It was a book better heard. The audio book was amazing and I followed along with the print book. It was amazing but did take the two layer approach to fully appreciate.
Fifty Shades of Grey that my other half thought I might like. I nearly died of boredom. If there hasn’t been a murder by at least page 10 I have zero interest. Unless it’s by Terry Pratchett or J.K Rowling….then I’m very interested.
The only reason I could ever appreciate that series is because the stigma for raunchy novels lifted just a little smidge and access to better ones was made just a little bit easier.
Yes, a lot of people love this one. Jeremy Irons narrates the audiobook and seems to do well based on what I’ve heard. Maybe I will give it another go after I finish the book I’m on now.
And Ladies of the Club. It was a gift, I usually always read gift books no matter what (weird I know). I’ve started it 4-5 times and just cannot get into it
You should pick that series back up. I didn’t like The Wastelands as much as the others in the series. Books 4 and 5 are a lot better than that one in my opinion.
The Great Gatsby. I’ve had to read a synopsis and watch portions of the movie. I hate the writing and I hate the story. I know it’s sacrilege but I just cannot get around it. It’s crap.
Well it was years ago so it might be different now…and it was a book I really wanted to read…bit every time I picked it up I just couldn’t get into it. I tried and the more I tried the more my mind rebelled. I’m not even sure why. Maybe after this, I’ll try again
That was my first read of 2017 after Richard Adams passed away. I realized I had never read it. It was so boring that it took me all month to finish. But I finished it. I spent $5 on the Kindle version. My daughter’s close friends have that as a “favorite” and I just couldn’t.
I’m someone who insists on finishing books, and I just could not force myself through Cloud Atlas. The writing was self-indulgent and the characters were flat. Maybe the movie is better?
I tried to read Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman, this week. Could not stay with it. It is the first I tried of hers. I wonder if I should try a different one. So many love her.
Have you heard if the app Serial Reader? It’s free and it breaks down classic books into small bite-size pieces that you can read once a day. I just started The Lost World by Doyle.
Lord of the Rings. I was twice given it as a present, and both times I tried to get through it and failed. Found it very dull. A shame, because I enjoyed The Hobbit very much.
I finished it. It took me a while. Basically. Man commits murder just because he could. Man feels bad about it. Man confesses. Man is sent to a Gulag. Man feels better. A book about not being able to live with yourself.
@Colin Sounds like a narcissist character who commits abuse because he wants to, confesses only because he feels bad and wants to feel better by the confession rather than because of feeling guilty at what he did! Maybe glad I didn’t finish it!
I have tried about 6 times to get in to it and for some reason never can. I desperately want to love it! I think the backwards part is messing with my brain. Is that in every copy?
War and Peace. I’m halfway through it. I occasionally pull it off the shelf and read a chapter. Sorry, Tolstoy, but it’s a struggle. The translation is acknowledged as well-done but…
I hated the writing. Felt manipulative and pretentious. Lots of irritating repetitive descriptors. It felt like it was consciously “artistic” – like the author was trying to purposely write an award winner. It lacked authenticity for me. I might have been able to handle it for a couple of hundred pages. Not for almost 600. It just seemed like he tried too hard. Bring narrated by Death was just strange. Strange can be ok but it didn’t work for me. I thought most characters lacked depth in a way that felt superficial or phony. After all the rave reviews I was profoundly disappointed in this book.
@Monica I just had a hard time getting into it altogether. Several people have told me how much they love it so I will maybe try again someday. But it just wasn’t for me the first couple of tries.
@Lacey I was the only one in my book club that couldn’t finish it. Everyone else said they loved it. I love reading about our likes and dislikes on books. It is really eye opening.
I never finished A Series of Unfortunate Events. You couldn’t pay me enough to finish Twilight. I made it halfway through the second book. Wouldn’t have ever made it that far, except someone told me they got better. Bleh.
I’m actually sad I wasn’t able to finish that journey as you say… And I know there is more to it than just a sailor’s story… But those words were too difficult for me… ?
I know… I love all the classics I can lay my hands on… After this conversation I might go and get my copy and give it another go… One chapter at a time ?
Some chapters are a slog through shipping and whaling terms, but the story is superb, and it all comes together at the end for a dramatic finale. I was glad I stuck with it.
@Teresa I dragged myself through half of the book on three different occasions. It’s just not the book for me. I so wanted to finish it but I couldn’t tell the difference between the characters. They all had the same voice. It totally did NOT turn on the movie projector in my head, so with sadness, I gave my copy to someone who loved it. There is a reader for every book – MoA and I just couldn’t make it work. 🙂
@Barbara It is the favorite book of several THOUSAND people, and I tried and I tried – paper, audio – just couldn’t drag myself through. I terribly want to love it, but, alas, I just can’t. 🙁
Well I might be crazy but I have read all 5 books by E.L. James, they are ok and also helped open the doors to books where is taboo theme. But it isn’t my favorite but it was ok. Or maybe I can’t see any book like waste of time.
Trajectory……….it was a book that had some short stories. I only read the first one . It was poorly written and hard to follow the plot. Instead of reading the rest of them I returned the book to the library. I figured if the first one was so confusing then the rest of them had to be too. I think somebody named Russo wrote it.
One of hers in particular was The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. I liked the first half of the book,and then the story changed so completely that I threw the book down in disgust. Maybe it was just me, but I couldn’t finish that book.
I only read Ulysses because I took a James Joyce class last year. We read Dubliners and Ulysses, I’m so glad I took the class, I really enjoyed it, but I wouldn’t have read it on my own.
Infinite Jest is the best book I’ve ever read. Maybe try the audiobook if you’re interested in getting through it. The narrator is really good, and they book really picks up later on.
Funny story: I liked it. Or at least I liked the bits I got to read over and over again. (Almost) every chapter/protagonist is interesting enough but there isn’t enough glue to put them together and make me wanna keep on reading. It’s the structure really, it reads like short stories and I’m no fan of those.
The weird thing is, I am an avid Stephen King fan. I had read almost everything he wrote up to that point, but I just couldn’t get past the first third. It sets on my shelf with the bookmarker where I gave up. There are other books by him I have never read, but none that I had started but couldn’t finish.
It took me five years to read Lolita. I’m a completist; I usually refuse to give up completely. I’ll have to think hard to remember a book I’ve never finished.
Inheritance, by Christopher Paolini. My daughter and I agreed to read each other’s favorite books. She gave me inheritance, I gave her White Oleander. She had the easier time of it, I’m sure. I have no doubt that Inheritance is a great book, fantasy is just not my preferred genre.
I grew up in Castro Valle,Ca as one of 4 black families. Our class watched the film and it caused me great unease. I know it is a classic and should be in my catalog of READ pieces…but i just cannot get through it.
Patty, if you’ve read other Dickens books (and enjoyed them) then you’ll probably like Oliver Twist. I’ve only read A Christmas Carol and Oliver Twist, but I love both.
Sallie, that’s fair. I know that Dickens isn’t for everybody.
Great expectations is one of my fave books !! But I didn’t like the chimes by him so idk ? he’s an amazing writer tho even if I don’t like all his stuff
You could always start Oliver Twist, and then if you don’t like it, you don’t have to finish it. I think it’s worth a shot. If you like any movies made based on it (I love Oliver & Company the Disney movie, for example), you’ll probably like the book, then.
Patty Lovell Interesting. I liked Great Expectations, Tale of Two Cities, and Christmas Carol, thought Chimes was ok-ish and got through David Copperfield with no problems either. Also liked Cricket on the Hearth and Curiosity Shop.
The one and ONLY book I have actually thrown in the trash. Was in the “classics” section in the bookstore. Should have been in the Hardcore Porn section. Still mortified I made it as far as I did in the book out of morbid curiosity.
The Host by Stephenie Meyer. I’ve picked it up so many times only to put it down and start something new. Its not a bad book either. I don’t know what my problem is.
Love in the Time of Cholera. I kept on falling asleep. I read the first chapter 4-5times. Years later, here I am… I bought the Spanish version and the Spanish audiobook in hope that I’ll be able to finish it at last. ??
I read Moby Dick because it was assigned. The writing is almost superhuman and overall, I thought the book magnificent — breathtaking — possibly the greatest I have ever read. That was in college and I certainly intended to read it again, several times. Now that I’m a great grandmother, I keep thinking I’d better get around to it ~
This doesn’t really count, because I didn’t even try. 3 chapters in I said “I hate this!” And stuffed it into the bag for Goodwill. It was called “The Small Backs of Children” & nothing about the synopsis led me to believe that it would include graphic descriptions of sadomasochistic 3 ways with lesbian prostitutes. Just, never mind!
Seriously was! It started with a little girl running from a war zone & being taken in by a solitary female farmer, which was fine. Then switched to that ugliness. I don’t even know why.
This totally counts. Reading 1 page is an attempt. You got through 3 chapters. This sounds horrible. I hope you found a good read to erase that memory.
Yup it was published in October 2015 — it is “Mountain Shadow” by Gregory David Roberts and provides resolution to many of Shantaram’s open endings and further stories of characters who we thought had vanished after a brief mention
omggg that book messed me up so much. i still think about Guts and the “pearls” he brings up when i’m near a pool ? clearly some vivid storytelling if i still remember years later
I struggle to read anything by him. He does this wonderful job at storytelling, but the topics are nightmarish in a way that never leaves you. *shudder*
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. I thought it was going to be good but I hated it and stopped reading it about 1/6 of the way in. Later someone compared it to Dickens and I thought, aha, no wonder. (I hated Dickens too but did finish Great Expectations because it was for school.)
I’m reading this now and really enjoying it! Although I remember struggling with it when it came out! Sometime you have to be in the right mood to click with a book.
Never happened. I always grit my teeth and finish it. Bookworm’s code of honour. (I once had a counsellor who said I approach books with more honour than people. I still haven’t worked out why this is a bad thing.)
The Count of Montecristo. Stunning start, wonderful main character. Then, Dumas did all he could to just drag the story and exploit the success he was having (it was a serial romance). Only time in my life I believed the full version it’s not the one to be read.
Did you just not like the direction the plot was going? I ask, because, like many, I read this in high school, and not many books have remained as vivid as this one. It speaks to the need to tame and socialize children (boys in particular!). And the ending: whoa!
Well I couldn’t make myself read more than the first 4 chapters which I read 3 times , mainly because I didn’t find it much interesting and partly because of the slow paste of the evolution of the plot and because how the other kids kept making fun of Biggy although he came up with brilliant ideas for them to survive and surely was the most mature and intelligent one out of them , I just couldn’t be patient to finish it then judge , but maybe I’ll start reading it some time later this year , also sorry for the late reply.
@Khawla I don’t think your life will be bereft if you do not read it… It just has interesting pacing that builds to a stunning climax that is vivid and impactfulful!
I heard so many people say it was life-changing – I tried it and found it to be patronising and dull, but that is the beauty of literature – we each have our own tastes and the ability to take different things from the same text 🙂
This thread makes me chuckle, because of the big variety of opinions on different books. Aren’t preferences interesting? I am also chuckling because in a group focused on reading, the list of books people could not finish continues to get longer!
Most recently stopped for me: The Bookseller of Kabul. It didn’t even grab me by the first fifth or so.
Yes. This was exactly why I started this discussion. I am also having fun going through the comments. So many of my favourites have been mentioned in the comments, along with so many popular titles.
Based on this thread I was also thinking about how books sometimes fit differently into different phases of life. I know there are books that I loved in my twenties that I would probably think are a little shallow as a 40 yr old. But also they hit us differently if we are going through a major life change/event, or if we have traveled somewhere that we want to know more about, etc.
A Gentleman in Moscow: A Novel by Amor Towles. I loved the main character and learned some interesting information about Russian history through the Count’s experiences. But, the writing style was so slow, detail oriented and downright tedious to me, I just had to give up. There are too many wonderful books on my list to waste time!
I read The Hobbit because my favorite cousin loved those books. But I only got about 30 pages into The Lord of the Rings and put it down and never looked back. I haven’t seen any of the movies either.
@Bonnie I worked in bookstores for years and years. People were evangelize about Atlas Shrugged in the aisles. I alway said “if you walk into my store and ask for Atlas Shrugged, I judge you.” It was true. Very few books could make me lose interest in a customer faster.
You’re not supposed to “like” it. It’s supposed to make you think. I saw the movie when it came out; I thought it was an excellent movie, but I never wanted to see it again OR read the book.
I listened to the Secret History audiobook. Tartt narrates it herself and I enjoyed every minute of it, almost as much as The Goldfinch. The Little Friend is next for me.
Now, after my best friend and my youngest son had both praised Murakami, I had to read him, and not one, but about ten books. And I must say: I was not impressed. His writing and my reading simply did not match. I gave nine of the ten books away for free, wouldn’t even ask a euro for them, but I did keep the tenth one: The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles, which I still intend to read again.
Game of Thrones. I tried twice with the book (page 50 and page 200 respectively), once with the audio book, and lasted about 4 episodes of the TV series. Never cared for the characters.
oooh I have another one. Infinite Jest. I found it impossible to get past page 50. And a waste of precious life to try. I mean honestly, it is one of those books I have heard people say “going to attempt to…” and “have been trying to…” about over and over and over again. And I am thinking…why bother? Seems like one of those books people like to have on their shelves and claim they have read. But rare is the person who has actually read it.
Infinite Jest is the best book I’ve ever read. The first hundred pages or so are slow. Once you’ve finished it, the beginning makes more sense. It’s not an easy read at first, but it gets better. The audiobook is also amzazing. It’s probably the best performance I’ve ever heard. IJ is the only book I’d take the time to read or listen to more than once. Give it another shot. ??
mistborn by Brandon Sanderson. I tried 2 times and even with audio and I got so fed up I gave my entire series away! It was like reading a text book! I had to take notes of every character and I couldn’t care less about the metals.
I got through the first two. It was the third in the series that tripped me up. Time had passed both in the books and in life. Didn’t remember a thing from the previous two books. Couldn’t figure out what was happening in the third. Sold mine to Half Price books.
I have been reading off and on, “Code Name Verity” and I just can’t get it finished, because it just isn’t holding my attention when I read it. I have been told to read it all the way through, that it will be worth it, but I cringe whenever I see it on my shelf.
The Help. I know the book had rave reviews but for some reason I could just not get into the book and finally just put it up. Maybe I will try again at some point.
The audio version is excellent.
the Association of Black Women Historians Hate that book so I didn’t read it.
Me either I tried for a month ?
Same here! I also hated the movie ? But hey it’s still on my shelf and I still love books. That’s all that matters ???✌️
Haha. This book was mentioned twice on this post. Will see what it’s about.
I started it three times. Just cant get into it
The God of Small Things.
I’m with you!
I liked it. ? Why didn’t you?
@Syed just couldn’t get through it. Long descriptions, little action. Not my kind of read.
Still working of The Goldfinch
I had the push through that one, but was glad I did.
I finally downloaded it to my kindle.. Thinking that it will be easier…
Took me a long time and I listened to it.
I’m afraid to read it because I love love love The Secret History but this one got such terrible reviews.
Cold Mountain – graphic war scenes
The portrait of an artist as a young man
I don’t know why, because I don’t even think it is a bad book, but I have never made it through “Catch-22.” I always seem to get stuck in the middle and then somehow abandon it. I guess that’s my paradox and coincidence that it is with this book?
The Son
which one? I find three different authors.
@Monica Philip Meyer.
The Amber Spyglass, Book III of His Dark Materials (Pullman). I think I’m going to start from Book I again, as soon as I can find the time. 🙂
I barely got through The Golden Compass. I love Philip Pullman as a speaker but I find his writing lacking. The flow is terrible and it’s all too over-complicated. I wanted to love it, but I really disliked it.
The Golden Compass was great IMO, but then the flow went indeed south. 🙂 Lots of good ideas (those daemons!), though.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Same!!! (Posted below)
It was a textbook which I never enjoyed. Nightmare
Jonanthan Strange and Mr. Norrell.. I couldn’t do it. It was painful.
The Lord of the Rings and I mean the whole trilogy. I know that this book is classic but I have never understand why Tolkien is so popular or how it isn’t so boring to read how people riding around the forest almost ten or even more pages.
I bought the box set of 3 books and couldn’t get through one.. Totally didn’t get what’s so great. Ended up giving away the almost new set to colleagues. ?
I agree. I’ve never been able to get into any of Tolkien.
I just finished the return of the king! I understand why you guys have trouble with this series, there’s definitely a lot of boring parts in the book but the good stuff is exceptionally good
Never picked it up. Heard very mixed reviews from friends from ‘boring’ to ‘exceptional’.
I feel like it takes a lot for me to be bored by a book sometimes. The story is good but Tolkien didn’t know how to write very well lol .
I tried to read this years ago after reading and loving the Hobbit. I really liked the first book, then got hopelessly bogged down in the second book and never finished it. Then after the movies came out, I tried reading it again. Surprise! I read all 3 volumes and enjoyed them all.
It took forever to get through book one. Then I loved book two. Book three was like seriously that is the epic love? So much walking.
Unbroken
I loved this book, so sad, but I enjoyed the read.
Too much trauma to a human being.
I loved it but I did skip some of the chapters about the Japanese prisoner camp. It went on way too long.
It took a long time for me to get through it, that book sits on your soul.
I stopped about 40 pages through. I really struggled with the way it was written.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
I’m curious, why?
It didn’t hold me either.
Not sure? It sounded really good but I have tried a couple times and just couldn’t get into it…
Ok. I was just curious. It worked for me. That’s what wonderful…a book for everyone.
It took me two tries to finish…I had a hard time syncing with the letter format. I did enjoy it, however!
I might have to give it another try ?
I couldn’t get in to it when reading, but I really enjoyed the audiobook.
I DNFed that one too.
IT
The Narrow Road to the Deep North. I only read a little bit but was SO bored I couldn’t go on. I probably didn’t give it a fair chance.
The help
Thank You! I thought it was just me!
Shop Girl by Steve Martin. 20 years later and I am still traumatized at how bad it was.
And my husband loved it. I didn’t even try. Chocolate and vanilla.
I liked it.
The Weaker Sex by Antonia Fraser.
Harriet that may have do with when you read it. What was new is sometimes old.
Under the dome. It started off so good but it was so long and I would sporadically lose interest. Then I finally just watched the TV show.
I read it and hated the ending so much I was sorry I ever started it!
Same here! I generally like Stephen King, but just couldn’t do it. I tried watching the tv series and bailed quickly. Still not sure if it was the bad acting or silly premise.
What’s the ending lol
I gave up on the tv show too because it just seemed so ridiculous. I wasn’t sure if the book had all of that crazy alien stuff in it, to that extreme, but I was annoyed.
I loved the book (including the ending) but gave up on the TV show which was so different from the book and seemed to lose its way.
The Gunslinger by Stephen King, Just couldn’t get into it at all. Husband loves the whole series though.
Oh and the book You, hated the voice, writing style and the pace.
One Hundred Years of Solitude
I didn’t finish this one either. Can’t understand why all the accolades for it.
I have only heard praise for it and was to purchase it next week. What made you not like it?
Too many people with the same name. I got half way through it and put it down. Magical realism with politics mixed in too. It just wasn’t my type of fiction. You may enjoy it.
I’ve tried to enjoy it…three times. Magical realism with politics mixed in (as June mentioned ??) just isn’t working for me in this case. Give it a try. I see a few books on this list that I fully enjoyed.
Recently, The Age of Innocence
Sophie’s Choice. It was brilliant but I was pregnant when I was reading it and when I got to the “choice” scene I was so upset I put it down and never picked it up again.
Every mother is still upset. Pregnant? No. It’s really wonderful but it haunts you forever.
Devil in the White City.
Totally! I have this one too. I had such high expectations and still haven’t been past why they decided to have the fair in Chicago. ? I was like “wow”, and put back in it’s spot. ?
@Berdina I tried a couple of times, but obviously that book is not for me.
I really liked it!
@Berdina ?
“Eat, Pray, Love” — I could not stand her writing or her as a person.
I managed to finish it, but kept thinking if you gender flipped it and had a man wake up one day to decide he was no longer in love with his wife and pissed off to Europe to sleep around and whinged that his wife was dragging her feet on the divorce… That man would now be dead via hateful mob
Grey!
You mean, the E. L. James book?
Yes.
Lincoln and the Bardo. I kept hearing all the great reviews of the audiobook. I don’t get what the big deal is. I don’t see how it’s likely to win a Pulitzer. Granted, I still have a couple hours of audio to finish that I keep putting off, but I’m going to finish it at some point. I’ve been saying that for awhile though.
Well. It won the Booker last year. So I decided to give it a try. Was not impressed.
It was a book better heard. The audio book was amazing and I followed along with the print book. It was amazing but did take the two layer approach to fully appreciate.
I listened on audio. I still have about 2 hours of it left. I listen to a lot of audiobooks, and this one I cannot like.
I liked The Tenth of December better than Bardo
The Swan Gondola by Timothy Schaffert. It’s not that it isn’t good, I just couldn’t connect to the characters. And it wasn’t very intriguing to me.
Fifty Shades of Grey that my other half thought I might like. I nearly died of boredom. If there hasn’t been a murder by at least page 10 I have zero interest.
Unless it’s by Terry Pratchett or J.K Rowling….then I’m very interested.
I do not understand this one either. There are plenty of raunchy romance novels out there. So poorly written.
This! It was horribly written!
The only reason I could ever appreciate that series is because the stigma for raunchy novels lifted just a little smidge and access to better ones was made just a little bit easier.
Just finished, sooooo boring, listened to the audio version and the reader sounded like a robot!???♀️?
I want the information and knowledge but damn I just can’t make myself read it lol
Farewell to Arms. So much waily waily and oh woes…
Yep, forgot about that one. I realized pretty quick….I am not going to enjoy this one.
This is my third time trying to read Lolita. I’m hoping to finally finish it this time, because I do like his prose style…
Lolita is one I couldn’t get into at all. I stopped and started a few times, but never made it too far.
Awe that’s my fave book !
I loved Lolita! His writing was so good.
Yes, a lot of people love this one. Jeremy Irons narrates the audiobook and seems to do well based on what I’ve heard. Maybe I will give it another go after I finish the book I’m on now.
The Kite Runner.
Really? I loved the Kite Runner. What didn’t you like about it?
Fates and Furies
And Ladies of the Club. It was a gift, I usually always read gift books no matter what (weird I know). I’ve started it 4-5 times and just cannot get into it
Loved it! ☺
Moby Dick
I know 1 person that has legit read that book. ?
I made it almost to the end, which is unlike me for books I loathe. BLEH.
The wedding by Nicholas sparks
The Sun Also Rises by Hemingway. Was for book club. Decided to watch the movie while drinking wine with girlfriend. STILL couldn’t finish the movie!
The book changed my life! Maybe you have to be a teenager.
Shantaram….i just cant get into it
The green mile
Ulysses by James Joyce. Tried twice. Impenetrable.
I’ve heard similar things about Ulysses. I’ve always been tempted to give it a try but never have.
My friend did his doctorate thesis on Ulysses. Not for me either.
Wicked. I’m not a fantasy fan.
Moby Dick
No one finishes that book ?
@Jaimie I actually have a friend who loved it! Go figure…
My friends dad lives it!!! He’s the only one I know that has read the entire book lol
@Jaimie Yeah I have just that one friend. Anyone else I know ?
Naked Lunch
I liked it a lot but I know what u mean. It was super hard to read . Loved it tho lol
Villette by Charlotte bronte ?
I bought Jane Eyre yesterday. Have you read it? What did you think of it?
@Syed one of my all time favourites :)) it’s amazing
Am glad! ?
@Syed I loved Jane Eyre. So many people told me to read it, I put it off for years. I couldn’t put it down.
The woman in cabin 10. I tried so hard lol
Dust
Gone Girl and Girl on the Train
I never did read it all. That book makes me have anxiety they way it’s written ???
@Nina I put them both down. The “literary voice” of the gone girl made me wanted her gone.
I couldn’t finish Girl on the Train too! Gone Girl got better as it went along.
One hundred years of solitude!!
Me too!!! Just couldn’t get through it and I tried many times.
Actually, I thought i was the only one …
So many people adore this book. I did not. I left it with 25 pages to go.
Same!
Ugh. I was just about to start it.
I loved it so start reading and see what YOU think.
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez.
For the love of God Twilight!
….Harry Potter.
Me too! I don’t get the big deal…
This is blasphemous. You have been marked… ??♀️ lol
I know… Lol ?
The 3rd book of King’s Dark Tower …. Just lost interest. May pick it up again in the future when my TBR list is smaller.
You should pick that series back up. I didn’t like The Wastelands as much as the others in the series. Books 4 and 5 are a lot better than that one in my opinion.
A lot of people say book 4 is the best of the series, though I thought 4 and 5 were both great.
The Grapes of Wrath. I know it’s a classic to but it was sooooo boring.
I liked it a lot ❤ the ending is amazing
Made me cry
I was also in high school at the time soooooo
I read this in high school (about 40 years ago) and its still one of those books that sticks in my memory.
Missoula
Trinity. Even with an Irish background, a fondness for the author, and three separate attempts, I just couldn’t do it.
My dad’s book. Honest to god, I’ve tried to read it a dozen times over the years. Nope. Nada. No go. Best sleep aid ever. ?
Little women ?
Gone Girl
The Satanic Verses
Catch 22
In Cold Blood
American Gods
Was about to purchase. Why?
I just didn’t like the plot or the characters but I think I’m the minority. Most people love this book.
The Great Gatsby. I’ve had to read a synopsis and watch portions of the movie. I hate the writing and I hate the story. I know it’s sacrilege but I just cannot get around it. It’s crap.
This is blasphemy! ?
I figured I am just not intellectual enough… yawn… didn’t even make 50 pages which is my rule. Too many other good books to read!!!
@Syed I know, but I am unashamed. One man’s treasure…
I read it… but reading it made me fall asleep often.
My favorite. Just my opinion.
The Stand. Just creeped me out too much!
Oh, this is one of my favorites!
The Confederacy of Dunces
Mansfield Park
Anna Karennina
Haven’t started this one yet. On my TBR for 2018. Why didn’t you like it?
Well it was years ago so it might be different now…and it was a book I really wanted to read…bit every time I picked it up I just couldn’t get into it. I tried and the more I tried the more my mind rebelled. I’m not even sure why. Maybe after this, I’ll try again
Oh I got through that but yeah, wasn’t love.
I could never get through this one until I tried the audio version. I actually enjoyed the story that way.
War and peace
Catch-22
The Book Thief
Watership Down. Don’t know why.
That was my first read of 2017 after Richard Adams passed away. I realized I had never read it. It was so boring that it took me all month to finish. But I finished it. I spent $5 on the Kindle version. My daughter’s close friends have that as a “favorite” and I just couldn’t.
Agreed!
Dune.
I’m someone who insists on finishing books, and I just could not force myself through Cloud Atlas. The writing was self-indulgent and the characters were flat. Maybe the movie is better?
Same.. and don’t bother with the movie either..
Movie made it somewhere better. But still mot worth seeing
I enjoyed the movie, but never tried the book.
Shantaram
The Probable Future by Alice Hoffman. I love many of her other books.?
Love Alice Hoffman! One of my favs, but she can be a little on the dark side in some of her books
I tried to read Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman, this week. Could not stay with it. It is the first I tried of hers. I wonder if I should try a different one. So many love her.
The DaVinci Code. Bored me to tears.
Omg yes!!!! Torture
I agree.
I still haven’t read it or seen the movie
See once I got a little further into it, I really enjoyed it and couldn’t put it down.
@Courtney i got at least 3/4 through.
Hush hush series
Anne of Green gables
Catch 22. Twice!
Forrest Gump gave me headaches, but Catch 22 – ACK!
Hidden Figures. Read like a textbook in many places.
Dead Wake. So violent. I couldn’t bear it.
I didn’t even get to any violence, I started going cross-eyed at the beginning when there were SO many details about the ship! Enough already! ?
Cider House Rules. Boring.
Shogun
war and peace tried 5 times
Have you heard if the app Serial Reader? It’s free and it breaks down classic books into small bite-size pieces that you can read once a day. I just started The Lost World by Doyle.
Great Expectations (in HS). But then I couldn’t put it down when I tried again 30 years later. Lol
Lord of the Rings. I was twice given it as a present, and both times I tried to get through it and failed. Found it very dull. A shame, because I enjoyed The Hobbit very much.
Wuthering Heights. So boring, and I hated Heathcliff!
Gone with the wind – boring and boring and boring
Catch 22
The Passage – it had just way too many point of view characters. I don’t like books with too many story lines to follow.
World War Z – Same problem.
Crime & Punishment by Dostoyevsky
It is one of my favourites! Why couldn’t you finish it?
I finished it. It took me a while. Basically. Man commits murder just because he could. Man feels bad about it. Man confesses. Man is sent to a Gulag. Man feels better. A book about not being able to live with yourself.
@Syed I couldn’t get into the style of writing from what I remember! Maybe I’ll try again now I’m about 20 years older hh
@Colin Sounds like a narcissist character who commits abuse because he wants to, confesses only because he feels bad and wants to feel better by the confession rather than because of feeling guilty at what he did! Maybe glad I didn’t finish it!
@Marie Basically yes. The book suggests that you can do an evil act, but you will have to live it.
@Colin Thanks Colin!
Memoirs of a Geisha
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
It’s been years, but I still have the books in hopes to try again one day.
I really enjoyed listening to Memoirs of a Geisha. Great reader on that one.
@Darleen, I’m saddened! Both of these are favorites of mine! I hope you give them another chance.
House of Leaves
Such a good book, but definitely a struggle.
Started it recently based on the recommendation of a friend. We will see how it goes.
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
One of my favorites!
I have tried about 6 times to get in to it and for some reason never can. I desperately want to love it! I think the backwards part is messing with my brain. Is that in every copy?
@Morgan Me too! I love the diverse opinions on this site, though!
Twilight lol
I must agree!!! It actually has a good plot, but the writing is atrocious. So lazy! This is one case where the movies actually were so much better!
War and Peace. I’m halfway through it. I occasionally pull it off the shelf and read a chapter. Sorry, Tolstoy, but it’s a struggle. The translation is acknowledged as well-done but…
I couldn’t finish that one too when I tried in my early 20’s!
And The Mountains Echoed
Gone Girl — TOO much jumping around, I could not handle it
I hated all of the characters. Didn’t care if she was dead and didn’t care if he did it. They were awful people.
Lord of the Rings
Naked Lunch. I tried, I really tried.
Beautiful creatures
Gone girl
Atonement
The Book Thief
I was just about to start it, I need to get it back to the library soon. Why do you think you couldn’t finish it?
I hated the writing. Felt manipulative and pretentious. Lots of irritating repetitive descriptors. It felt like it was consciously “artistic” – like the author was trying to purposely write an award winner. It lacked authenticity for me. I might have been able to handle it for a couple of hundred pages. Not for almost 600. It just seemed like he tried too hard. Bring narrated by Death was just strange. Strange can be ok but it didn’t work for me. I thought most characters lacked depth in a way that felt superficial or phony. After all the rave reviews I was profoundly disappointed in this book.
@Susan
I thumbed through it and read a few pages and I think I might pass…SO many books out there!!
Thank you for your thoughtful review! ?
@Lisa btw…I saw several people agreed with you…The Book Thief was a book they couldn’t finish. ?
Cold Mountain
Was it too violent for you as well? I was sick reading it.
@Monica I just had a hard time getting into it altogether. Several people have told me how much they love it so I will maybe try again someday. But it just wasn’t for me the first couple of tries.
@Lacey I was the only one in my book club that couldn’t finish it. Everyone else said they loved it. I love reading about our likes and dislikes on books. It is really eye opening.
I loved it ?.
I never finished A Series of Unfortunate Events. You couldn’t pay me enough to finish Twilight. I made it halfway through the second book. Wouldn’t have ever made it that far, except someone told me they got better. Bleh.
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
War and peace. Tried repeatedly. Even bought it so I could finish it at home. Lol
The Dead Wake…all the details of the ship! ?
Kon Tiki. Same problem.
Eat Pray Love
I only liked the “eat” part and quit after that…her descriptions of Italy (or was it Sicily?) and her epicurious adventures were fun to read.
The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks
The Secret
Gravity’s Rainbow
LotR. Why does it take three pages and 70 adjectives to describe a forest ? (hyperbole, but still)
The Book Thief. Got halfway through and found the characters boring sadly ?
Moby Dick, by H. Melville… People say it’s brilliant but all that sailor’s vocabulary is too much for me…
Melville delivered the literal concept of journey through this book. It was honestly a JOURNEY going through it.
I’m actually sad I wasn’t able to finish that journey as you say… And I know there is more to it than just a sailor’s story… But those words were too difficult for me… ?
It’s such a classic. If you’re into raw literature you’ll appreciate it.
I know… I love all the classics I can lay my hands on… After this conversation I might go and get my copy and give it another go… One chapter at a time ?
Glad to hear that, and feel free to let us know your thoughts on it. ?
I will ?… Hoping I won’t give up this time…
Some chapters are a slog through shipping and whaling terms, but the story is superb, and it all comes together at the end for a dramatic finale. I was glad I stuck with it.
All this makes me wish I had been more courageous! ?
Crime and Punishment
Catch 22
Pillars of the Earth
Mists of Avalon.
Just can’t.
oh,also that time travel one by Gibaldon. Just can’t.
In The Mists of Avalon the first chapter or two are awful to get thru, but later it is great. Skip them and then go back.
@Teresa I dragged myself through half of the book on three different occasions. It’s just not the book for me. I so wanted to finish it but I couldn’t tell the difference between the characters. They all had the same voice. It totally did NOT turn on the movie projector in my head, so with sadness, I gave my copy to someone who loved it. There is a reader for every book – MoA and I just couldn’t make it work. 🙂
Pillars is one of my ABSOLUTE favorite books!!
@Barbara It is the favorite book of several THOUSAND people, and I tried and I tried – paper, audio – just couldn’t drag myself through. I terribly want to love it, but, alas, I just can’t. 🙁
I also can’t get into the Gibaldon one. Dirty Scotsmen don’t do it for me.
@Teresa rape as entertainment is what caused me to just set it aside.
@Rosemary yup. I am not interested in a “savage” lover. Give me Mr Darcy any day (or Colonel Brandon as played by Alan Rickman)
Game of Thrones. The first one.
I know! Too many characters in the first 100 pages for me – I don’t have time for that much memorization!
The Man in the High Castle
Wicked. Yuck!
The Zookeeper Wife
I got about 3 paragraphs into that one.
Ditto
Same here!
The youngest templar
50 Shades of Gray
Well yes, there’s that. My hair stylist loved all three and I bought them from her. I can’t read bad writing. I just can’t.
The Unbearable Lightness of Being. I tried so hard to get through it.
Velocity by Dean Koontz
It was difficult to finish.
50 shades. Omg the worst written book in the history of the world. Seriously atrocious writing.
E. L. James studied at my University, so I am quite tempted to read the books. ? Is it really that bad? ?
Don’t worry, we also gave the world David Mitchell and Kazuo Ishiguro, so it pretty much worked out well. ?
Well I might be crazy but I have read all 5 books by E.L. James, they are ok and also helped open the doors to books where is taboo theme. But it isn’t my favorite but it was ok. Or maybe I can’t see any book like waste of time.
I don’t care about taboo themes but I couldn’t get through the horrific writing. It was seriously painful.
I completely agree! It was so badly written. I still finished it cause I just have to, but it was really really bad.
I was trying to read it in the pool and it got wet and I literally threw it in the trash.
I got stuck on Game of Thrones.
Was “planning” to start Zoo Keepers Wife this weekend. We will see how it goes….
Silence of the Lambs.
War and Peace.
Beloved by Toni Morrison. I’ve read the beginning of that book at least 4 different times.
Gone Girl
The Girl from Munich.
The Host
The Historian. This got rave reviews but I could not get into it and I tried 3 times.
Me too.
girl on the train
The Last days of Magic. I just could not get into it.
American Gods. Tried like 5 x
I tried twice.
I quit reading it too.
Absolutely bizarre!!
No!!!! I love AG
Girl on the Train
Trajectory……….it was a book that had some short stories. I only read the first one . It was poorly written and hard to follow the plot. Instead of reading the rest of them I returned the book to the library. I figured if the first one was so confusing then the rest of them had to be too. I think somebody named Russo wrote it.
I Captured the Castle.
2666. I’m sure it must have gotten better. .. at some point.
1984 by Orwell ?. But still, I will keep fighting to finish it.
Really? I love 1984.
I finished it, although I thought the ideas it contained were more interesting than the characters or the storyline.
Yes, I liked it too, but found it a bit difficult to finish. NOW I am more motivated to finish it.? Thanks ??
Seriously? Loved loved that book.
Just finished it, but skipped over “The Book”.
I bitterly slogged my way through the Dune trilogy. I have to admit I did complete it….but only just. And out of sheer stubbornness.
I loved them!
Though I’ve read several I have not finished many of Oprah’s book club books. ????
One of hers in particular was The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. I liked the first half of the book,and then the story changed so completely that I threw the book down in disgust. Maybe it was just me, but I couldn’t finish that book.
It isn’t just you.
Life After Life-Kate Atkinson
and
Casual Vacancy-JK Rowling. I tried both a few times and finally gave up.
Ditto on Casual Vacancy! I wanted to like it sooo much, but I just couldn’t get through it.
Ministry of Utmost Happiness
Room.
The Cuckoo’s Calling
Ulysses
I only read Ulysses because I took a James Joyce class last year. We read Dubliners and Ulysses, I’m so glad I took the class, I really enjoyed it, but I wouldn’t have read it on my own.
The Borrowers
Paying Guests
50 Shades!!!!!!!
Infinite Jest…I’ve tried multiple books by David Foster Wallace but just….can’t. ??
Infinite Jest is the best book I’ve ever read. Maybe try the audiobook if you’re interested in getting through it. The narrator is really good, and they book really picks up later on.
Thanks, I’ll try that!
Homegoing
What was it that you didn’t like about it?
Funny story: I liked it. Or at least I liked the bits I got to read over and over again. (Almost) every chapter/protagonist is interesting enough but there isn’t enough glue to put them together and make me wanna keep on reading. It’s the structure really, it reads like short stories and I’m no fan of those.
I respect that. There were some chapters what I wished were longer but after the little snapshot it was over for each character.
Capital. … it was never finished by anyone, not even Marx.
The Night Circus, I dont know whyyyyy.
I had to do the audiobook. I’m almost done. It’s kind of boring but I’m committed to finishing it. I want to know who won.
Me too. Just not my cup ‘o tea.
@Barbara I’m forcing myself to finish I. I took a break to listen to “Iron Gold”.
Tried the audiobook but even Jim Dale couldn’t get me to finish it.
This is me everytime I try to continue reading it..??
If you really want to know, you could just skip to the end. The book police will never know, I swear.
100 years of Solitude.
Ulysses.
The Book Thief
Last of the Mohicans
Under the Dome by Stephen King.
Me too!
The weird thing is, I am an avid Stephen King fan. I had read almost everything he wrote up to that point, but I just couldn’t get past the first third. It sets on my shelf with the bookmarker where I gave up. There are other books by him I have never read, but none that I had started but couldn’t finish.
Needful Things for me. I literally fall asleep.
No, didn’t have trouble with Needful Things, but it wasn’t my favorite either.
Yes!!! I got to page 300 something and just put it down
The art of war…
To Kill A Mocking Bird so Over rated.
Midnight’s children by Salman Rushdie.
Atlas Shrugged
I would love to know if anyone ever finished that speech. Jeesh!!
I did. Loved the book. ? I agree not an easy read. One of my all time favorites anyhow. ✨
Horrible.
50 shades of grey
Infinite Jest. I tried repeatedly. Also, anything by Faulkner.
I don’t remember the title. It was decades ago. Every time I picked it up something would happen that needed immediate attention.
Fifty Shades of Grey, so bad.
Oh that was the worst!
I agree.
The Davinci Code.
Ah! I thought I was the only person in America who didn’t like Davinci Code. Abandoned it after a few chapters. Ugh ?
The 5 Crazy Ladies of North Pearl St. Ugh
Ulysses
Flowers in the Attic
Gone girl
Salem’s Lot… scared the shit out of me.
The Scarlet Letter. Ugh.
Call of the wild–animal violence
I skipped that part. So the 20 pages I read makes it a very diffent book than was probably intended!
Last of the Mohicans – painful
I know I’m weird, but that is one of my favorite books.
@Marilyn you are not weird – you have intellectual stamina!
The Shack
Anna and the French Kiss
Gone girl
It by Stephen King
afraid to say, the Poisonwood Bible
Hahaha, love that book!
Me too!
The shack, Handmaids Tale
The shack! Ugh that book…
I didn’t finish The Shack, either, though many of my friends loved it. Not my theology.
The Glass Bead Game
The Hobbit..
Goldfinch
Me too – and I was 2/3 of the way in.
It took me five years to read Lolita. I’m a completist; I usually refuse to give up completely. I’ll have to think hard to remember a book I’ve never finished.
The Shack, and The Book Thief, just couldn’t
Try The Book Thief on tape, much better.
Inheritance, by Christopher Paolini. My daughter and I agreed to read each other’s favorite books. She gave me inheritance, I gave her White Oleander. She had the easier time of it, I’m sure. I have no doubt that Inheritance is a great book, fantasy is just not my preferred genre.
Poisonwood Bible and The Sound and the Fury (exceptionally painful to me). ?
I loved the Poisonwood bible! I love that what one person can’t stand, someone else loves! ?
@Nancy me, too! I loved Poisonwood Bible. I’ve read it maybe five times. I cry every time. I think the Mom is so brave.
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce and Ada by Vladimir Nabokov
Oh Lordy – James Joyce is difficult, but I want to like reading him so badly…I even worked with a woman who was in the “James Joyce Society”.
Need guides to help with Joyce, among others.
The Last of the Mohicans. I found it very boring.
The One
The Hobbit. I had just finished The Once and Future King and expected it to be similar, but I got bored and quit.
I didn’t like Hobbit either!
The One and Only by Emily Giffin. Terrible terrible TERRIBLE!
The brief wondrous life of oscar Wao, too many Spanish words that weren’t translated, I got tired of googling for the translation.
The Man Without Qualities by Robert Musil. How anyone can make pre-WW1 dull is beyond me.
To Kill A Mocking Bird
Oooohhh nooo! That’s my favorite book ever!
I grew up in Castro Valle,Ca as one of 4 black families. Our class watched the film and it caused me great unease. I know it is a classic and should be in my catalog of READ pieces…but i just cannot get through it.
My youngest is named Scout… I always loved the little girl’s character!
@Roxanne, I totally understand.
Into the Water ?
Oliver Twist
oh no! I was gonna read it next
I LOVE Oliver Twist!
@Krystal Was not for me.
@Patricia Didn’t work for me (at all) but you might like it. I tried several times, but just didn’t care for it.
Patty, if you’ve read other Dickens books (and enjoyed them) then you’ll probably like Oliver Twist. I’ve only read A Christmas Carol and Oliver Twist, but I love both.
Sallie, that’s fair. I know that Dickens isn’t for everybody.
Great expectations is one of my fave books !! But I didn’t like the chimes by him so idk ? he’s an amazing writer tho even if I don’t like all his stuff
You could always start Oliver Twist, and then if you don’t like it, you don’t have to finish it. I think it’s worth a shot. If you like any movies made based on it (I love Oliver & Company the Disney movie, for example), you’ll probably like the book, then.
Patty Lovell Interesting. I liked Great Expectations, Tale of Two Cities, and Christmas Carol, thought Chimes was ok-ish and got through David Copperfield with no problems either. Also liked Cricket on the Hearth and Curiosity Shop.
@Krystal omg I didn’t realize Oliver and company was based on Oliver Twist lmao I never clued in!!!! <33
Sallie Williams-Tyrrell what’s your favorite Charles dickens book ?
@Patricia I don’t think I realized it until I read the book in middle school, so don’t feel bad. Haha
@Patricia Been a while but maybe Great Expectations by a smidge…
The second book of Anne Rice’s Sleeping Beauty *Trilogy* (that is now 4 books)
Ugh. agreed. I had to force myself to finish the first, and I didn’t even try to start the second.
All I remember was the cat, that ended it.
The one and ONLY book I have actually thrown in the trash. Was in the “classics” section in the bookstore. Should have been in the Hardcore Porn section. Still mortified I made it as far as I did in the book out of morbid curiosity.
Also :
After by Amy Efaw
A Tale of Two Cities. I tried so many times but failed. Ugh
That one is a toughie.
The Host by Stephenie Meyer. I’ve picked it up so many times only to put it down and start something new. Its not a bad book either. I don’t know what my problem is.
I really liked it !
I know! A lot of people do. Some day I’ll devour it until the end. Maybe its just not my time yet.
I listened to it on tape; much better.
Ill try it on audio book! Thanks for the suggestion!
Across Five Aprils
The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot
The Shape of Water by Guillermo del Toro
Love in the Time of Cholera. I kept on falling asleep. I read the first chapter 4-5times. Years later, here I am… I bought the Spanish version and the Spanish audiobook in hope that I’ll be able to finish it at last. ??
The Kite Runner
Ohhh really? ?
Fatima Zahra CHïdox , just could not handle the abuse. I simply could not do it. Everyone else in my group appreciated the writing.
I hated that book.
1984
What???
Wuthering Heights
Moby Dick
that’s the most popular one to mention on this thread I think lol. I don’t blame you, it’s pretty dry
Moby Dick, War and Peace
Finished it because l had to for school. Now, many years later l still don’t think l’ll like it.
I read Moby Dick because it was assigned. The writing is almost superhuman and overall, I thought the book magnificent — breathtaking — possibly the greatest I have ever read. That was in college and I certainly intended to read it again, several times. Now that I’m a great grandmother, I keep thinking I’d better get around to it ~
Thats the way I felt about War and Peace!
The Alchemist
Ohhh! I liked that book ?
I loved it.
Loved that book!
the Canterbury tales (I read it but I skimmed a lot of it lol)
I liked it ?. Glad we’re all so different.
Angela’s Ashes..just tooo sad. I tried twice. It’s my sister’s favorite book.
Try the audio…
Atlas Shrugged
I couldn’t even start the Omnivore’s Dilemma after my mother started talking about why she couldn’t finish it.
This doesn’t really count, because I didn’t even try. 3 chapters in I said “I hate this!” And stuffed it into the bag for Goodwill. It was called “The Small Backs of Children” & nothing about the synopsis led me to believe that it would include graphic descriptions of sadomasochistic 3 ways with lesbian prostitutes. Just, never mind!
Sounds horrible!
Seriously was! It started with a little girl running from a war zone & being taken in by a solitary female farmer, which was fine. Then switched to that ugliness. I don’t even know why.
This totally counts. Reading 1 page is an attempt. You got through 3 chapters. This sounds horrible. I hope you found a good read to erase that memory.
Angels & Demons.
Agree.
It’s weird, because I think it’s written well, but I also think it’s written kind of pretentiously, which makes me not want to read it.
The dark tower it gave me a headache
mistborn by branden sanderson
Murder on the Orient Express, Handmaiden’s Tale,
I’m listening to Handmaidens Tale. Seems like it would be an incredibly boring read. I only listen to it when I can’t sleep. ? Knocks me right out! ?
Water for Elephants. I tried twice.
Agree
catch 22
I attempted to read this in college. Didn’t have a clue. Was totally confusing!
That’s the point. That’s how the army is run.
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Bad Feminist by Roxanne Gay.
I beat myself up a bit for this one.
100 years of solitude…
The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie. I wanted to mail it back to him and say “try again”.
JK Rowings non magical book.
Wolf Hall
Too many to count… right now I’m stuck on the audible version of Leonardo Da Vinci.
Dracula
Great Expections
Negeri Lima Menara, an Indonesian book.
The Circle. I get to the middle and it just drags lol
The girl with the dragon tattoo
I’m there with ya’. I don’t know if it’s because it’s translated, or what…but I struggle to work through it!
The Shack….movie was good, but the book was AWFUL
My SIL made me read it. I didn’t care for it either.
Agree with you, @Julie!!
Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein. I hope to give it another try someday.
I loved it – thought it was so beautiful, especially when you consider it was written by an 18 year old!
Anna Karenina. I tried 3 times.
Age of Innocence
Under the volcano
I keep trying to real Grapes of Wrath, but can’t get beyond the truck ride.
Oh my goodness! I would keep at it: this is truly an amazing book. Made me cry.
Anne of Green Gables
Gasps out loud at the sacrilege!
Right?! And I’ve been trying to read it since it was first recommended to me when I was 8!
My favorite memory of my daughter is when we read this book.
I read the Crime, but never got through the Punishment.
Think Colombo
James Joyce’s Ulysses – bored me to tears, it was like slogging through hip-deep mud of the mind.
Need a guide or a class. To complicated to do alone, says l.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
That one is definitely worth the read — and the read again.
The Confederacy of the Dunces
Yes! Me, too. And so many people love it …
Me, too!
To each their own but we tried, right?
Anything by Hawthorn
Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.
Same here!
Must have been a bad translator, then bad editor. ?
White Teeth and Wicked.
Shantaram
Same
You may want to read Shantaram – part-2 – the mountain shadow — it’s an awesome book !
What??? There’s a part 2??? I loved Shantaram!
Yup it was published in October 2015 — it is “Mountain Shadow” by Gregory David Roberts and provides resolution to many of Shantaram’s open endings and further stories of characters who we thought had vanished after a brief mention
Thanks, Nalin. My TBR list is enormous now!!!
Moby Dick, but I may try again.
One hundred years of solitude
Sounds like a very lonely book! ?
It felt like i was reading it for 100years and yet i couldnt finish it
Same for me. Lauded as one of the best novels of all time. I got frustrated with the constant warring.
Exactly!
I think I read five pages. It’s on my bucket list to try to get through a bit more…
@Lindsay good luck. it’s not that bad tbh just not my type of books
The Poisonwood Bible
Best.book.ever! (Isn’t it fun, we are all so different? ?)
@Leah one of my favorites too.
I hope you’ll give it another chance — it’s on too many top ten lists to skip.
That’s the first book I’d read cover to cover in time for book club!
Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk. The first story disturbed me so much, I’ve never been able to read another word by him.
What’s it about?
Read the part here under Guts.”
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haunted_(Palahniuk_novel)
omggg that book messed me up so much. i still think about Guts and the “pearls” he brings up when i’m near a pool ? clearly some vivid storytelling if i still remember years later
I struggle to read anything by him. He does this wonderful job at storytelling, but the topics are nightmarish in a way that never leaves you. *shudder*
@Julie ugh. No way. LOL. I’ll skip that book! ?
The ILIAD by Homer
So true!
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. I thought it was going to be good but I hated it and stopped reading it about 1/6 of the way in. Later someone compared it to Dickens and I thought, aha, no wonder. (I hated Dickens too but did finish Great Expectations because it was for school.)
Midnights Children
The book thief, the bronze horseman
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes. Found it a total bore. Also started Dante’s Divine Comedy but found that a bit tedious too.
Moby Dick.
Godel Escher Bach
A Good American.
The Dress Lodger
Blind Assassin
She’s a different kind of author.. I’ve read 2 of her books & struggled through both.
I’m reading this now and really enjoying it! Although I remember struggling with it when it came out! Sometime you have to be in the right mood to click with a book.
A Gentleman In Moscow
Me too! I keep hearing how amazing it is on here but I’m struggling at about 100+ pages.
Gone girl
The help
The Girl on the Train
That was a hard one to get through…
Everything is Illuminated. I tried but I hated every minute of it.
That was the first book most of us in my book club hated so much we didn’t finish.
Lord of the rings
démons et merveilles, from lovecraft
The Bible.
same
Crime and Punishment
The House of Leaves
I just got this & am excited to check it out. The writing style does look weird from just flipping through it though..
Yeah it’s like too much for my ADD brain lol.
I started this one recently as well. It’ll take me awhile to get through because I mostly listen to audiobooks. I read a few pages of it each night.
Never happened. I always grit my teeth and finish it. Bookworm’s code of honour. (I once had a counsellor who said I approach books with more honour than people. I still haven’t worked out why this is a bad thing.)
I used to think I had to. Now I know life is to short… it’s okay to give up! lol
Silmarillion *blush*
I commend you for trying.
Children of Midnight by Salman Rushdie
Foucault’s pendulum. It’s just imposible.
To every season there is a book. Hate it now. Love it later. Life changes us.
Anna Karenina
It was tough to finish for me too. At least seventy-five percent of it was extremely tedious.
I just had to quit on that one too. I really wanted to finish…
non-fiction books ?
The Hypnotist by Lars Kepler. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve started it, just can’t get through it.
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Women in love by D.H. Lawrence .
The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton. I was so looking forward to it, but… nope.
The Count of Montecristo.
Stunning start, wonderful main character. Then, Dumas did all he could to just drag the story and exploit the success he was having (it was a serial romance).
Only time in my life I believed the full version it’s not the one to be read.
Don Quixote
Mists of Avalon
Game of thrones
The Boys in the Boat.
and I loved it to pieces. go figure, right?
One of the cat books by Rita Mae Brown.
Lord of the flies
Did you just not like the direction the plot was going? I ask, because, like many, I read this in high school, and not many books have remained as vivid as this one. It speaks to the need to tame and socialize children (boys in particular!). And the ending: whoa!
Well I couldn’t make myself read more than the first 4 chapters which I read 3 times , mainly because I didn’t find it much interesting and partly because of the slow paste of the evolution of the plot and because how the other kids kept making fun of Biggy although he came up with brilliant ideas for them to survive and surely was the most mature and intelligent one out of them , I just couldn’t be patient to finish it then judge , but maybe I’ll start reading it some time later this year , also sorry for the late reply.
@Khawla I don’t think your life will be bereft if you do not read it… It just has interesting pacing that builds to a stunning climax that is vivid and impactfulful!
With that being said, I can’t help but give it another chance , thank you.
@Khawla well, thanks!
Wicked
Harry Potter 🙁
Me too!!! Tried the books and the movies…no go.
the alchemist
And this ^^
I tried my best but couldn’t connect at all and left that book just like that
I loved this book. I found it transformational.
that’s quite a possibility, not everyone can connect with the same book the same way, good part is, in your case it helped you
I heard so many people say it was life-changing – I tried it and found it to be patronising and dull, but that is the beauty of literature – we each have our own tastes and the ability to take different things from the same text 🙂
on the contrary I loved and still love art of war by Sun Tzu
@Ubaid oh yes, of course. I’m so glad that there are so many books, so many possibilities to connect and to feel understood!
Orlando by Virginia Woolf and The Lord of the Rings trilogy
Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. ugh.
Must say that was one of mine, too. Those footnotes, OMG.
War and Peace. Got to the 350 page mark and couldn’t pick it up again. Also, the Source by James Michener.
Harry Potter series ?
Although my KIDS loved them
The Girls by Emma Cline. Also Toni Morrison’s Beloved
I finished The Girls but didn’t love it…it was just okay.
This thread makes me chuckle, because of the big variety of opinions on different books. Aren’t preferences interesting? I am also chuckling because in a group focused on reading, the list of books people could not finish continues to get longer!
Most recently stopped for me: The Bookseller of Kabul. It didn’t even grab me by the first fifth or so.
Yes. This was exactly why I started this discussion. I am also having fun going through the comments. So many of my favourites have been mentioned in the comments, along with so many popular titles.
Based on this thread I was also thinking about how books sometimes fit differently into different phases of life. I know there are books that I loved in my twenties that I would probably think are a little shallow as a 40 yr old. But also they hit us differently if we are going through a major life change/event, or if we have traveled somewhere that we want to know more about, etc.
Chris is interesting. I read the Kite Runner, but only because my local book club was doing so. It was a tough read but great for discussion.
Gone with the Wind, The City and the City are two that come to mind.
That’s funny. I listed Gone With the Wind in response to that question about books you couldn’t put down…
The Swan Thieves
A Gentleman in Moscow: A Novel by Amor Towles. I loved the main character and learned some interesting information about Russian history through the Count’s experiences. But, the writing style was so slow, detail oriented and downright tedious to me, I just had to give up. There are too many wonderful books on my list to waste time!
1Q84. I’ve been reading it for almost 6 years now….
Same! For about 2 years now! And I do not know why! I like the story so far! ?
Harry Potter and the you-name-it….
The Freaking Hobbit and all the other ones. HATED it.
Haha! I love Tolkien, but Madame Bovary…..I wanted her to eat dirt and die.
What?? Can this marriage be saved? How can you dislike Tolkien?
@Patricia she can. I detest Madame Bovary, which is a classic.
Hi Cherry-Mary is my friend- 40 plus years. To find out thru social media that she hates books that were seminal for me – we’ll, I’m shocked!
@Patricia too funny! I have a couple of 40+ year friends. They are the best.
I read The Hobbit because my favorite cousin loved those books. But I only got about 30 pages into The Lord of the Rings and put it down and never looked back. I haven’t seen any of the movies either.
Almost everything by Barbara Kingsolver
this will be controversial, but the only book I’ve ever put down mid-way through is Love in the Time of Cholera.
No controversy here. I have a hard time with “magic realism”.
Inferno Dan Brown
You should try the audiobook
I might do that. I haven’t tried that with any books yet. So it would be a new experience.
@Adrienne yeah there great if you have house work to do an just want to escape. Enjoy your next book ? ?
Infinite Jest. Also gave up on Manhattan Beach.
Loved Manhattan Beach!
Three Men in a Boat.
Nineteen Eighty Four by George Orwell
Moby Dick
The Book Thief
Oh, I loved that book.
Crime and Punishment and Rayuela ?
One Hundred Years of Solitude. 🙁
Ayn Rand. I’d tell you which one but I couldn’t even finish reading the title, I hated it that much. haha
Ann Rand is a litmus test for the kind of person you are.
I finished Atlas Shrugged! I was determined to be able to talk with a friend who read the book and wanted to talk about it.
Did you like it or agree with it?
lol You know, litmus tests shut down dialogue and attempts at understanding.
@Bonnie I worked in bookstores for years and years. People were evangelize about Atlas Shrugged in the aisles. I alway said “if you walk into my store and ask for Atlas Shrugged, I judge you.” It was true. Very few books could make me lose interest in a customer faster.
Agree.
I loved them in college, but they were mainly love stories then. Didn’t understand the whole of it till much later.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance?
Le Miserables
The Invisible Man
Pop Goes the Weasel by James Patterson
Gerald’s Game by Stephen King. I love his books. I always read the entire book no matter what, but just couldn’t on this one.
I liked that book, but the movie was HARDcore!
Haven’t seen the movie, would like too. Maybe it would be better for me. It was a good story, but I felt like it wasn’t moving on.
The plot is definitely a bit roundabout.
Infinite Jest
Gravity’s Rainbow
Catch 99
Outlander
I just got about 60 pages in and just have zero interest
Okay. Since nobody here has mentioned it yet, mine was A Clockwork Orange. Did anyone else not like it? Gave me a headache.
Can’t comment, haven’t read it.
Didn’t like the movie though.
@Nicole Same! Don’t understand why people like it at all. ?
You’re not supposed to “like” it. It’s supposed to make you think. I saw the movie when it came out; I thought it was an excellent movie, but I never wanted to see it again OR read the book.
I actually enjoyed the book
“The Secret History” After reading 125 pages, I gave up. Just didn’t care about what was going to happen.
I loved this book
I got it because it’s a bestseller. But the story just didn’t pick up for me.
@Nicole it’s starts out slow but the twists are good. I loved the Goldfinch as well
Did you read The Little Friend?
@Nicole no, I haven’t read that one yet.
same author.
@Nicole I know of it but haven’t tackled it yet. I’ll put it on my list
Let me know if you ever read it.
I listened to the Secret History audiobook. Tartt narrates it herself and I enjoyed every minute of it, almost as much as The Goldfinch. The Little Friend is next for me.
I also tried SEVEN TIMES to read The Hunger Games. Just couldn’t get into it!
Outlier by Malcom Gladwell
Yes..it’s nonfiction and it has some good thoughts but…..Journal of Solitude by May Starton
Artemis Fowl
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. Although I still say I’ll finish it one day. I got to about 100 pages from the end.
But it took me 2 separate tries a year apart to get that far
Now, after my best friend and my youngest son had both praised Murakami, I had to read him, and not one, but about ten books. And I must say: I was not impressed. His writing and my reading simply did not match. I gave nine of the ten books away for free, wouldn’t even ask a euro for them, but I did keep the tenth one: The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles, which I still intend to read again.
Emma
A Man in Full by Tom Wolfe. And The Poisonwood Bible.
Game of Thrones. I tried twice with the book (page 50 and page 200 respectively), once with the audio book, and lasted about 4 episodes of the TV series. Never cared for the characters.
oooh I have another one. Infinite Jest. I found it impossible to get past page 50. And a waste of precious life to try. I mean honestly, it is one of those books I have heard people say “going to attempt to…” and “have been trying to…” about over and over and over again. And I am thinking…why bother? Seems like one of those books people like to have on their shelves and claim they have read. But rare is the person who has actually read it.
Infinite Jest is the best book I’ve ever read. The first hundred pages or so are slow. Once you’ve finished it, the beginning makes more sense. It’s not an easy read at first, but it gets better. The audiobook is also amzazing. It’s probably the best performance I’ve ever heard. IJ is the only book I’d take the time to read or listen to more than once. Give it another shot. ??
Harry Potter, A Wrinkle in Time, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Devil in the White City.
Leo Africanus, by Amin Maalouf
Lord of the Rings and the Harry Potter series. Tried very hard, multiple times, but just couldn’t get past the first hundred pages.
If you’re not in love with the Harry Potter books from page 1, it’s just not meant to be. I found LOTR harder to get into and prefer the movies.
The Simarillion by Tolkien. Must have tried 50 times.
The Bible
The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini. My daughter’s favorite ever series
Moby Dick. I admit!
Middlemarch ?
mistborn by Brandon Sanderson. I tried 2 times and even with audio and I got so fed up I gave my entire series away! It was like reading a text book! I had to take notes of every character and I couldn’t care less about the metals.
I got through the first two. It was the third in the series that tripped me up. Time had passed both in the books and in life. Didn’t remember a thing from the previous two books. Couldn’t figure out what was happening in the third. Sold mine to Half Price books.
I have been reading off and on, “Code Name Verity” and I just can’t get it finished, because it just isn’t holding my attention when I read it. I have been told to read it all the way through, that it will be worth it, but I cringe whenever I see it on my shelf.
Beloved except I didn’t really try
That was a WEIRD book!!!! There was a part about um beastiatilty against cows… I had to take a long break after that!!!!!
Sanctum lol. I tried really hard since I read the fiest book in the series but uhgg I just can’t read the second.