Books I'm too embarrassed to say I've never read.....

I haven't read most of the books here. I'm not ashamed!

Never got past the first chapter of a Jane Austin or Dickens. Those are embarrassing to admit to.
Crime and Punishment has been languishing on my kindle since I got it. I have read some Dostoevsky though.

Given that I'm Irish, I'm a bit embarrassed to say I read very few Irish authors (except Eoin Colfer and Ross O'Carroll-Kelly, which steer well clear of any misery).

I'm pretty ignorant about classics translated into English - all the great Russians, Mme Bovary etc. I have no particular plans to try.

I tend to stay away from things like the Booker shortlist. I always have a stack of books that I genuinely want to read, so I'm not going to feel bad about the ones I "should".

Oh, and I totally agree with PP that LoTR was better as a film than a book. So many pretty boys

I've read both War and Peace and Anna Karenina, but haven't read To Kill a Mocking Bird. I really enjoyed AK (despite its depressing-ness) but found W&P much harder going.

I have never read any Dickens except some of Great Expectations, which we did at school - and only the chapters that were relevant to the essay! I've read most of the Brontes' books, but not Wuthering Heights -doesn't appeal, somehow. Some of Hardy, but not Tess.

Given that I translate from German, it's more the German classics that I'm embarrassed about not having read - constant fear that I'll miss some blatantly obvious allusion!

I have just finished The Great Gatsby - I detested it at school but LOVED it this time round. Now have just downloaded onto my kindle, Tender is the Night - only 99p too.

stormglass I am ashamed to say I haven't read Moby Dick either but can quote from it as it was another book we did at school that I just read the study notes instead of the book.

Hamlet, Othello and Lord of the Flies.

Gazillions of 'must-read' and classic books I haven't read including W&P and Anna Karenina.

I read To Kill a Mockingbird for the first time about two years ago. Same goes for Rebecca by du Maurier. I'm just reading Jane Eyre for the first time at age 34.

Too many books, too little time.

Don't like Dickens much, loathe Eliot and her "moral gymnasium", hate Hardy - but that's just me. I read very few novels these days, other than the re-reading of old favourites, none of which are classics. I'm old so can please myself!

Dickens, Eliot and Hardy were great novelists (and in Hardy's case a great poet too). It is perfectly fine not to enjoy their work, or find it hard to read, or whatever. It's not OK to say that their work is rubbish just because it isn't to your (generic - I'm not getting at anybody on this thread) taste.

And nobody has to read so-called classics, unless they are stuck with set books for exams. Read what you enjoy, and don't worry about what you feel you ought to read. And never forget that at least some of the classics are only classics because they were taken up by certain influential academics who had the clout to get their pet authors on to the curriculum.

I've never managed to get through The Mill on the Floss although I did finally manage Middlemarch about 5 years ago.

I'm quite fond of Dickens but I can understand why people are put off. I love Trollope, especially the Barsetshire novels.

Henry James has always been a mountain to climb for me - especially The Ambassadors - as I mentioned on the other thread. And, apart from Under the Greenwood Tree, I refuse to read any more Hardy.

And I have only read Dubliners - I can't face anything else by Joyce.

The thing is I do feel inadequate when I don't manage to read things that other people rave about.

Moby Dick has to be one of the most unreadable 'classics' I've ever tried reading. It was very hard work getting through that one.

I've never read any Dickens despite having a mint hardback collection passed to me from my grandfather.

I passed an exam for my English exam using spark notes lol

Im an avid reader so this year I decided to read some more of these literary classics that people are always harping on about. Read Oliver Twist and A Town LIke Alice and loved them. Read The Great Gatsby and Brideshead Revisited and was seriously disappointed. Didnt think much of them at all. I dont get why some books are revered as 'classics'.

I consider myself an avid reader.
I have a degree in English, specialising in American literature.

But a lit of the classics I haven't even opened.
Mill on the floss, most of Dickens and Shakespeare (i figured I cold pass with 3 Shakespearian plays read and I did). Jane Austen too and Hardy.
Vanity Fayre is one of the most awful books ever written.

And as for romantic poetry ......

I read To Kill A Mockingbird at school for O Level. I loved it. I must read it again :)

I haven't read War and Peace or Anna Karenina. I don't like Dickens - like Samantha says above the stupid names also irritate me.

I'm not embarrassed to say that I read for pleasure. I'm not studying books for an exam so don't see any reason to read a book I don't enjoy. Life's too short. I read classic novels from time to time but only the ones I really like, and there's nothing wrong with that.

War and Peace is massive. I'm sure most people haven't read it. There's no need for embarrassment.

I liked To Kill a Mockingbird.

boogiewoogie, I finally managed to finish Middlemarch about 3 months ago, and having read your post, have realised that I can't remember how it ended

I've read the first two pages of War and Peace about 17 times but never made it any further
To Kill A Mockingbird is great though, it is not only gripping and thought provoking, it is readable and thus easy to read iykwim, I never once had to "plod on" or "force myself" to read it, I actually wanted to read it, and enjoyed reaing it.
I've never tried Anna Karenina.
LOTR is the only time I've ever said the film was better than the book I've never managed to get past the first few pages of it it just doesn't do it for me, which is weird because I do lile fantasy and sf stuff.

I've read Anna Karenina and To kill a Mockingbird. War and Peace is not a commute friendly book given that it has 1000+ pages unless you get it in two volumes. Never been compelled to read it.

I'm completely defeated by bloody Middlemarch! On my 4th attempt and I'm still getting stuck at where Dorothea has just married Casauban.

Anyone seen the new Anna Karenina film? I thought the trailer looked good. I'm dubious about Keira Knightley being cast as Anna though but then it is another Joe Wright film.

I have read To Kill A Mockingbird.

I haven't ever read Dickens or Jane Austin or any Hobbit/Lord of the Rings and yet I love books and don't shy away from classics etc.

I have tried to read them but I have to say I very glad they're availabale on films or tv instead Especially Lord of the Rings, which if the film version is anything to go by is not something I want to immerse myself in for umpteen weeks reading.

I'm reading Anna Karenina now - have just suffered through a lot of theory of farming but am getting back to Anna and her woes so it's getting better.

I've never read Lord of the Rings, although my knowledgeable opinion is that it's rubbish

I think I'm embarrassed because I'm known as a bookworm and a reader and people assume I've read everything. But there are big gaping holes in my mental library

No Dickens except A Christmas Carol.
Not a single Bronte
No George Eliot
No Hardy
No Thackery or Trollope

Can you tell I'm not really into the Victorians?

Read Anna Karenina but not War and Peace

On the other hand I have read all the Lee Child Jack Reacher novels more than twice

Really glad someone else hates Dicken's - I have tried & tried. Too depressing and the stupid names annoy me. I am sure he was good in his day and all that. Anna Kareniner is just boring.

I haven't read any of the books mentioned. I'm not embarrassed, they just don't interest me, I'd rather get stuck into a good sci-fi or murder mystery, Horses for courses and all that.

ca - REN - inner.