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Original poster

Number of times tried to read a particular book

15 replies

tobee · 15/02/2015 21:33

Just finished a good book and now trepidatious about starting a new one in case it lets me down.

So it made me wonder. How many tries have you ever given a book that you finally successfully read? Or not ever finished?

I just always feel guilty about not reading books, even if they are gifts that weren't ever my kind of thing.

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Igneococcus · 20/02/2015 14:25

Anything by Henry James, I have tried many of his books several times and I just can't do it. By about page 3 I chuck it, with force, into the furthest corner.
Same for Thomas Mann's The Magic Mountain, I can't get past page 20 or there abouts. His Buddenbrooks is one of my favourite books ever on the other hand.

HollyBen · 20/02/2015 14:08

I tried 3 times with Canal Dreams by Iain Banks. I got a fair bit through the first time, but only a couple of chapters on subsequent tries.after the third go I gave it to charity.

Lord of the Rings I really couldn't get in to either. Think I only tried twice before giving up.

limesoda · 20/02/2015 14:03

I've tried 'Room' by Emma Donoghue a few times, but I find the theme at the start just too disturbing and unsettling for me, wuss that I am.

magimedi · 19/02/2015 19:31

Catch 22 - have tried it more times than I can remember over the last 30+ years or so & still can't get beyond page 20.

ExP gave it to me about 35 years ago as a present & DH gave it to me, as a present about 3 years ago.

It still sits unread on my shelves.

sprout44 · 19/02/2015 19:23

Struggling now with All the light we cannot see, but i will finish it. A prayer for Owen Meany, i tried but gave up. Dont care for books that are too long unless its a a great one.

antimatter · 18/02/2015 21:19

Oh yes - I tried Captain Corelli 3x, I think I am not going to carry on.

yogabird · 18/02/2015 19:45

Captain Corelli - 3 times, the abandoned it. Wolf Hall twice - couldn't get past the confusion caused by everyone being called Tom, am loving it on the TV though.

TwatFaceBitch · 18/02/2015 19:38

Wuthering heights. I have lost count of how many times I have started it. I really want to read it. I read lots of books and persevere with books I'm not enjoying. But wuthering heights is still unread

antimatter · 18/02/2015 19:31

The Luminaries - maybe 5 times. But I am glad I persevered.

goodasitgets · 18/02/2015 17:32

Sophie's world. Maybe 25 times?! It still sits on the shelf glaring at me Grin

KleineDracheKokosnuss · 18/02/2015 17:29

It took me over a year to read the Night Circus. Was worth it in the end though :)

waycat · 18/02/2015 17:15

Sorry, forgot to say that I've tried three times so I did give it a good go!

waycat · 18/02/2015 17:14

The last in the Lord Of The Rings Trilogy - managed to plough through the first 2, but by the third I'd simply had enough!

StayGoldPonyBoy · 17/02/2015 23:18

Under The Dome by Stephen King. It's massive and I hated it. I read four or five pages a day to plough through and ended up forgetting how it began by the time I got to the end. I got it for Christmas years ago, and it was my first Stephen King novel, I almost avoided all the others in case that was how they all would be!

nicebitoftoast · 17/02/2015 23:11

Emma, by Jane Austen. I've tried several times, but I just can't get through it. Love all the other Austens though!