Which books have you decided not to finish and why?

An Ian Rankin book, can't remember which one. It depicted extreme violence within the first few pages. I persevered for a bit, then thought "I don't need to put myself through this, I'm not interested enough to want to find out what is going on" and closed the book with a considerable sense of relief.

I loved Piranesi, read it twice.

gave up after a couple of chapters of The Names. Domestic violence as a rather unsubtle plot device? No thanks.

I have tried so many times to finish pretty much anything by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, I wanted so much to love him. I never have, and I don’t.

The Kite Runner
Shirley
Wolf Hall
A Clockwork Orange

First two because they were so boring, and second two because I didn’t like the writing style.

I absolutely love Catch 22 and Dostoyevsky so clearly we are all turned off by different things.

I gave up on Gone Girl around half way through when I realised that if the author killed off all the characters and the rest of the book was blank pages I'd be relieved.

I'm currently on the point of ditching Coastliners by Joanne Harris. I'm almost at half way, finding it deeply dreary, and hoping there will be a plot development that makes the story something other than a young woman going back to a miserable little island to try to have some sort of relationship with her emotionally abusive horror of a father.

The first Harry Potter book. It had just come out and I was staying with a friend who'd read it. She said it was marvellous and if I read to page 80 I'd be hooked. I wasn't.

Secret History, The Milkman, 100 Years of Solitude, Lincoln in the Bardo - all books that I love but 100% understand why lots of people can't stand them!

It’s a lot isn’t! I ended up listening to a podcast that explained it and then the audiobook a few times before it made much sense. It was worth it though, definitely my favourite of all Tolkien’s work.

The Infamous Gilberts - I've just taken it back to the library after 100 pages or so. A dull book about an eccentric, dysfunctional family and horrible happenings. It'st had a lot of accolades attached to it. Not for me! It became clear soonish it was becoming a slog, and I wasn't prepared to waste any more time on it. So many good books out there.

I detest this book. Never understood why it is acclaimed as a work of feminism. Abhorrent characters! There’s a book called Wild Sargossa Sea which is from the perspective of the ‘mad’ first wife in the attic. It is a far better read!

Edit: typo

Jane Eyre - she was so whiny! Only book I’ve ever not finished

I gave up on his Love in the Time of Cholera. Happily made my way through War and Peace, Middlemarch, The Silmarillion. Really rate Cloud Atlas, The Secret History - but, finished but did not enjoy The Little Friend by Donna Tartt.

Read half of 1Q84 but finished - sounds odd but I just read the woman's view (it has alternating man/woman chapters).

The Salt Path - infuriatingly idiotic

I love Secret History but I do understand the issues with it. I got my mate to read it one summer, he would text me often to update me how much he hated it. In the end he texted a photo of it on a park bench in Marseilles where he left it.
Im always giving up on books. I spent what felt like a lifetime reading Bleakhouse once and was still only halfway through. Gave that up and never looked back.
Conn Iggulden is one writer who seems to have become so big his works are no longer edited or reviewed fairly. The last one I started was just so bad I couldnt believe it was the same person who had written the wonderful Genghis Khan series.

Stay away from The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt then. I read that after many recommendations. Was furious beyond words when I finished it. Worst ending of a book ever!

The Housemaid. Irritating writing style that reminded me of 50 shades of grey. Loathsome characters.
50 shades of grey.

All the Colors of the Dark - read 3/4 and even that was too much. It was so predictable yet most people on the Facebook book pages I follow rave about all the twists and turns they never saw coming, that it’s the best book they’d ever read. I thought it was so predictable and I later checked the synopsis and I was right about how the story ended.

Orbital - repetitive and boring

Project Hail Mary - just couldn’t get into it at all, and thought the movie was far too long too.

...the latest Clare Mackintosh was a struggle (It's Not What You Think) for political reasons really. And Dan Brown's last one too. Too long/too much technology to understand.

So, so many! I must be quite fickle. I always think I need 50 pages to get hooked and if I’m not by then I give up.
However, I’m on attempt 4 of Middlemarch and determined to get through it this time. Sometimes I have to reread the sentence several times to understand what they’re saying. And then it’s still fuzzy!
And to my shame I gave up on The Mirror and the Light although I’ve absolutely devoured the rest of Hilary Mantel’s novels.

A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James. I so wanted to get on with it but struggled massively with the dialogue and found myself trying to say it out loud. Might try and find a recorded version.

Moby Dick. Have read "Call me Ishmael" a hundred times, but rarely get much further.

Donna Tart Secret history. People on MN were ranting about the brilliance of this book, poster after poster went on about it. Utter utter shite.
50 shades, utter utter shite.
Didn’t finish either.
I am very fussy about what I dedicate my precious time to and will not have it wasted on shite.

The Bee Sting by Paul Murray. Took it on holiday and detested every minute of reading it before giving up a third of the way through. Did read a summary afterwards and I’m glad I didn’t persevere. I felt bad leaving it in the villa in case some other poor person was tempted to use it as their holiday read so (unforgivably) at the last minute threw it in the bin.
The Power by Naomi Alderman was a book club choice and the only one that I have ever not read. Just absolutely could not bear to to read it.

100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Felt like I lost 100 years of my life trying to persevere.

So many! Most recently Heart the Lover. The style of narration made me too confused about who was who and what was going on.