Books you wish you'd never bothered to finish?

[FuntimeFuschia]

Hello, hope its ok me posting on here, I very rarely post. Had a chat with a friend today which has made me think - have you ever finished a book and then thought what a phenomenal waste of my time that was? I recently read 'The Haunting of James Hastings', which I wanted to bin about halfway through, but persevered and regretted it.

I read a lot, many different genres and have never actually thought anything I read was a waste of time before this book. I would be very interested to hear what books anyone actually resents giving the time to and if anyone can tell me what the hell actually happened at the end of the above mentioned novel I'd be very grateful

It was 'Never Let Me Go'

It was like walking through treacle.

The Time Traveller's Wife. I kept going in the hope that the main characters would get less annoying, not only did that not happen, but they went and had an annoying kid as well .

It was such a disappointment - fantastic concept, but whiny boring characters (including a blatant Mary-Sue/self-insert), and no plot.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. Possibly the worst book I have ever read. The writing was just so dire and clunky - full of stuff like 'Oh Heavens' said mother, clutching her hands together' I had heard so much hype about how the ending will shock you like nothing before - it was totally unbelievable drivel, like the rest of the book.

I started a book recently called 'A Siberian Education', a true account of a young boy growing up among a Siberian criminal gang. Sounds vaguely exciting by my god it was dull, gave up after about 100 pages.

Labyrinth. Fucking awful.

The Famished Road by Ben Okri. I really liked the first couple of chapters and hoped that the book would return to that at some point - nope. Didn't make it more than halfway through the first time, but thought I should give it another go - wish I hadn't.

The Boring history of Ukrainian Tractors, or somesuch.

Shopaholic. Worse, I can't believe I actually tried another one just to make sure - I really really should have stopped after the first one.

Sons and Lovers - DH Lawrence. Again, tried reading that a second time in case it was immaturity that made me hate it the first time - still hated it the second time.

(OTOH, I love Terry Pratchett but the first 3 books aren't that well written, I have to say).

Labyrinth was absolutely dire, but I didn't finish it. I skipped to the end to see if it finished the way it was obviously going to - it did.

I thought in the whole of my life I would never be able to read a worse book than Kate Mosse's Labyrinth. Until 50 shades. Oh my goodness. I finished the first book but what utter and complete bollocks.

I feel so strongly about it I judge people who think it's good as clearly being very stupid...even members of my own family...

Lots of books do polarise people though.

I loathed Cloud Atlas - that's about 6 hours of my life I'll never get back

I also loathed The Shipping News, Remains of the day, Never let me go, 100 years of solitude.

Loved Brick lane and The Crimson Petal and the White.

When God was a Rabbit and 50 Shades. Total waste of time.

Oh and Before I Go to Sleep. That one was so dire I have tried to forget I ever read it.

I haven't bothered to read 50 shades of shite grey or others - I've enjoyed the critical reviews though!

Sophie's World is another one - I read that twice as well, trying to "get it" - but I guess having it as a loo book wasn't ideal - it just didn't really work for me. Not the worst book ever but I really wish I hadn't wasted so much time on it.

I enjoyed The Historian but hated The Labyrinth. Everyone said if I liked one I must like the other. Ha!

The Stieg Larssonn trilogy I found mind numbingly dull, and gave up just before the end - I tried watching a Tv series of the books and gave up on that too, as well as the film with James Bond (can't for the life of me remember his name - I want to say Danial Radcliffe but I KNOW that is very wrong :) )

I regret bothering finishing with the Da Vinci Code. Other than that (I was sure that was going to have an incredible ending) I tend to not force myself to finish books - as someone upthread posted being forced to read stuff at school put me off. Now when I read it is for pleasure, with one or two exceptions.

Wolf Hall I did read to the end - and don't regret reading to the end - but it is the least enjoyable book I have read since Da Vinci Code. The story was great, but I hated the use of the present tense. Found it very off putting and took me twice as long to read because it annoyed me so much.

I paid money for and read When God Was A Rabbit and I'm very bitter. What was the point?

The second twilight book, mind you at least it put me off the third one.
Loads and loads of free kindle books, they're fee for a reason!

That'll be Daniel Craig then, Petite. :)

Actually Wolf Hall is one I'm glad I bothered to finish. On the first attempt I gave up a few chapters in as the style annoyed me (present tense and aversion to using the narrator's name) but came back to it and ended up finding it actually quite wonderful and compelling.

A Suitable Boy

Oh My God

I'm known for always finishing books even if I then set fire to it , but that oneI just

even writing about it makes me fume

Oh bugger, I really want to read A Suitable Boy, and I can't wait for it to be released on the kindle. Is it really really awful? I don't even know why I want to read it, but I do.

Captain corelis mandolin
Oscar and lucinda
Labyrinth
Life of pi
just read last chapter when realised a couple of chapters in how crap they were.
Numerous others but they stick.

I liked an unsuitable boy, enough to read it twice:)

Agree about Brick Lane.

My other one is The Great Gatsby. I don't remember anything about it, really, except that feeling of being underwhelmed when I'd finished it.

The Tiger's Wife. Why, how did that win the Orange Prize?

Oh I love a suitable boy! One of my v favourite books, one of the v few would re-read! I admit it's a v slow starter though and v long

But hate dickens-all the overladen description and all those caricatures...

Also lord if the rings

Pat barker
Virginia Woolf which makes me feel guilty towards the sisterhood

Oh yes and agree Da Vinci code dire

I got the 50 shades trilogy and read book 1 in a few hours. I despised it and Christian Grey and vowed to leave the other books unread. A friend who I thought had taste was reading book 2 and told me to give it a chance as it explained why he was such a prick Christian's angst.
Got through it, just about but then (in Magnus Magnusson fashion) I had to finish the trilogy.

I wanted to gouge my eyes out with a blunt spoon by the end. NEVER again will I give a book the benefit if the doubt to that extent again!

Oh it's absolute drivel, I just read the sex bits

I stuggled with one day- I had to skim a fair few chapters. Also couldn't get into the book thief or the latest Sophie Hannah (can't remember what it's called)