Number of times tried to read a particular book

[tobee]

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.

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

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!

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.