Books you are ashamed never to have read?

[Piggywaspushed]

I have an English degree and have taught English Lit A level for many years. I was a bookworm as a child and have a huge stockpile of books read and awaiting reading.

Partly , this thread arises form the fact that I have been dissatisfied with so many contemporary novels recently but partly, I am also a bit ashamed that there are books I feel I should have read!

I decided a few years ago to make my way through some of this shameful list but have only managed Pride and Prejudice (knew I wouldn't like it) and Great Expectations (read it for my son's GCSE which is more than he did...it's very long, isn't it?). I read The Handmaid's Tale out of obligation and shame last year. Underwhelmed.

Frankenstein and The Grapes of Wrath are on my bedside table (have been for about a year) and Middlemarch is on my Kindle. I will read Frankenstein before DS2's GCSE. I have never read Dracula either.

I went to school in Scotland so was reading a lot of Scottish classics in my defence and have read nearly every Hardy novel.

Anyone else like to admit what you haven't read bur should have??

Feel free to boast about what you have read too! (although not Ulysses or War and Peace because we all know that would be showing off and/or a lie!)

Last year I bought lots of the must read classics. I found Tess of the durbevilles really hard to read. The books look good on my shelf though

Oh yes Pride and Prejudice. I had tried to read it so many times. This summer I was ill and could not read so I downloaded an audio version. It still sent me to sleep.
My heart sank when our book group chose The Mill on the Floss. (I failed to get further than 3 chapters.
I have had a copy of War and Peace on my bookshelf for 40 years. I recently picked it up and realised the print was so tiny I could never read it anyway so it went to the charity shop.

I have read lots of classics but would never persevere unless I was enjoying a book.

Another English graduate here...

I’ve read at least one book from pretty much all of the ‘classic’ authors but for a few of them, I gave up at that point. Hardy leaves me cold, as does Dickens but I’ve at least a passing acquaintance with them.

I’m selective about the Brontes but love Austen. Had to do Mill on the Floss at uni, ditto The Monk.

I read Anna Karenina in sixth form and loved it but couldn’t get into War and Peace.

My biggest confession and probably should be on my ‘to-read’ list for 2018 is that I’ve never read any Joyce.

I read war and peace last year after enjoying the bbc version. It was far, far better and easier going than some contemporary novels I’ve struggled through.

I've read most 'classic lit' type stuff, but dd1 came home with Of Mice And Men last term and I was a bit shocked to realise that I've never read it.

Also, The Catcher in the Rye, although I read a German novel inspired by it for A-level German.

Now you see, I love Tess ! It's probably my favourite book to revisit.

I read Mill On The Floss because I had to to teach it - and was surprised how much I liked it.

Teaching books to 17 year olds gives you a different perspective on them, I must say. Tess tends to go down well, but obviously not universally. I am dismayed that my class don't love God Of Small Things, whereas 10 years ago, classes loved it.

I also need to admit I haven't read Midnight's Children...

Last year I decided I really should up my intake of 'books you should read. I read loads but few of them could be considered classics or modern classics. So last year I read my first proper Dickens, Rebecca, Laurie Lee, Tennessee Williams A Town Like Alice (which I loved!) And a couple of classic children's authors I missed growing up. It's fair too say that apart from that list and Austen, I've not read most classics

I have tried and failed many times with the Lord of the Rings. It is tedious so I never manage it.

Anna Karenina. I've been required to read it for 30 years. Can't get past about 40 pages in.

I have read War and peace and completely loved it, for a book club. Had to pretend the first chapter was a spoof, then I was away.

Persuasion was my favourite JA for a long time but Anne Elliott appeals to me less as time goes on. But if you can see that all JA heroines are unsympathetic (apart from Lizzie Bennett) it helps. She's writing about real people in knife edge situations and it's not always pretty.

I managed to get a B in my english a level without reading pride and prejudice. I have read it since though.

I do like Dickens and have read Gone with the Wind which I really enjoyed. Les miserables is also good.

I tend to watch the film or tv series and then seek out the book. I read the handmaids tale in about 2 days after watching the tv series.

Not an English Lit graduate (not even English Lit A level) but was v widely read until I had children.
I have never managed to read The Great Gatsby. (It's been on my kindle for three years ).
I've managed lots of English classics, plus Henry James, Moby Dick even, but not Great Gatsby.

Wuthering Heights, just couldn't get into it but that was a few years ago so should probably try it again.

I've read:
Pride & Prejudice - well written but boring
Frankenstein - really enjoyed this, have read it a few times
Dracula - OK story, not very well written
Treasure Island - surprisingly enjoyable and well written
Les Miserables - excellent story but bloody long winded and difficult to read

I've also managed the full works of Shakespeare but didn't enjoy it much (wanted to prove a point to myself)

But in all honesty Les Miserables finished my ambitions to get through more classics for a while. It was such a slog so I'm sticking with novels/authors I enjoy for a while.

I really want to read Phantom of the Opera and at least one of Dickens' works too so they're on my read list when I get back to it.

I also want to read Catch 22, Animal Farm, Lord of the Flies and The Fountain Head just because I want to understand the references people make to them.

Do Animal Farm ! It'll take you 20 minutes... ish.

I love it.

As you can probably tell from my user name I rather like Lord Of The Flies too.

I was going to change my username to Donkeysliveaverylongtime or noonehaseverseenadeaddonkey but am so used to being called Piggy now that I think it is my actual name.

Not read:

Wuthering Heights.
Most of Dickens.
Handmaid"s Tale.
Most of Shakespeare.
Most of James Joyce (tried Ulysses but found it uber tedious).
War and Peace, and anything by Dostoyevsky.
Little Women.
Those Edwardian books that Merchant/Ivory do.

Have read:all of Austen, including letters, juvenilia etc.
Lord of the Rings/Hobbit.
Pretty much all of Hardy.

Read but disliked-Catcher in the Rye, Jane Eyre, those Salman Rushdie books.

If Animal Farm is an easy one I'll download to my kindle for my next train journey.

You've also increased my need to read Lord of the Flies now too so I can get your username

The latter two are Animal Farm inspired I relate to Benjamin the Donkey!

I've read a lot of classics, I can't think of many I've not read. I can't finish Ulysses though- it makes me physically squirm with frustration as to how hard it is to follow. But I kind of want to finish it for the challenge!
I really hated Moby Dick too. When I finished all 600 odd pages, I launched it across the room.

Ooh I haven't read any Hemingway yet, maybe should get on that.

Loved War and Peace, and A Suitable Boy. And Gone With The Wind. Like a long book 😀

God yes, Moby Dick is dull : all those whale descriptions. he should have stopped after his first sentence. I remember the university seminar well we all blagged our way through it. I don't believe one of us had read it and I was usually pretty diligent (although DH Lawrence also has never been finished .)

Hate Hemingway. Have actually read a few but it's very manly.

Have read War and Peace, but vastly prefer Anna Karenina. Huge lover of classic literature, but have never read any Henry James. No particular desire to, either...

Have studied a number of Shakespeare plays at school and university, but as they are plays, I see it as somewhat fruitless to attempt to read them (i.e. as a novel might be read). Go and watch performances instead

Another failed Ulysses reader here....

I like the writing and the imagery.... But I just can't bloody follow it!

Did make an attempt at reading some classics last year - did most of Jane Austen and Wuthering Heights, plus a couple of dickens.

Am reading North and South at the minute.

Given my usual tastes are chuck Paulaunik (sp?) JG Ballad, Stephen King and Brett Easton Ellis it has been something of a change of pace.

I also read Les Miserables..... Now there's a book that you could cut a good 50% out of and lose nothing in terms of plot. Something soothing about it, but I now know more about the Paris sewer system than I ever wanted to know...

Sorry, to answer the question it would be Ulysses!

I love Dracula though, that's well worth a read.

And Anna Karenina.

Oh DH Lawrence is dull. Lady Chatterley's Lover- just several descriptions of his nob 😂