What books could you not finish?

[almondfinger]

I am having the most miserable of summer reads.

Do not say we have nothing - FFS, I persevered and it got a bit better and then reverted to tedious. Have way in I had to put it down.

Then I picked up A brief history of 7 killings - Every time I pick it up I fall asleep. The patois is difficult but when it gets to the CIA agents told in English I cant read that either. So far their have been so many killings I have lost count and it's far from brief.

I had to go out yesterday and buy some new books to look forward to. Tell me some of the books you couldn't be arsed with so I can avoid.

If nobody speaks of remarkable things are we are all completely beside ourselves. What piles of absolute tosh they were.

Going through your lists has made me realise I've persevered with an awful lot of shite through the years!

I ordered H is for Hawk from the library, read a few reviews and left it there.

The Road and A Little Life I loved. I wont even lend my copy of A little Life in case I don't get it back. It was grim but amazing, I recommend it all the time but with the caveat that it's harrowing, hence I'm rarely taken up on the recommendation!

Years ago the night manager by John le Carre- loved the BBC adaptation but got 1/2-2/3rds through 3 times and never finished it.
More recently The Goldfinch and a little life although I might go back and try again.
Took me months to finish Shantaram and read other stuff in between which I don't normally do but loved it in the end.

Most of Richard Laymons stuff.

It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis. I didn't even get to the end of chapter 1.
Utter tosh!

Another one for Cloud Atlas and A Confederacy of Dunces

The Pickwick Papers. I’ve read a lot of Dickens but that was dull.
Possession by AS Byatt. It won the Booker prize and I usually enjoy prize winners. I’ve tried to read it twice. The blurb sounds like it would be right up my street. I might give it another go one of these days.

The slap - atrocious

And the fucking time traveller - such a dreadful book. I shamelessly judge anyone who enjoyed it.

So many of my absolute favourites listed here! Wuthering Heights Wolf Hall and Alias Grace would all be in my top 10, (actually Wuthering Heights and Alias Grace probably top 5) also loved Catch 22 and The Secret History and Cloud Atlas

I hated The Slap though, with you there. I’m finishing everything at the moment, but I recently read Guilt by Amanda Robson and only finished that by skim reading, it was pretty dire. I didn’t finish The Road to Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson, that’s the last I can remember giving up on. I’m currently reading Good Omens and sort of wanting to give up, Gaiman/Pratchett are not my thing really and I’ve already proved that to myself trying others by them (separately) but Good Omens was on the recently returned shelf at the library and I know people who rave about it so I thought I’d try. Still not my thing. I’ll probably persevere out of stubbornness but we’ll see. I also gave up on a John Irving, can’t even remember the title now, I loved so many of his but the last I attempted has cured me of ever picking another one of his up I think.

H is for Hawk has sat unopened on my shelf for about 3 years now. Can’t seem to want to open it.

I'm going to duck and run after I say this. But I really enjoyed The Slap. We lived in Oz for a while and I didn't think this book was too far off the mark if you one came from certain backgrounds.

I agree with
Da Vinci Code! I was so cross and incredulous at its success
Wolf Hall awful, I thought I was going to sleep every time I picked it up
The Essex Serpent What was that about?
The Power Some sort of post Handmaid's Tale, playing on that dystopian vibe.
I was so annoyed I can't remember one character clearly
The Goldfinch Unpleaseant
*
Lots of charity shop buys* I used to persevere with every book but now I cannot be bothered

David Copperfield I am listening to it on Audible read by Richard Armstrong. I love his reading and the description of that era but I am struggling with the emotional abuse meted out to our eponymous hero by his odious step-father and his sister. I read it at school but I think I have become more sensitive over the years. Temporary blip for me,I might fast forward over this part, though as I recall things don't improve much

almondfinger now you've said Australia I do know I have read 'The Slap'. Although it has not gone down in my list of memorable books. I read 'Wuthering Heights' on a french exchange. It was one of the few books in English available and I really enjoyed it. It may have been because I was 16 and really had very little else to read, but thank goodness I did as it was one of my set books for A'level. I do think you need to choose books for your mood/ the weather/ escapism/ empathy etc.

The Mill on the Floss !
Blimey it was boring !

I have just reread my initial post and must apologise profusely for the use of their instead of there, I'm mortified as a pedant.

Also I'm half way in not have way.

Bed time...

The Secret History
the 2nd half of Wuthering Heights
Pride and Prejudice (not the book's fault, I've just been SO saturated with the story over the years that I knew every little thing that was going to happen and got bored - I feel very ashamed)
Bleak House
The Box of Delights - I tried to read this at christmas, after hearing it described as the greatest ever children's book. It was SO tedious.

I recently read Captain Corelli's Mandolin and found it an easy, enjoyable read.

Wolf Hall is still on my to be read shelf. I will approach with trepidation.

Oh, and The Amber Spyglass. Tried years ago and couldn't get into it at all. Planning to try again.

IamEarthymama So agree about The Essex Serpent it felt interminable, even though I only reached the half-way mark: slow, stilted style, letters that covered things that had already been covered. Very annoying. I didn't attempt Wolf Hall had enough Tudor history at school to last a lifetime.

AliasGrape have never made it through a John Irving novel (although loved the film of Garp); can't bear Bryson; find Gaiman annoying although OH loves his stuff; I did read H is for Hawk it's beautifully written, but spent the whole time worrying about the ethics of keeping wild birds captive.

I also hated The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society picked it up when I was looking for a light read but found the way in which traumatic events were used to further the plot quite distasteful. It reminded me of Sarah's Key which did something similar.

Cloud Atlas was the first book that defeated me. Until then, I'd always finished every book I'd started.

I’ve finished most of these, apart from Captain Corelli’s Mandolinbwhixh I’ve started about three times.

It’s funny how one woman’s turgid tome is another woman’s all time favourite! I’m looking at you @whoisalanbrazil and can’t believe you didn’t love A Fine Balance!

I hated The Slap. Only book l ever walked over to the bin with and threw it straight in. Awful book and l can read anything.

I really loved The Slap, can't understand the hate it always gets in these type of threads.

Donna Tartt always comes up on these threads! I recently tried again with The Secret History and I did really enjoy it. I don't think i'll give The Goldfinch a second try though. The Little Friend is probably next on my list to try.

Another vote for Wolf Hall. I don't mind giving up on books i hate. I'm getting back into reading after several years of only managing 3-4 books a year. I've done 13 so far in 2018 and I'm not willing to let a crap book put me off my stride.

The Essex Serpent. I tried for 200 paged

Agree with Cloud Atlas, and also Amber Spyglass even though I loved Northern Lights.

Wuthering Heights for me too. Paddy Clarke ha ha ha, I couldn't stand the layout.