Which book/books have you really tried hard to read,but failed ?

[Mirage]

Mine are;
Ulysses(sp)
Wild Swans

I think I've read The Ginger Man (Donleavy phase was ages ago), and I liked How the Dead Live.

Silmarillion is surely one of those famously unreadable books, like Gravity's Rainbow? I remember I was mad for Tolkein when I was 8 or something, but even then I couldn't manage to read more than a line or two of Silmarillion.

oh god yes The Shipping News

Quattro - well, I quite like the Burchill sometimes - her journalism - some of it... (trails off)

Surprised at all these people who don't like Jonathan Strange. I thought it was aces.

(Oh, and read White Teeth, Donna Tartt's second (nowhere near as good as The Secret History), and the Shipping News.)

PW, I am struggling with Jonathan Strange, there's a thread on it.

Ulysses, Anna Karenina and Chocolat.

Mind you, I'm often so knackered by the end of the day that I struggle with even pretty 'easy to read' books.I've read the same four or five pages of one book for about two weeks now!!

Hated the Shipping News, but did finish it.

I'll try them again - I have an annoying habit of refusing to be beaten but I think it depends what mood you are in when you read some books; would urge others to try TTW again as it really is a superb book when you get into it.

Will go find thread and see if I can be of assistance

I keep The shipping news by my bed as it is the only book I have ever found that actually does send me to sleep!

PW - which Julie Burchill was it? I read Sugar Rush because my daughter's English teacher wants them to do it for Yr9 and asked me what I thought.
I loved her writing for the NME and found this easy to read but a little OTT, personally I wouldn't fancy teaching it to yr9s although I can see the benefits.

Cloud Atlas

Corrections

Orlando

Cloud Atlas was great!

Catch 22 - tried 5 or 6 times before finally giving up on it.

Woah, you didn't finish the Corrections, either?

Lord of the Rings.

Ok, I quit, you're all freaks. How can you not enjoy Catch 22?

Had a look at the JS thread, closed it quickly. It was frightening.

Wisteria - it was 'I Knew I Was Right', I think. It really was stupendously bad.

The woman in White, really wanted to read it but couldn't get into it. Supposed to be a brilliant book too.

NCQ - I loved The Secret History - its one of the few "proper" books I've actually since re-read since having childrn (don't have time for much reading so a bit of a miracle I've managed to complete it again LOL).

I know Catch 22 is supposed to be really good - that's why I kept trying - but just couldn't get into it,

Mirage you spelt it right, I changed my way of spelling it

NQC.... no! Wanted to jump under a train instead!

Oh, the Corrrections is a bit depressing, I'll grant you that, but funny, too.

It is on my list to attempt again. It's been several years, but if it doesn't work.... off the charity shop it goes! (and I don't like giving away books)