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

[Mirage]

Mine are;
Ulysses(sp)
Wild Swans

Am feeling so much better about the TT wife. Thought it was just me as everyone raved about it but didn't get it.

Life Of Pi.. my MIL is the only person I've met who actually finished it..she said you needed to persevere but who has the time.

Staggering Work of Heartbreaking Genius, Dave Eggers and Something about Kevin, Lionel Shriver. Pretty much the only books I've never finished and I've read some shockers. I persecuted myself with the Eggers book for ages before someone said, "you don't HAVE to finish it you know" Ahhh, I'd never felt such liberation.

Had about 12 goes each at the corrections and catch 22
Another vote for Gravity's Rainbow and Sophies world (both now consigned to charity shop)

would add foucaults Pendulum and Clockwork Orange (really wanted to like cw but hated it, esp the made up language, Droogs or whatever AAArrggghhh)

does that mean you've all finished "reading lolita in tehren?????

I only did because of a book club!!!

can't remember which murakami I have read. Banana yosimoto is better

i own every zadie smith and have only managed white teeth. i WILL read them.!!

"Northern Lights" - first one brilliant and compelling, second one less so, third one pretty impenetrable.

McEwan - odd, I loved his early stuff and devoured "The Innocent" when it came out, but have gone off him a bit since then. Found "Atonement" required serious effort.

How interesting that so many books keep cropping up repeatedly. Mine are:

Oryx & Crake ( despite being a massive Atwood fan)
Wild Swans
Captain C's Mandolin

Have never tried re-reading any of them : life is too short.

Repeatedly thought of giving up on Never Let Me Go (latest Ishiguro) and sincerely regret I didn't. Quite the worst book I have ever read.

uuurgh yes, Wild Swans I abandoned after the first quarter. Felt v. liberating.

I have finished Life of Pi, minorityofone, and am not your MiL ... however you haven't actually met me (probably, you never know)!

I should count Cold Mountain as unfinished, as I left it on a 'plane somewhere in north America, and didn't care enough to get a replacement copy.

'Reading Lolita in Tehran' is a beautiful read
albeit a bit slow at times, I admit.

lol at 'Cold Mountain' - dw insisted I add it to this list.
She persevered and bitterly regretted it.

Johnathan Strange and Mr Norrell definitely
Atonement. Not my thing at all, but I like lots of McEwan.
Brett Easton Ellis - anything.
We Need to Talk about kevin.

Loved Life of Pi - really surprised that people struggled with that.
Love Murakami but CAN understand why people would struggle with any of those.

LOTR here as well. I got halfway through the second book before finally giving up. Even with skipping the bits with the long tedious songs/poetry it still couldn't hold my attention.

I tried to read Shadow of the Wind as well but put it down for good after 3 chapters.

It's a relief to discover I'm not alone on stuff like Wild Swan, Captain Correlli etc. I also didn't finish Brick Lane and would be interested to know if anyone else struggled with it as it was such an acclaimed book.

I am half way through the Night Watch and the Island and utterly disinterested in both - I now feel justified in abandoning them.

I've read Sophie's World 4 or 5 times

Haven't finished:

Donna Tartt - The Little Friend (loved The Secret History though)
Mervyn Peake - any of the Gormenghast books
The first Northern Lights book

I loved Wild Swans, Captain Corelli, The Blind Assassin and all the Northern Lights books.

Couldn't finish Sophie's World, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy or Silmarillion. Or most books I read in Greek - they always seem to get put down a quarter way through

Has anyone read the Clan of the Cave Bear books by Jean McAuel? I love them

Time Travellers wife too.Also some book by Tony Parsons...utter drivel and Shipping News

Mao Biography
Midnight's Children
in fact all of the collected works of Sir Rushdie

I finished the Little Friend but found the story very disappointing although enjoyed the quality of writing. Another one I abandoned was "May contain nuts" by John O'Farell. Completely ridiculous story set to his own agenda.

alphonsa I finished Oscar and Lucinda! enjoyed it too...

loved Atonement, hated Saturday (and Amsterdam)-boring and pointless.

loved War and Peace except for last chapter...

I seem to be the only ever to finish/enjoy the Little friend by Donna Tartt!

agree Tony Parsons books are drivel-I did finish one but felt kind of disgusted with myself for doing so!

Quincunx

same to you too bundle!

Not only did I finish Oscar and Lucinda, but I enjoyed it so much I reread it! It has survived many purges!

(QC did it make you cry? it did me...)

No but it is poignant, I do agree.

oh and agree with whoever said Never let me go by Kazuo Ishiguro was bad...I finished it but disliked it, though not as much as I disliked When we were orphans. laughably bad.