Which books have you decided not to finish and why?

[Fiddlesticks1]

Are there any books you decided not to continue reading and why?
For me two books.
The Plague Dogs- just found it too upsetting
and in the days of devouring books by Russian authors I gave up on Dostoyevsky because I found them depressing.

Catch 22. I read a book by same author called Something Happened in which absolutely nothing happened so biggest waste of my time. I started Catch 22 and just couldn’t be bothered then so gave up very early on.

Mythos by Stephen Fry. I’ve read a few of the Greek mythology adaptations and much prefer the others!

That blows my mind! I found A little Life to be so moving. It's one of my favourite books.

I was 🙄at Jude in the last few chapters

I found it tedious and relieved when I finished it as I was getting so bored of yet another sob story

I am a nice person honestly mashpatooties 😊

The dark lords guide to dating, for some reason couldn't get into it. Currently reading her soul to take

I love some of the books others have mentioned, but agree with those who mentioned Orbital. That is still next to my bed and I haven’t quite given up yet, but I haven’t read any of it for a good fortnight.

The big one for me is Pickwick Papers. I love Dickens. I have read every other one of his novels and short stories at least twice, but I cannot get on with Pickwick Papers at all.

Thank god someone else has mentioned A Gentleman in Moscow! I’ve just given up reading it, it’s so highly praised on Mumsnet. I got to nearly p. 100 and I just needed more to grasp onto, too opaque and yet it should have been ideal for me. I felt like ok a tricky to get hold of main character - inner self not yet revealed. But it was the same with everything! The history of thar time is fascinating to me; but nothing given away.

Also last year; another praised book, The Whalebone Theatre, similar to above. I nearly gave up on Fingersmith for similar reasons; just too little happening and then twists that didn’t shock me. Although I finished it. Yet I think The Paying Guests is one of my favourite books.

I loved Orbital though. And yet people find that too slight.

It’s weird though that I often find im seemingly enjoying a book and then just put it down and then don’t pick it up again. And don’t miss it 🤷🏻‍♀️

I see a few have mentiined Orbital. For SUCH a short book, it took me about 2 months to read. 😂

I’ve seen a lot of dislike for A Little Life on various book threads on here, but I’m with you, I loved it.

Yes me too, no idea what all the hype is about!

Lincoln in the Bardo my absolute worst

American Prometheus

Not really sure why I stopped because it really is incredibly fascinating. But it’s a lot.

I enjoyed it but a part of it for me was being taken back to my early teens.

Yes I made it halfway through and just couldn’t get any further 😔

I havent had a chance to read this one yet but I know a bit about his life - ie that his mother died when he was six and then his father sexually abused him. Should he not have written about those things to make a more pleasing book for people to read? If his early years werent great, thats how they were? It seems unfair to dismiss his book because his life story wasnt happy enough for you.

11/22/63 by Stephen King. Jesus it was awful and so long. By the gazillionth iteration of him going back to 1955 I just lost the will to live.

@Stinkybooks- obviously it was a difficult subject matter but it wasn’t that, it was the way it was written.
however, I can stop reading a book for any reason I wish! The op asked…,

The Women - I kinda enjoyed it but it was SO predictable, I donated it once finished. So many cliches. You wouldnt have been pleased had you continued to the end!

But "Where the crawdads sing" I LOVED. So good. Ill definitely reread it sometime.

My, I cba to continue reading it is "Daisy Jones and the six". Its tiresome, I ditched it at about page 20. I tried watching the tv version too and got fed up after about half an hour.

I found the first half of Milkman very hard and confusing and the second half absolutely brilliant and am glad I didn’t give up. Hope you like it

@Blueuggboots ah yes I see what you mean.
Gisele Pelicots book "A hymn to life" very anger inducing events in her life but she is SO inspiring as a person. An uplifting experience reading her book even though what happened is grim.

I agree @Stinkybooks. A most despicable subject but a beautiful read.

Ha ha I've just had to look up Orbital, as I have the Ian Sinclair tome about the M25 on my tbr pile and that's 551 pages in paperback, was a bit confused by all the comments about it being so short!

I cannot get on with Sally Rooney, I just find her writing so flat.

I've tried to read Crime and Punishment several times and just can't get past the first couple of chapters. Perhaps it's the translation as I have a high tolerance for long 19th century novels and have read both Anna Karenina and War and Peace. I don't know why it defeats me

Same here.

Possibly the worst book ever. My book club uses it as a measure of awfulness.