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Original poster

What did you start and just couldn't force yourself to finish?

250 replies

grumpypants · 06/02/2010 20:56

I was reading The Seven Secrets of Happiness and it was so dire I couldn't make myself finish (knew who wd end up with who/ 'messages' blindingly obvious etc) - what shd I avoid next

OP posts:
Original poster
grumpypants · 06/02/2010 21:03

c'mon - before I buy anothe duff book

OP posts:
notnowbernard · 06/02/2010 21:05

The Great Gatsby

The Time Traveller's Wife

FiveGoMadInDorset · 06/02/2010 21:06

We need to talk about Kevin

NoahAndTheWhale · 06/02/2010 21:07

The English Patient

debka · 06/02/2010 21:08

Moby Dick. And anything by James Joyce.

PacificDogwood · 06/02/2010 21:11

Yep, Ulysses, the only book that ever defeated me.

Now, where did I put that Hello magazine??

JoeJoe1977 · 06/02/2010 21:11

Midnights Children

bluebump · 06/02/2010 21:14

On Beauty

Kaloki · 06/02/2010 21:14

Dicken's Our Mutual Friend

Original poster
grumpypants · 06/02/2010 21:14

Pacific - I just bought Best because it came with a free OK type mag . and that AS Byatt one (The children's Book? was way too hard for me)

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DreamsInBinary · 06/02/2010 21:14

Moby Dick here, too.

And Gormenghast. Twice.

Original poster
grumpypants · 06/02/2010 21:16

Gormenghast? On the e-reader 100 classics came free and I just bypassed them all and went straight for a Shopaholic download! There's a fine line between chicklit and chicksh*t though...

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sfxmum · 06/02/2010 21:17

London Fields can't stand Amis

tillyfernackerpants · 06/02/2010 21:18

Something might happen, Julie Myerson.

Yep, something might happen. Just not in that book apparently!

PacificDogwood · 06/02/2010 21:18

@ grumpy. But see, I liked The Children's Book...

Original poster
grumpypants · 06/02/2010 21:19

but, I could reread 84? Charing Cross Rd and The Greengage Summer over and over. Weird.

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ILikeToMoveItMoveIt · 06/02/2010 21:19

Captain Correlli

PiperHalliwell · 06/02/2010 21:20

The Memory Keeper's Daughter.

Usually I can force myself to read a book, to 'give it a chance' but I tried three times with this.

There are two more that I couldn't get through, but can't remember them now.

Oh! No, also tried two Roberta Kray books. She is a crappy writer that is riding on her late husbands name.

WingedVictory · 06/02/2010 21:24

Stephen Donaldson's "Lord Foul's Bane" (Thomas Covenant). Now, I do like fantasy, but this is the worst sort of pretentious fantasy.

I gave it probably 150 pages, as I remembered taking two tries to get into the BRILLIANT "Foucault's Pendulum" (and, God, I would regret not having read that). But I couldn't give a shit about LFB.

Such a shame, as his mirror novels were really quite good.

Shitemum · 06/02/2010 21:27

Captain correlli's mandolin
the Jane austin book club

Original poster
grumpypants · 06/02/2010 21:28

Oh, winged, I know that feeling - it'll get better in a minute...i just can't stand knowing what will happen - ie who will end up with who/ I am at Pacific - I just cdn't wade thro it - got to the midsummer party and gave up. Suspct you may be more intellectual than me...

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Batteryhuman · 06/02/2010 21:35

A Suitable Boy ... Yawn

Bumperlicious · 06/02/2010 21:37

Vanity Fair
Lord of the Rings
The Bookthief

seasalt · 07/02/2010 00:19

Labyrinth. Made two attempts and then gave up.

ToccataAndFudge · 07/02/2010 00:20

Catch 22

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