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

[grumpypants]

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

Wolf Hall

Wolf Hall
The Children's Book
Satanic Verses
The Slap - Australian book which got rave reviews but drove me up the wall
Atonement
Love in the Time of Cholera
The Island

however, I loved Cloud Atlas - in fact I've loved anything by David Mitchell, much to DH's disgust - it's one of the weird things about our marriage - our taste books is almost diametrically opposed - he loved most of the things on my hate list

Kathy Lette

She thinks she's funny,(ever read any interview with her) but I know she's not. I gave her a fair chance - I started two books and threw both of them at the wall

Around The Baltic With Bob by Gruff Rhys-Jones. He got right on my tits for some reason.

The Ilyiad. A bit dated.

Catch 22

Mountain something...the one that was made into a film.

The Red Tent - Anita Diamant

I trying hard to stick with Atonememt by Ian McEwan should I persevere I just cant seem to be able to get interested in it.

So many of my favourite books on here! Catch-22, Bonfire of the Vanities, Red Tent....

I couldn't finish/barely started Wolf Hall.

The book I have kept trying to read over the years and read less and less each time is Tom Jones. I think I have a phobia about it now and feel slightly sick every time I go to pick it up. I have no idea why I feel I must read it either!

wingedvictory - I'm reading Drood now and finding it quite interesting at around page 300, after struggling through the earlier pages. The only thing that kept me going is my undying love for Dan Simmons' Hyperion series. I'm quite intrigued by it now, though.

Boudicca the novel (first of three in a series, apparently). Utter bilge. One of my book club members suggested it but I have no idea why.

I have given up on the Labryinth 3 times now, think it may be going to the charity shop. There was another book, I think it may have been called 'Sunset' Gave up on that because it was supposed to be a murder mystery and by chapter 4 everyone was alive and not a single crime had been committed, just kept thinking get to the point.

Catcher In The Rye.

I'm still struggling with the 'Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.' Can't get past teh poor translation/writing/editing and the plodding detail.

A book by Tami Hoag, can't remember the title but it was utter drivel

Lots of my favourites on here .

I couldn't finish Jonathan Livingstone Seagull, even though it's dead short.

Oh, and Fugitive Pieces.

Oscar & Lucinda by Peter Carey - so dull

Cold Mountain - yawn...

The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco - tried this twice, the film's quite good.

A Suitable Boy - never-ending tedium

Some piece of crap by James Patterson - The Husband. So so bad.

On the other hand have recently read and loved Wolf Hall!

Sophies World - got over halfway & tried many times to proceed - failed!

Sophie's world
The Life of Pi
the sequel to Catch 22 (Closing Time I think its called) although I liked the original book

atonement!! the dullest book i have ever read!

Gormenghast. Have tried twice
Brave new world. Too bleak and depressing.
Nearly any book by dickens.
Rebecca (Daphne du Maurier) I really couldn't get on with this one at all.

Oh yes - Silas Marner. I actually did manage to finish it (I think ) but seriously.... Snoooooore

The Lord of the Rings - couldn't get into the films either.

The Lovely Bones. Couldn't get to grips with style of writing

The Woman who Walked Into Doors - Roddy Doyle.

The Little Stranger
All Dickens
A Suitable Boy
Jurassic Park
Catch 22

the children's book by as byatt