Books highly prized you couldn't finish

Wraith · Oct 5, 2007

cletus said:
I agree with the Amazon reviewer that calls it "portait of a writer as a complete bore".

Yeah, that's one I couldn't finish. I don't give up easily on books, but I couldn't find a decent reason to read any longer. I'm reading Ulysses now - sort of - and don't hold a lot of hope for it either, though it does have interesting parts.

TrainofThough said:
There is only one book I couldn’t finish and that was The Name of the Rose.

Wow, never thought there were so many people who found it hard-going. It's one of my fav books ever, although I don't particularly like Eco - his writing gets too erudite at times. I'm reading 'Foucault's pendulum' and don't like it as much, although it's interesting. I couldn't finish 'The Island the Day Before' by him, though.

I couldn't finish the Divine Comedy, but one day I will. I hope.

Also for some reason I stopped halfway through Marquez's 'One Hundred Years of Solitude' despite absolutely loving it. Strange enough... It's now in my TBR pile until I get back to it. But it's a huge pile.

KTC · Oct 5, 2007

I threw Million Tiny Pieces by James Frey across the room. After lighting it on fire and spitting on it numerous times. The spine was hardly cracked when I did this. That guy has got to be the worst writer I ever read. I know, I said this before here...numerous times. I am not sure what language is his first language...but he does not understand the English language. My God, it was horrible. I'd like to introduce that man to writing...I really would. It made all the controversy that much harder to listen to, since I felt the most important fact was being overlooked. The man couldn't write worth shit. (Don't try to argue with me on this one. I bite.)

Deirdre · Oct 5, 2007

Lord of the Rings. Loved The Hobbit the first time I read it though. I doubt I could re-read it now.
Pretty much anything by Heinlein.

Deirdre · Oct 5, 2007

cletus said:
I have not tried Ulysses, but A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by Joyce left me the feeling the same way. Could not get past the first 10 pages. I agree with the Amazon reviewer that calls it "portait of a writer as a complete bore".

I never will try Ulysses, but I enjoyed the portion of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man that I read in an Irish lit class. That said, I vastly prefer Synge's work, especially The Aran Islands.

donroc · Oct 5, 2007

Deirdre, if you can find a recording of Siobhan McKenna and E.g. Marshall reading the soliloquys of Molly and Leopold Bloom (Caedmon ca 1959), you will have an aural treat.

www.donaldmichaelplatt.com

Vandal · Oct 5, 2007

The Grapes of Wrath.

Is it a metaphor or is it just a turtle crossing the road for an entire chapter?

Deirdre · Oct 5, 2007

donroc said:
Deirdre, if you can find a recording of Siobhan McKenna and E.g. Marshall reading the soliloquys of Molly and Leopold Bloom (Caedmon ca 1959), you will have an aural treat.

www.donaldmichaelplatt.com

Darn, Amazon doesn't have it. Well, maybe I'll find it. That said, they do have other stuff Siobhan McKenna read, so maybe that's a start.

WriterX · Oct 6, 2007

I think I was (apparently) one of the few people who hated THE DA VINCI CODE by Dan Brown. I couldn't even get past the second chapter. If I recall there was a lot of explanation in that book that I found intensely boring.

I did, however, love ANGELS AND DEMONS, also by Dan Brown, which was a heart-pounding action filled book.

I too, have never been able to get through an Ann Rice book. I've tried...

I go hot and cold on Stephen King. I bow to the man's contribution to Horror writing, but I don't like many of his books. The ones I do like, I like a lot. Books such as THE STAND and one of the new ones CELL (was the good old Stephen King). But stuff like IT?! OMG! I hated that - got maybe 50 pages in.

scarletpeaches · Oct 6, 2007

WriterX said:
I think I was (apparently) one of the few people who hated THE DA VINCI CODE by Dan Brown. I couldn't even get past the second chapter. If I recall there was a lot of explanation in that book that I found intensely boring.

Oh trust me, you weren't the only one. I've read it (twice). So yes, I managed to finish it, but I only read it on those occasions to reassure myself I'm not the worst writer in the world and yes, it really is laughably rank.

WriterX said:
I did, however, love ANGELS AND DEMONS, also by Dan Brown, which was a heart-pounding action filled book.

I've read that too - only once though. The historical and geographical inaccuracies pissed me off though. How dare he stay as FACT that which is clearly not?!

WriterX · Oct 6, 2007

I've read that too - only once though. The historical and geographical inaccuracies pissed me off though. How dare he stay as FACT that which is clearly not?!

I wasn't aware of the inaccuracies, if I had been it may have bothered me too but as far as a good, fast-paced read, I found it to be that. But I know what you mean. That can ruin a story for you.

Love your avatar, by the way. Nice angle.

scarletpeaches · Oct 6, 2007

Read these books; they say what I'm too angry at Dan Brown to, myself.

Secrets of the Code

Secrets of Angels & Demons

WriterX · Oct 6, 2007

scarletpeaches said:
Read these books; they say what I'm too angry at Dan Brown to, myself.

Secrets of the Code

Secrets of Angels & Demons

Thanks, I'll check them out!

wyntermoon · Oct 6, 2007

Madame Bovary and The Brothers Karamazov -- I tried, I really tried.
Gerald's Game by S. King -- couldn't make it past one particularly graphic scene. Blech.

nerds · Oct 6, 2007

Ulysses

Over the course of 35 years I made five valiant efforts to get past the first third of it. Never again.

Bourne books. The ones written by the actual living Ludlum. (I do love the films though).

The Shipping News Perhaps the fastest ditch I've ever done with any book.

There was one novel (can't recall title or author) which would have been a good read but for one of the characters' habit of ending her sentences with a question mark? Constantly? Used sparingly, this would have been a humorous device? Ack.
As it was, I threw the book out the bathroom window somewhere around Chapter Five. I think it's still on the lawn.

Sometimes I want to do that with John Irving, too, when he gets going with his exclamation points everywhere. But I'm too fond of his stories to send him out the window, so I stick with them.

gingerwoman · Oct 6, 2007

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

I remember enjoying it back when I was 19 or something. Don't know if I'd like it now I'm a very different person.

The Great Gatsby- What was so great about it? I remember it was painfully boring and I think I skipped parts and I can't remember ANYTHING about it.

American Psycho

What's it like? I've seen the movie.

Azraelsbane · Oct 7, 2007

I don't know if I'd call it highly prized, but Terry Brooks is a pretty popular fantasy author, so I'm counting it.

First King of Shannara

I threw the book across the room and sobbed for hours. Never picked it up again. That's what happens when the only character you even remotely care about dies halfway through the book. I have been assured that the other MCs, who I found to be unlikable, rise above their petty ways to become wonderful characters, but I already hated the guy meant to be king far too much to care.

gingerwoman · Oct 7, 2007

The books I've mentioned so far "Catcher in the Rye" "The Hobbit" "The Great Gatsby" were all books I did manage to force myself to finish but just didn't enjoy.
I never got far into Beloved and I passed up Wicked for other more interesting books. Like some others have said I thought I would love it and it has interesting images but it's so all over the place and maybe trying too hard?

JoNightshade · Oct 7, 2007

Dune. I read it because my husband said that any true sci fi fan needs that one under her belt. Ugh! This is a classic? The first fifty pages (and most of the rest of the book) are just one big huge info dump. For the whole book I felt like the author was just dangling little pieces of understanding at me, little clues of WHAT THE HECK WAS REALLY GOING ON (in terms of the big picture-- the empire, the Bene Gesserit, etc.). And he NEVER GAVE ANY ANSWERS. Then I get to "the end," I turn the page, and what do I find? 50 more pages of APPENDICES that simply give me all the answers. HUGE info dump. It was like he wrote the book, nobody could understand WTF was going on, so he said, "Okay, here, I'll just tell you. INFO DUMP." GRRRR.

melaniehoo · Oct 7, 2007

I'm stuck on page 52 of Catch-22. It's been almost a month and I typically finish a book in a week so the outcome is not looking good.

I had to read the spanish version 100 Years of Solitude in college & it was the only book I didn't finish. It was a weekly class & we had to read a novel per week. I finally read it, in english this time, last year.

KTC · Oct 7, 2007

Howsabout I beat you over the head with Catch22 and help it get into your head in a sort of osmosis like way?

gingerwoman · Oct 7, 2007

melaniehoo · Oct 8, 2007

KTC said:
Howsabout I beat you over the head with Catch22 and help it get into your head in a sort of osmosis like way?

That might be the only way it's getting in my head. I started another book last night - gramma was here and left me all her trashy mysteries!!! - but Catch is still sitting out. It's inching towards the bookcase but I haven't abandoned it yet.

maestrowork · Oct 8, 2007

Children of Men by PD James. I'm still struggling through chapter 3. Talk about expositions... I know it's going to get better, but I'm really having trouble slogging through the first few chapters...

JoNightshade · Oct 8, 2007

maestrowork said:
Children of Men by PD James. I'm still struggling through chapter 3. Talk about expositions... I know it's going to get better, but I'm really having trouble slogging through the first few chapters...

Oh, just rent the movie.

maestrowork · Oct 8, 2007

I already saw the movie three times.

I just want to see if the book is better. Not likely...

Books highly prized you couldn't finish

The demon in your inkwell.

Stand in the Place Where You Live

practical experience, FTW

practical experience, FTW

Historicals and Horror rule

In the Center of things

practical experience, FTW

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

of all the gin joints

Agony is defeat

has finally arrived

And thus we begin the edits

Stand in the Place Where You Live

And thus we begin the edits

Fear the Death Ray

has finally arrived

Fear the Death Ray