[Misc] Books you gave up on

[Peteinblack]

I don't like conceding defeat, but I gave up on Bulgakov's Master and the Margarita, Thackeray's Vanity Fair and Ayn Rand's two 'classics' Atlas Shrugged, and The Fountainhead.

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

As I say, I did try it myself but unreadable doesn’t really do that “novel” justice. Pretentious shite from a man who was going through a mental health crisis at the time post-Ulysses, and high on cocaine and morphine. It can’t be understood because it’s meaningless.

I have read various interpretations of what it's about, however these were presumably all invented by people mad enough to have both started it and read to the end.

 

[jcdenton08]

I have read various interpretations of what it's about, however these were presumably all invented by people mad enough to have both started it and read to the end.

Anyone can make up an interpretation though. I find it funny when scholarly people make up convoluted, intellectual interpretations of text, or lyrics, or movies, “explaining” what they mean - only for the author to turn around and say it’s bollocks.

I could do a well-written 2000 word essay on how “She’s Electric” by Oasis is actually a damning indictment of Norwegian politics in the 1920’s, but it’d be pretentious shite of course.

 

[Brovion]

The appendix to V1 of Capital is really interesting, and points to a different understanding to the development of capitalism than the one normally taken from Marx (ie, productive industry consolidating, falling rate of profit, increasing class homogenisation and conflict, revolution)

Never got to the appendix! I was young and it was back in the 1970s, and I wanted to be the only Marxist I knew who had actually, shock horror, read Marx. (I did manage The Communist Manifesto)

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

I felt guilty about giving up on 'Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee'.

I was just 20 when I read it, and still have a copy now - great book imo.
Also read a couple of others by Dee Brown - heavy going, but a good auther / historian

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

I've abandoned loads. If a book hasn't got me within 50 pages or so, to the charity shop it goes.

My record is about 380 pages into a 400 page thriller, could not be arsed to finish it as the dénouement was some 'cobbled together to make everything fit' shite.

 

[DFL JCL]

Moby Dick, took about 4 chapters to describe a harpoon.

 

[jcdenton08]

Moby Dick, took about 4 chapters to describe a harpoon.

Should’ve got to the point.

 

[Professor Plum]

I'd rather read every page of Jack Torrance's "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" than put myself through any Dickens ever again.

Dickens is a truly brilliant wordsmith. You might dislike his plots or be minded not to read him for any number of reasons but his actual skill with words is immense. Mind you, I hated his stuff at school. It was only much later, in my 40s, that I went back to him and loved it. Great Expectations the pinnacle for me. It helps if you’re interested in social history.

 

[Seagull]

Moby Dick, 200 pages in where’s the frigging whale?
Catch 22, just couldn’t face another page of utter drivel

And ones I dragged myself to the end of out of sheer willpower
The Famished Road by Ben Okri - just very weird, born in the wrong continent probably
Candide by Voltaire - dire, born in the wrong century I guess

 

[amexer]

As I like autobiographys have learned most are very poor when put together when youngish or at height of fame and just put out by agent to make money while they have public awareness.. Certainly several I have not finished. Best ones are those that have a passion to put life story down. Last three were excellent the inventor of Nike, Steve Jobs and Kieth Richards. The latter one surprised me how good it was

 

[Dave the OAP]

The bible

 

[BNthree]

Flights by Olga Tokarczuk. She's won the Nobel Prize for literature but found that book dull and hard to get into.

 

[BBassic]

My record is about 380 pages into a 400 page thriller, could not be arsed to finish it as the dénouement was some 'cobbled together to make everything fit' shite.

In a similar vein I read through almost the entirety of Stephen King's seven book Dark Tower series but gave up when SPOILERS King wrote himself in as a character. Awful.

 

[Doonhamer7]

Catch 22 - 4 attempts haven’t got past page 50ish.

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

Dickens is a truly brilliant wordsmith. You might dislike his plots or be minded not to read him for any number of reasons but his actual skill with words is immense. Mind you, I hated his stuff at school. It was only much later, in my 40s, that I went back to him and loved it. Great Expectations the pinnacle for me. It helps if you’re interested in social history.

If by "brilliant wordsmith" you mean "verbose bore who never says anything once when he can say it 50 times using as many words as possible", then I'd be forced to agree.

 

[Questions]

The Bible.

I’ve read it. Not bad but a predictable ending

 

[SAC]

Tale of two Cities and Captain Corelli‘s Mandolin. Both were recommended to me and both very difficult to get into.

Each to their own but I found Catch 22 and excellent read.

 

[Questions]

Ken Keseys “Sometimes a great notion”
My brother said I was ‘too young for it’ when I returned the book saying I couldn’t get into it.
I almost certainly was at the time.
I think I might still go back to it…..

 

[pocketseagull]

Seem to remember it took a couple of attempts for Catch-22 to click but definitely worth it, incredibly funny book.