02-18-2012, 04:51 AM | #46 | |
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I'm in the same position, though I may try to come back to it as I don't like giving up on books unless they are really badly written or plotted. |
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02-18-2012, 06:03 AM | #47 |
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I tend to run out of steam on big, historical, non-fiction works. I make it up to about the Spanish civil war in The Dark Valley, loose steam, and then forget all the players by the time I get back.
I'm also ashamed to say I've never made it more than a third of the way through The Guns of August. Even after being bitten by the Downton bug! |
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02-18-2012, 05:52 PM | #48 |
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A book I read and regretted it - Downtown Owl.
It was great right to the ending. I reread the ending (about 2 pages perhaps) at least 6 times to try and see what I was missing. Nothing except a feeling that the book actually had a reasonable ending. Was like the author was tired of writing and decided to just ..... Don't want to put in spoiler Helen |
02-18-2012, 07:19 PM | #49 | |
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The Gunslinger: B The Drawing of the Three: B+ The Waste Lands: B- Wizard and Glass: A Wolves of the Calla: A Song of Susannah: C The Dark Tower (7th): D . Yeah it was really bad, but "what was in the tower" and what it represented was a real surprise. For me the turning point was Wizard and Glass. Really, it should have been the first of the 7 books, not the 4th. Because it explained the Gunslinger's childhood and coming of age. And it did have the romantic element, if you like that stuff. I also liked Wolves of the Calla a lot - very unusual story line. |
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02-19-2012, 10:38 AM | #50 |
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'Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow' - Peter Hoeg - did finish it but wish I'd abandoned it - started out a thriller and became some weird sci-fi thing at the end...
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02-19-2012, 08:12 PM | #51 |
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Perhaps we should also do a list of "Love/Hate" books - some titles I notice are people's favourites (like Lord of the Rings) and some readers just loathe them. Obviously they provoke strong feelings in people. I noticed someone else hates "Name of the Rose", one of my all time favourites and I am sure other MR contributors have seen some of their great literary loves scorned by others!
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02-19-2012, 11:42 PM | #52 |
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A song of ice and fire for me I liked the TV show and it made me curious about the books and bought all of them, I lost interest about halfway through the second (clash of kings) and have read probably at least 40 books since even though I still do intend to go back to it at some point.
I tend to read full series with no problems I actually prefer a longer story, Since I started A song of ice and fire I've flew the dresden files, Codex Alera, Changeling, The Dark Tower, Necroscope Series and a few others. I still want to go back to it but I always find myself going for a fresh book instead. |
02-19-2012, 11:53 PM | #53 |
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I've never been able to get through anything by Jane Austen.
I couldn't get through The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera either. I bought it because the title caught my attention, but I wish I hadn't. |
02-19-2012, 11:54 PM | #54 |
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I've been a big Stephen King fan for a long time. But, I just couldn't get through Bag of Bones. At all. I just...couldn't get into it to save my life.
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02-20-2012, 03:21 AM | #55 |
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Heh, reading this thread is like reading a list of some of my favourites. I loved Wuthering Heights, really liked Catcher in the Rye, loved War and Peace. The first 400 or so (lol) pages of War and Peace was a bit of a slog to get into so I can understand how people might give up, especially on the random essay parts (just skip them if you don't like them, they're not necessary), but after that and I got used to it I breezed through the last 800 or so.
I say it's all a matter of perspective. You may say "couldn't get through"; I say "partway through until I get back to it". Now those I have a few of... But I'm pretty optimistic and I hate leaving things unfinished for good, so it's a rare book that I'll completely give up on. I can't think of any right now that I've completely given up on. I did put Ulysses down years ago, but I was determined to eventually come back to it, and now it's on my challenge list for this year, so wish me luck... |
02-20-2012, 04:45 AM | #56 |
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A surprising one for me is Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby.
I read all his other works and enjoyed them all. I just couldn't get into the story on this one. |
02-20-2012, 05:54 AM | #57 |
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On a related topic, I recommended Nevil Shute's Trustee from the Tool-room to a friend and loaned her a copy. A week later she commented that the story seemed a bit slow to get going and that there was a lot of irrelevant stuff that didn't advance the plot any.
The book was sitting between us, so I picked it up and looked at where her bookmark was. She had only reached page 19 ! I told her she had about 300 pages to go, so there was plenty of time for things to pick up speed. |
02-20-2012, 06:47 AM | #58 | |
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Books You Couldn't Get Through
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I mostly never even finish the blurb/precis - I find I know the basic plot ......... (But, of course, I make no judgement on any particular author's work.......) Pro'bly my narrow horizons as to quality and originality - I mean, how many clone wizarding/Templar/cop with family-drugs-alchohol-money problems/vampire/ slasher etc... "original" works can there be in the fevered brains of new writers...... The perfect example - how many ancient codex/riddle versions exist of the awful Da Vinci coddle ? Last edited by carpetmojo; 02-20-2012 at 06:51 AM. |
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02-20-2012, 06:58 AM | #59 | |
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thank you for reminding me... i couldn't get through Angels & Demons. it was so bad that i didn't even attempt the da vinci code. |
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02-20-2012, 11:16 AM | #60 | |
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