"The Most Boring Book" I read or tried to read

[AuntiWiddershins]

Originally Posted by HGW

Well said, rkomar.

I'm just now reading "Robinson Crusoe", having avoided it for most of my life. I got it from Project Gutenberg when I bought my first Kindle.

I must say, I don't really feel that I missed out on much, waiting all those years. It's readable, but so dang repetitive! If I'd picked it up and tried to read it, all those years ago, I'd have thrown it away.

But now I can persevere with it... just.

***
This should be required reading for all teanagers, especially the first chapter where his father begs him not to go to sea, but he just won't listen

[hiteshp]

Maybe you start one more thread on "Most Irritating book you ever read". Looking at all the new age author and also the old ones trying to catch up with the new age, the thread on 'Irritating Books' is much needed.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by hiteshp

Maybe you start one more thread on "Most Irritating book you ever read". Looking at all the new age author and also the old ones trying to catch up with the new age, the thread on 'Irritating Books' is much needed.

Any member of Mobileread can start a thread.

[haertig]

I can't think of any books I could call "the most boring". Because I usually fall asleep multiple times then abandon them long before I even know what the story is about. So me calling them boring would be premature.

Two that come to mind are by Alexandre Dumas. The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers. These are both obviously classics. And the movies that have been made from them were enjoyable for me. However, I just could not read the books. I don't think I made it through even the first chapter of them. The wording and writing style just could not hold my interest. Now that I think about it, Moby Dick fit this same "not for me" classification. I've tried a couple of times, but it appears "the classics" are just not my cup of tea. I'll just have to stick with the movies that were generated from the books.

One "modern" book that that hit me the same way and was quickly abandoned was "The Road". I really can't recall it very well, but I seem to remember that it was just a jumble of short, curt, half-sentences. I remember flipping way ahead to see if the book would eventually morph into something halfway normal. But it didn't. So I abandoned it.

These all could actually be great books. And probably are. But they just weren't my style.

[drofgnal]

Originally Posted by haertig

I can't think of any books I could call "the most boring". Because I usually fall asleep multiple times then abandon them long before I even know what the story is about. So me calling them boring would be premature.

Two that come to mind are by Alexandre Dumas. The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers. These are both obviously classics. And the movies that have been made from them were enjoyable for me. However, I just could not read the books. I don't think I made it through even the first chapter of them. The wording and writing style just could not hold my interest. Now that I think about it, Moby Dick fit this same "not for me" classification. I've tried a couple of times, but it appears "the classics" are just not my cup of tea. I'll just have to stick with the movies that were generated from the books.

One "modern" book that that hit me the same way and was quickly abandoned was "The Road". I really can't recall it very well, but I seem to remember that it was just a jumble of short, curt, half-sentences. I remember flipping way ahead to see if the book would eventually morph into something halfway normal. But it didn't. So I abandoned it.

These all could actually be great books. And probably are. But they just weren't my style.

I had a similar experience reading Les Miserables. It starts out with a seemingly over a 100 pages of stuff on the Bishop of D_. A very long winded story of Cossette's early years. On my first attempt at the novel I got to the battle of Waterloo. I was reading a paperback and it seemed like it was about 70 pages of a real small font. For what? The only relation to the story seemed to be the Thenadiers robbing dead bodies at the end of the battle. (All this would have corrected itself had I continued. I pulled the plug at that point.

Years later I'd make a second attempt. I was richly rewarded for my efforts as more things fell into place as the novel progressed. I was glad I have it a second try and I really enjoyed it.

[haertig]

Originally Posted by drofgnal

I had a similar experience reading Les Miserables....Years later I'd make a second attempt.

That describes me with Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean Auel. I can't tell you how many times I started that book and got drug down into narcoleptic fits reading about all the medicinal plants. Then one time - it hit, and I got into the book. And enjoyed it. Then I flew through the sequel Valley of Horses. And the next sequel too, which I forget the name of right now. I got stuck again on the fourth book many years ago and haven't gone back to give it another chance. I need to do that I guess. Things just kind of got a bit overpowering on the "Sex With The Cavemen" thing. Not really my style. So I guess it does depend on the mood I'm in or the time I'm trying to read that determines how well a book will go for me.

[Martinoptic]

I think it was the Plains of Passage, which I gave up on. The first two books were good IMO. I read the fourth but no further.

[hiteshp]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

Any member of Mobileread can start a thread.

It kinda gets popular if a Peruvian starts it