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The unread book that you've owned longest


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All of us readers own one or more books which we enthusiastically bought "to go along with the flow" but never got down to seriously reading. In my case, it is Future Shock by Alvin Toffler that I bought in 1973 but have not been able to go beyond the first 2 pages despite several attempts. In those days (and I was 18 at the time) the book was very 'in'...if you know what I mean. But it seems very silly and meandering these days.

 

How about you?

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I think it has to be Ulverton by Adam Thorpe - I bought it in the 90's after reading really good reviews about it. I've tried to read it twice in that time - quite a few years apart - and I suspect I've become bogged down at the same place. It's a shame as it held so much promise - might try again sometime but considering my TBR pile it probably won't be for a long time.

 

Has anyone on here managed to read it - I'd be interested to hear their thoughts.

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It's an Octopus hardback called Science Fiction Stories featuring short stories by authors such as Brian Aldiss, H G Wells and Isaac Asimov that I was awarded at primary school for 100% attendance in 1986!

 

It always seems to get overloked, but I'll get to it one day.

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I bought The Messiah Code by Michael Cordy with birthday money in 2005 and still haven't read it.It's now fast coming up on two years since then (end September). I just haven't fancied it as yet...

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This is a funny coincidence, but the unread book I've owned the longest is Anne of Green Gables! It was given to me for Christmas by some family friends when I was 12, which was 15 and a half years ago! Well, I guess I'll get to read it now, right? :lol:

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The Bible, no contest. I've had my own copy since I was about 12 and I still haven't gotten through even half of the New Testament. If we're talking novels though, there's one called Elephant Memories by Cynthia Moss. I got it as a senior in high school (almost three years ago) and I still haven't even opened it--which is odd because I adore animal books, particularly ones that follow the lives of a family group and document their behavior.

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The Bible, no contest. I've had my own copy since I was about 12 and I still haven't gotten through even half of the New Testament.

 

Actually, if we include The Bible, I've never completely read it (and what I did read was only because I took a Bible as Literature class in college) and I received it at my First Communion when I was 8 years old...almost 20 years ago! I wonder if anyone here has ever read it all the way through.

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Misery, by Stephen King. I've had it for years, and I just have never got round to reading it.

 

Edited to say, that I have also had a copy of Zeebrugge: A Hero's Story, by Stephen Homewood, for more years than I care to remember. I will read it one day, but haven't yet.

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Actually, if we include The Bible, I've never completely read it (and what I did read was only because I took a Bible as Literature class in college) and I received it at my First Communion when I was 8 years old...almost 20 years ago! I wonder if anyone here has ever read it all the way through.

 

I have.

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I think the book I've had the longest and not read through (not including the Bible which I will probably never pick up again! :thud:) is Lorna Doon. I can't remember whether I bought it or I was given it, but I first started reading it when I was doing school exams - either GCSE or A-levels (can't remember) and couldn't concentrate on it enough to get through it. I did pick it up at a later date but still didn't finish it. I remember it being a fairly good story - just a bit too detailed. I would like to finish it at some point - although I'll have to start again!

 

I finished school in 1994.

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Mine is Atlas Shrugged. I've had it forever and I think I'm just intimidated by it.

 

I only bought this book last year but I'm pretty sure I won't read it for years yet. I get intimidated when I open the huge book and see the tiny print inside - and I know it's going to be a 'heavy' book and tough to get through (although worth it in the end, I hope!)

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  • 2 years later...
I've had Coastliners by Joanne Harris on my to read pile for several years. I don't know why I haven't read it, seeing as I've read most of her other paperbacks, but I've just never got round to it.

I posted the above on 24th July 2007, and finally read it in February this year!

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A very interesting question, thank you for the thread Oblomov! The unread book that I've owned longest is Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. I bought it in 2001 for a uni course but never read it, I just listened what the lecturer had to say about it and made notes. I've started reading the book a couple of times but I just can't do it, the book annoys me and depresses me. I hate it. The only reason why I haven't given it away is that some people have actually enjoyed reading it, and I've usually enjoyed all of my other uni course books myself (except for Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy which I absolutely hated, and Muriel Spark's The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie which seemed promising but didn't deliver). I'm determined to read it some day. I might be even pleasantly surprised.

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I think it is probably Ancient Evenings by Norman Mailer - I bought it in the mid 80s and haven't got round to reading it yet. I will be honest and think it was the beautiful cover that attracted me to it.

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Muriel Spark's The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie which seemed promising but didn't deliver). I'm determined to read it some day. I might be even pleasantly surprised.

 

Uh oh. I saw a book review of this on TV the other day and they mostly really liked it, so I immediately added it to my 'internal' wish list. I might still check it out though...but warily. :D

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