bree Posted September 11, 2012 Share Posted September 11, 2012 Were there any books you gave up on, (so far), this year? Will you be picking them up again and giving them another chance, or, have you washed your hands completely off them? I've given up on The Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks. Everyone I know (those who've read it, that is) loves the book - but I just couldn't get into it. I've now come to realise that I don't enjoy reading books which have blow-by-blow descriptions of the battle-front. I stopped reading it at the end of part two - and had kept it aside hoping that I'll pick it up again. But I don't think I will - I didn't connect with the characters, or the writing, and I may just skim through the last bit to know how it ended. Have you abandoned any books this year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted September 11, 2012 Share Posted September 11, 2012 I almost abandoned The Bourne Identity but there was a twist just after half way that kept me reading- wouldn't read the sequels though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pickle Posted September 11, 2012 Share Posted September 11, 2012 I have abandoned Death comes to Pemberley P D James but I will go back to it at some point I just have to be in the moood for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Were there any books you gave up on, (so far), this year? Will you be picking them up again and giving them another chance, or, have you washed your hands completely off them? I've given up on The Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks. Everyone I know (those who've read it, that is) loves the book - but I just couldn't get into it. I've now come to realise that I don't enjoy reading books which have blow-by-blow descriptions of the battle-front. I stopped reading it at the end of part two - and had kept it aside hoping that I'll pick it up again. But I don't think I will - I didn't connect with the characters, or the writing, and I may just skim through the last bit to know how it ended. Have you abandoned any books this year? On dear - I've got Birdsong on my TBR. My only did not finish this year so far has been Hanging Hill by Mo Hayder. Not read anything by her before, but I just couldn't get into the plot at all, gave up after about 50 pages Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bree Posted September 12, 2012 Author Share Posted September 12, 2012 (edited) On dear - I've got Birdsong on my TBR. Oh, you shouldn't go too much by my opinion alone - like I said, everyone seems to love it. I hope you'll enjoy it too. (I must be wired-up weird!) Edited September 12, 2012 by bree Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 I've abandoned three this year. The first was The Weather Makers about climate change. The reason was I know quite a lot about the subject and didn't find anything new in it, and some of it was already dated. The second was A Handful of Honey by Annie Hawes. I've loved her previous books but they've been based in Italy, where as this was more about her travels, and I just wasn't enjoying it. I don't think I'll pick up either of these again. The third book was Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh. I did struggle with reading some of the patois and the paperback version was an unwieldy beast making it difficult to physically read. I may get an ebook version instead and try again at some point. I did recently finish Birdsong but I'm not one of those who have loved it, bree. Like you, I didn't connect with the characters as other people have, but I did finish it, as I wanted to find out how it finished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 I havent actually abandoned any books. I have skim read the last few pages this year but not actually put them down. I always think ill end up regreting it if i do put it down! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bree Posted September 13, 2012 Author Share Posted September 13, 2012 I did recently finish Birdsong but I'm not one of those who have loved it, bree. Like you, I didn't connect with the characters as other people have, but I did finish it, as I wanted to find out how it finished. You're a more sincere reader than me, chesil! The first part was all right - though nowhere as passionate as what the reviews had said - and I struggled - really struggled with the second part (and most of friends swore this was the best bit!) - and I just couldn't get myself to read the last part Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 Gave up on The Killing Floor by Lee Child, very boring for a thriller. No intelligent plot line and poor characterisation. Also on the verge of giving up on The Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs. John Carter is a wooden, 2d character. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inver Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 Sorry you didn't finish Birdsong, but can understand. It is one of those your either like or don't. I don't usually give up on books but this year I have done so with two. I'm hoping these are the only ones. 'I Capture the Castle ~ Dodie Smith and 'Vanishing Acts' by Jodi Picoult Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 M. D. Keating – Sunburnt Everett Peacock – Death By Facebook (K) Lew Wallace – Ben-Hur (K) Jules Verne – The Mysterious Island (K) The only one I may go back to is Death By Facebook. I only left it because I have so many review books to catch up on. The other three pretty much sucked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devi Posted September 15, 2012 Share Posted September 15, 2012 I almost didn't finish Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, though that had nothing to do with the book itself. I took a break and came back to it with a clear mind and started it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dex Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 I gave up on Nocturne by John Connolly. The cancer cowboy was a good story, but the next two didn't grab me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karen.d Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 I've given up 3 books so far this year, 'The Somnambulist' by Essie Fox, 'Something Dangerous'- Penny Vincenzi and 'World Without End'- Ken Follet. All of these books suffered from the same flaws, that I wasn't able to connect with the characters and that they lacked an interesting plot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emelee Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 I abandoned Crime & Punishment by Dostojevskij -- not because I found it dreadful, but because we had to read it for school within one week, and I just could not do it. The pressure was too much. So I will finish it some other time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karen.d Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 I abandoned Crime & Punishment by Dostojevskij -- not because I found it dreadful, but because we had to read it for school within one week, and I just could not do it. The pressure was too much. So I will finish it some other time. You had to read this in a week!? That's impossible surely? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emelee Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 You had to read this in a week!? That's impossible surely? That's what I thought. But our literature teacher is brutal. Usually about 2-3 novels a week. Not sure what I can learn from reading in this pace. There is no time for thinking and reflecting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karen.d Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 That's what I thought. But our literature teacher is brutal. Usually about 2-3 novels a week. Not sure what I can learn from reading in this pace. There is no time for thinking and reflecting. I know when I was at Uni we had to read a book every week, but nothing as thick and substantial as 'Crime and Punishment'. I agree, I'm not sure what information your teacher is hoping you absorb, if you have to read at such a pace. The best you can hope for with such a novel is skim reading and unless you have some sort of photographic memory, that would be no help whatsoever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bree Posted September 20, 2012 Author Share Posted September 20, 2012 I don't usually give up on books but this year I have done so with two. I'm hoping these are the only ones. 'I Capture the Castle ~ Dodie Smith Inver, what went wrong with I Capture The Castle ? I've been wanting to read this for a while - and have only heard good things about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emelee Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 I know when I was at Uni we had to read a book every week, but nothing as thick and substantial as 'Crime and Punishment'. I agree, I'm not sure what information your teacher is hoping you absorb, if you have to read at such a pace. The best you can hope for with such a novel is skim reading and unless you have some sort of photographic memory, that would be no help whatsoever. Photographic memory would be NICE! But no, unfortunately not. I much rather read bits and pieces from many works rather than 10 whole novels. We get to read selected parts only from Homer, Dante & the Bible etc. Thank heavens we don't have to read everything from them too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixie Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 I've given up on Don Quixote by Cervantes a few times this year. I have a feeling I will love it when I actually get through it, but it's so thick and the archaic language can be a bit difficult at times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 I gave up on Mrs Pargeter's Point of Honour by Simon Brett a couple of days ago. I read all the others in the series about 15 or so years ago but for some reason never got round to this one. I think my reading tastes have changed so much over the last six years that it was just too... silly and predictable. Shame really! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 I had to abandon Mister God, This Is Anna! by Fynn. Too out there for me. And I wasn't feeling any of the characters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaliepud Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 I have up John Barrowman's Hollow Earth... Hopefully one of my kids will pick it up at some point.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 I have up John Barrowman's Hollow Earth... Hopefully one of my kids will pick it up at some point.... Can I ask why? I really enjoyed it when I read it a while back, and would love to know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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