Unfinished books.. will you pick them up again?

[Rosalind]

Every couple of months I try to go on in Rupert Everets biography(red carpets and other banana skins), but every time I quit after a few chapters. I like biographies in general read some very funny ones even but this one just can't get me to keep reading.

 

I'm going to pick it up again, I know I am, since I bought it I think it's a pitty not to read it.

[Charm]

I've only ever put one book back without going on with it and that was Bag of Bones by Stephen King, however The Hunchback of Notre Dame is dangerously close to being abandoned for good. It still has a bookmark in it which is a good sign!

[BookJumper]

There is, I find, a huge divide between putting a book down and abandoning it. Books I've abandoned include Umberto Eco's "The Name of the Rose", Wolfgang von Goethe's "Faust", HP 7 and Scarlett Thomas's "The End of Mr. Y" - I knew when I abandoned them that I wouldn't change my mind at a later date because they were, respectively: pretentious and boring, padding Christopher Marlowe's much better play to about five times its original length, pandering to the masses and completely unedited, and too insistent on shocking the reader.

 

On the other hand, I have put down books which I was enjoying immensely (including Jasper Fforde's "The Well of Lost Plots" and Walter Moers's "The City of Dreaming Books") through loss of mojo non-dependent on the quality of the books themselves. Those I will definitely pick up again - after I've finished Terry Pratchett's "The Truth", itself a recent re-pick-up.

[Lucybird]

however The Hunchback of Notre Dame is dangerously close to being abandoned for good. It still has a bookmark in it which is a good sign!

 

I gave up on hunchback too but left my bookmark I still plan on going back to it at some point.

 

I mentioned Rachel Ray on the last page, I did finish that one in the end, but never really enjoyed it

[sadya]

Sometimes.

[sirinrob]

I gave up on "The Curious Incident Of The Dog In Night-Time", I might come back to it when I'm bored but I'm afraid right now I just have too many good books to read.

I've just acquired this one today - already a third through. What made you give up?

[Nicola]

Sometimes I will. There have been a few books that I was mid-way through when uni work or other more exciting books got in the way. Some I go back to and others I don't.

[Babe*With*Brains]

I'm awful for doing this...i always have several books on the go and soon lose interest in atleast one of them so end up leaving them for weeks and weeks. Some I never actually get around to reading, others i'll flick through if i'm bored, but once i've lost interest i very rarely finish them!

[Euphorix]

My policy is to read at least 100 pages (or about 1/5 to 1/4) of the book, in order to let the author finish introducing all aspects of the novel that will become relevant. If I am still genuinely bored with the book, I'll put it down -- more reluctantly so if it's a highly acclaimed book. An example is The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath -- I've read dozens of positive reviews, but found it genuinely dull. I feel there must be something wrong with me, so I'll leave it on the shelf until I can work up some desire to finish.

[Rosalind]

I'm going to pick up Red carpets and other banana skins again when I go on my holiday to Corfu. After abandoning it 3 times already I think it's time I finally finish it.

[Tikkititi]

No. I don't make the decision to abandon a book very easily, but once I do, there's no going back. I might set a book aside for a while, if it's very long, and read something else in the meantime. But once I've truly given up on a book, it's bound for the charity-shop.

[blithe]

I abandoned Umberto Eco's "Baudolino" a few years ago, picked it up again last year and eventually gave up. I've been reading "Don Quixote" on and off, but I'm pretty sure I'll eventually finish it. It's quite a funny book.

[mollie]

If a book doesn't grab my interest within the first chapter or so then that's it I'm afraid, it goes to the charity shop.

[Guest radjack]

I tried 3 times and I never could finish Dracula.

It's not that I don't like the book, but life always gets in the way and then I'm not in the mood to read it anymore.

I now I'll pick this one again... eventually.

[Adam]

I tried 3 times and I never could finish Dracula.

It's not that I don't like the book, but life always gets in the way and then I'm not in the mood to read it anymore.

I now I'll pick this one again... eventually.

 

I think Dracula might be my next read. I hope I don't run into trouble with it.

[Guest radjack]

I think Dracula might be my next read. I hope I don't run into trouble with it.

 

You won't, it's quite good (at least the first 100 pages are), I couldn't finish it because I would be very busy, or I would have to do other stuff:irked:

[Nollaig]

I need to read Dracula, I've had it for a while now but while my mojo is being picky, I don't know would I be able to finish it. I need lighter reading - I have a couple of books I might go back and finish.

[Piper]

I had this problem recently with The Historian and after my second attempt to get past the first few chapters I gave up. It is now in my To Go pile as there are too many books waiting to be read .

 

It would depend on why I gave up on a book though as to whether I gave it another chance. Last year I couldn't get into One True Thing by Anna Quindlen but I love her books and know there was too much going on at the time so it just went back onto the TBR mountain for the future.

[Nollaig]

I loved The Historian!

[busy91]

It depends. Most of the time no. I put them down because I don't like them for another reason or another. I've only picked up a couple and finished and liked them. But I do try to finish them.

 

One book I may pick up again is "Bleak House" by Dickens. It was dragging, but I saw the movie and it turned out to be a real good show.

[Piper]

I loved The Historian!

 

Sorry I just couldn't get into it .

[Nollaig]

To each their own! I can understand why it'd be a tough read, it's a niche-y kinda book I think.

[Adam]

You won't, it's quite good (at least the first 100 pages are), I couldn't finish it because I would be very busy, or I would have to do other stuff:irked:

 

Thats good to know. I have had this for a while and I think I might just give it a try.

[ian]

I haven't done this for a while, but I've been trying to read Brighton Rock over the weekend. I just couldn't get into it at all. So it's gone onto my list of "tried & failed" books which include;

 

War & peace

Frankenstein

Moby Dick

Catch 22

 

Probably many others too. I use the Stephen King method when deciding whether to give up. In his short story " Low men in yellow coats" the two main characters are discussing Lord of the flies. The one recommends to the other that he should allow the author 10% of the books total length. If you aren't hooked by then, you never will be. It's stood me in good stead.

 

I wondered what other books people have failed? Is there one book that is the most "unfinished"?

 

Ian

[SueB]

Good thread Ian

Lots of books for me......most recent being The Host by Stephane Meyer just couldnt get into it and funnily enough another was My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult yet Im loving Songs of the Humpback Whale by the same author.

 

Strange eh