Oblomov Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 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? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyB Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedge Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 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... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freewheeling Andy Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 I've had Vineland by Thomas Pynchon since 1999 or 2000, I think. Left by a girlfriend by mistake one weekend it was never reclaimed, and after the struggle with Mason&Dixon I decided to leave it for a while. It's still left. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icecream Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 I loved reading as a child and was bought hundreds of books I didn't have time to get through and still have some to read. I thik I read all the ones I had when I was really little so probably the early 90s is the longest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Echo Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 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? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 War and Peace. I also had Solzenitsyn's Gulag Archipelago which has probably quite mercifully gone missing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stiggy Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 The Chronicles of Narnia, i've had them since i was a youngster but only read one of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasei Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Echo Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteffieB Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 Mine is Atlas Shrugged. I've had it forever and I think I'm just intimidated by it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruth Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icecream Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hazeltree Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 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! ) 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 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!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted July 26, 2007 Share Posted July 26, 2007 I wonder if anyone here has ever read it all the way through. And I have Mine is probably The Canterbury Tales (in a modernised translation) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anika Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 "The Biography of Emile Zola" bought in 1994. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funrun Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 The strand Stephen King It is thick and I just can not sit and read it yet:mrgreen: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 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! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueK Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raoul Duke Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 Mine would have to be The Fountainhead. For the same reasons as others with Atlas Shrugged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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