Giving up on a book
Discussion
No, that's not him. It's not Peter James either, very much enjoy his Roy Grace detective series but he also does a variety of horror-ish books as well.
I might be thinking of Patricia Cornwell, her earlier Scarpetta novels were great, then she did a few really duff ones that put me off all of them. Then I dropped on a cheap copy of a later one, and it was as if someone had taken her to one side and had a quiet word, and it was back on form.
I might be thinking of Patricia Cornwell, her earlier Scarpetta novels were great, then she did a few really duff ones that put me off all of them. Then I dropped on a cheap copy of a later one, and it was as if someone had taken her to one side and had a quiet word, and it was back on form.
droopsnoot said:
paulguitar said:
1: 'When the Wind Blows' by James Patterson. This is about, and I am not kidding, ‘secret flying children’ and apparently the author is the best selling on earth. 
He is truly terrible.
I haven't read that particular one, but I have read a lot of James Patterson "normal" stuff, and it's generally very good. I know nowadays he has quite a lot of different groups of characters, and co-authors with people, so I wonder whether that's another string and I've missed it. He is truly terrible.I generally steer clear of fantasy or horror so that would be why. But really, his more down to earth stuff is very good. IMO of course. It's always a pity that a one-off like that puts someone off an author, though I've had that myself. Just can't remember who it was.
It seems shameless to me, though obviously one can’t argue that it is not a massive success financially.
This is probably going to be controversial, but I've tried reading Lord of the Rings several times and given up. The films are quite good so clearly there's a decent story in there but they're just so badly written.
I read the Thomas Covenant books at school and enjoyed them but tried rereading recently and they just seemed so formulaic/predictable.
I read the Thomas Covenant books at school and enjoyed them but tried rereading recently and they just seemed so formulaic/predictable.
paulguitar said:
Apparently what he does now is put his name to books actually written by other authors. Patterson comes up with the broad outline and someone else writes it. This makes him $90 million per year!
You're right, though I think that's on the low side, I'm sure I read a year or two ago it was nearer $300m. He's not alone, though, and at least he's upfront about it. The "other" author gets his name on a book that gets way more publicity than he'd otherwise get, and I've read a few from some of the "with" authors that I might otherwise not have bothered with.
You're probably right about the 'beach read' comment, I don't really think of them that way but only because I'm never on a beach. But I like something that's easy to read, not a fan of the deeply-serious highbrow stuff, I just want to be entertained.
Mr. Potato Head said:
Lord of the Rings.
Bought 3 books didn't finish the first.
Turgid bulls
t.
Flame away, I don't care.
as a huge sci-fi / fantasy / horror fan I should be appalled, but you're right, they are heavy going, i should also like discworld novels, i couldn't finish the first one and my parents bought me the first few for a birthday present.Bought 3 books didn't finish the first.
Turgid bulls
t.Flame away, I don't care.
struggled to finish the george rr martin books (love the tv series) books are hard going.
i have found that some books that i have struggled through are far better as audio-books, i listen to and from work on the train.
barely finished consider phlebas (culture series) on audio book i am 5 in.
H2G2 was far easier as audio-books as well (stephen fry reads them so that helps)
will be trying the discworld ones next in case they work that way.
i hate giving up on books, i love reading, i feel like a failure if i give up, i have to try and remember it's not entirely my fault the book is hard going / boring.
A passing observation;
I was listening to a university professor, a real student of Nietzsche speaking, and he said (paraphrasing);
"Nietzsche is really difficult. People start reading Nietzsche and stop because they don't understand him. Sometimes they try again, and if they do begin to understand him, then they really do stop reading!"
Some books somehow just need to be read. Whatever the pain one may feel at the time.
Milton's collected works; his Paradise was truly lost on me. The pope should have sent him to the inquisition rather than invite him for tea.
Dante's Divine Comedy was an agony for me. I wanted a time machine so I could go back and strangle him before he could begin.
I found that strange, as I have reasonable theological knowledge, yet both felt like reading blasphemies posing as religious texts. Not that I am uncomfortable with reading/listening to religious blasphemy on principal.
And I have heard more than my fair share of C. Hitchens, Dawkins and Harris.
The above notwithstanding, I don't regret reading them, only that I didn't find the (apparent) literary value one is promised/expecting.
On the other hand, some books just don't warrant the effort.
I was listening to a university professor, a real student of Nietzsche speaking, and he said (paraphrasing);
"Nietzsche is really difficult. People start reading Nietzsche and stop because they don't understand him. Sometimes they try again, and if they do begin to understand him, then they really do stop reading!"
Some books somehow just need to be read. Whatever the pain one may feel at the time.
Milton's collected works; his Paradise was truly lost on me. The pope should have sent him to the inquisition rather than invite him for tea.
Dante's Divine Comedy was an agony for me. I wanted a time machine so I could go back and strangle him before he could begin.
I found that strange, as I have reasonable theological knowledge, yet both felt like reading blasphemies posing as religious texts. Not that I am uncomfortable with reading/listening to religious blasphemy on principal.
And I have heard more than my fair share of C. Hitchens, Dawkins and Harris.
The above notwithstanding, I don't regret reading them, only that I didn't find the (apparent) literary value one is promised/expecting.
On the other hand, some books just don't warrant the effort.
Mr. Potato Head said:
Lord of the Rings.
Bought 3 books didn't finish the first.
Turgid bullst.
Flame away, I don't care.
I am a massive fan of LOTR and Tolkien's other stuff too, but I can agree to a certain degree. The first time I read it, it took me about two months to get through Fellowship, about two weeks to get through The Two Towers and polished off Return of the King in a weekend!Bought 3 books didn't finish the first.
Turgid bulls
t.Flame away, I don't care.
The pace picks up if you get through the (very lengthy) build-up.
I've re-read the books many, many times since that first time and I now delight in the detail and turgidity of the first part of the story!
Foucault's Pendulum - Umberto Eco
Tried a few times to get past page 20 or so. Never managed it.
Captain Correlli's Mandolin - Louis de Bernieres
Gave it a few chances, again, but nothing happened and nothing compelled me to find out if anything would.
A Brief History of Time - Stephen Hawking
I can read the words but my head usually explodes around page 15 rendering further reading pointless.
Tried a few times to get past page 20 or so. Never managed it.
Captain Correlli's Mandolin - Louis de Bernieres
Gave it a few chances, again, but nothing happened and nothing compelled me to find out if anything would.
A Brief History of Time - Stephen Hawking
I can read the words but my head usually explodes around page 15 rendering further reading pointless.
I agree with those who say it's ok. Reading should be a joy, not a feat of endurance.
The last book i abandoned was Tom Rubython's biography (hagiography) of Senna. The content was mostly interesting and in parts very interesting.
But the language became so florid and fawning in places that I just though 'oh sod this I've had enough' and put it down
The last book i abandoned was Tom Rubython's biography (hagiography) of Senna. The content was mostly interesting and in parts very interesting.
But the language became so florid and fawning in places that I just though 'oh sod this I've had enough' and put it down
It's vary rare I totally give up but I've given up on a few. I've got a "started but gave up" collection on my Kindle, it only has one book in. Then some real books, although the only one that spring to mind there is Cryptonomicon.
I've also got a few I haven't technically given up on but when there are better books don't really feel like continuing. I'll probably get round to them one day.
I've also got a few I haven't technically given up on but when there are better books don't really feel like continuing. I'll probably get round to them one day.
I find it difficult to give up on a book once I've started. It feels like a personal failure.
However there have been a couple that stick in my memory
The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky was hard going. I used to fall asleep after a couple of pages, and could never remember who some of the characters were so had to keep going back and re-reading bits to try and work out who was who.
Fifty Shades. Someone gave the set to my missus for Christmas when it was all the rage. I had a look out of curiosity. It is truly awful.
However there have been a couple that stick in my memory
The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky was hard going. I used to fall asleep after a couple of pages, and could never remember who some of the characters were so had to keep going back and re-reading bits to try and work out who was who.
Fifty Shades. Someone gave the set to my missus for Christmas when it was all the rage. I had a look out of curiosity. It is truly awful.
FredAstaire said:
i bought "Golden Lion" by Wilbur Smith as a holiday book (it was Tescos, I was about to get on the Norfolk Broads).
fk me. If I wasn't stuck on a boat with no TV and no mobile signal I'd had given up much sooner than the half way through I managed.
Then steer well clear of some of his more modern-set novels, I read "Those in Peril" and suspected he'd put his name to other peoples work but kept it quiet, it was quite cringeworthy in some parts. By contrast to TiP, Golden Lion is quite a return to form as it carries on the earlier African series.f
k me. If I wasn't stuck on a boat with no TV and no mobile signal I'd had given up much sooner than the half way through I managed.Those who gave up on Stephen Donaldson's Thomas Covenant books could try his Gap series instead. It is much faster paced Sci Fi and one of my all time favorite book series. The first book is pretty brutal but worth sticking with it for the later books.
I normally enjoy more verbose authors like Donaldson, George Martin and Neal Stephenson, I guess I buy my books by weight. Badly written books are normally what results in me giving up on a book, books that read like I wrote them rather than a professional.
I normally enjoy more verbose authors like Donaldson, George Martin and Neal Stephenson, I guess I buy my books by weight. Badly written books are normally what results in me giving up on a book, books that read like I wrote them rather than a professional.
I agree with those that say reading should be a pleasure and not a chore, but I finally got through Catch 22 recently and that has changed my perception somewhat. I tried three times previous to get through it and didn't particularly like it very much, on the fourth reading (prompted by someone I trust completely when it comes to books) I got past the three quarters (ish) mark and was totally absorbed. Fantastic book.
I would only ever actually throw a book away if I thought it was truly awful. If it's just not to my taste I'll give it away, only one book has ever actually gone in the bin and I was tempted to actually burn it as some sort of symbolic act to demonstrate to the world how bad I thought it was. The book? Twilight.
I would only ever actually throw a book away if I thought it was truly awful. If it's just not to my taste I'll give it away, only one book has ever actually gone in the bin and I was tempted to actually burn it as some sort of symbolic act to demonstrate to the world how bad I thought it was. The book? Twilight.
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