I just suffered through a book....

[SoccerDogWithEars]

This was fairly recently, The Poisonwood Bible.
Ugh, it was miserable.

I felt the same way!!! I mean, the first few chapters had me pumped, and then......it just died. Quite literally. I think it took me a month to go back and finish it.

The last series I finished out of obligation recently was the Dark Swan series by Richelle Mead. I had really enjoyed her other books, but the last two in this series just kind of bored me. And I was so angry at the ending. We could have everything end up happily ever after, but no. That'd be too easy.

 

[superme80]

Vanity Fair is another one!

 

[cfriend416]

The third Game of Thrones book.

One and two were ok.

Three was pure torture.

Four was written by a different person, I swear. The whole tone of the writing changed.

Haven't read Five yet. Waiting for it come out in paperback (October)

THIS. I feel exactly the same way. I've "read" all five, but "read" is in quotes because by the fifth I was skimming/skipping entire chapters. There are just way too many plots and subplots and POV characters to keep track of. Honestly, I don't think Martin is a very good writer because he doesn't know how to reign himself in. I'm sure plenty of authors want to cram every single idea they've ever had into their books, but they know that's not feasible so they scale back. Martin does not. Anyway, sorry to say the fifth isn't any better. I'm dreading the release of six and seven (if it ever happens) because I know I'll feel obligated to read them!

I loved Pillars of the Earth but hated the next one. I kept reading because I thought it had to get better but it never did.

Aw, that's too bad! I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed both. I loved Pillars of the Earth and was worried World Without End wouldn't live up to it, so I was glad that it did (for me anyway). Sorry you didn't have a better experience!

Going back to the OP, I recently quit on Atlas Shrugged about 80 pages in. I thought I would like it as I really enjoy classic dystopias, but after 80 pages talking about trains, I couldn't take it. I might have stuck it out if there weren't 1000 or so pages to go. Has anyone had a different experience with Atlas Shrugged? Is t worth going back to some day?

 

[Breezy_Carol]

I got into but never finished Chesapeake by James Michener and also Life of Pi which I tried long before the movie.

Our local library stamps their name/address on page 31. I have heard people say if they don't get into it by then, they quit.

 

[DarthKTrava]

Whatever Charles Dickens book I had to read for school. Can't even remember the title, just that it was drier than the Sahara. I switched between it and a Star Trek novel. Surprised the book report didn't include Kirk and Spock....

David Weber's first Honor Harrington novel. Might try to re-read that one if I can find it...

Couldn't get into Eric Flint's The Galileo Affair but was able to read it thru the second time around.

Troublesome Minds (a Star Trek novel): first Trek novel I think I never finished. Even the few earlier ones that read more like technical journals with characters added....

 

[mombrontrent]

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens was the most boring booked I slogged my way through. It's a fairly short book but it took me months to read it because I just couldn't read more then a couple pages at a time.

I actually enjoyed both Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. I also liked both The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End. And I also LOVE the Outlander series. I have been anticipating the next instalment. I almost gave up on the first one since it was slow to start but I am so glad I stuck it through.

 

[Katie Dawn]

Hunger Games 3: Mockingbird I finished it just for the sake of completing the trilogy. Didn't enjoy it at all...

I agree.

 

[kathyk2]

Forrest Gump the novel by Winston Groom, I thought it would be like the movie and I hated it. I had to read Candide in college and I thought it was dumb. I know many people didn't like Wicked but I loved it.

 

[JVL1018]

Not once, but twice:The Great Gatsby.

I read it in high school and hated it.
Then my friend, who hates to read btw, picked it for our book club, so I slogged through it again, and hated it again.

 

[phorsenuf]

I find it hard to finish books if they don't grab me.
I finished the Hunger Games triology in 2 weeks. Also, I couldn't put down 'One Day' by David Nicholls.
However, on my bookshelf I currently have 'Starter for 10', 'My sisters keeper' and 'An offer you can't refuse', all half read! I am desperate for another enthralling read.

On the other book thread The Other Boleyn Girl was recommended to me. Fantastic book!

 

[SLK1]

Could not finish Life of Pi! My friend practically bullied me into giving it a try and I couldn't finish.

And I know I'll catch a TON of grief for this, but I could not, could NOT like Harry Potter. Tried with the first book and ugh...just not my cup of tea.

For those that hated Wicked, did you see the play? It's fabulous and I don't like The Wizard of Oz.

For the PP that liked The Other Boleyn Girl...that's a GREAT book! All the ones by Phillippa Gregory are enjoyable.

 

[KBoopaloo]

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens was the most boring booked I slogged my way through. It's a fairly short book but it took me months to read it because I just couldn't read more then a couple pages at a time.

I actually enjoyed both Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. I also liked both The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End. And I also LOVE the Outlander series. I have been anticipating the next instalment. I almost gave up on the first one since it was slow to start but I am so glad I stuck it through.

A Tale of Two Cities has been on my "Currently Reading" list on GoodReads for at least 4 years. LOL Every now and again, I pick it up but I never get through more than a few pages. It is the favorite book of a good friend so I always assume it will get better but no.

We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates is a book that I SLOGGED through and only finished because by the time I realized it was not getting any better, I was halfway through and felt obligated to finish. Ugh.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

The Jungle

All those ethnic names made it very difficult to read (especially since I was pulling an all nighter to do a report on it ).

 

[cluvsdisney]

Hunger Games 3: Mockingbird I finished it just for the sake of completing the trilogy. Didn't enjoy it at all...

I think I just pretend read that one like a kid "reading" before they know how to read. It was awful.

The twilight books were pretty bad too. I'm still annoyed with myself about wasting time on those books.

But I will put down a book I'm not enjoying. I'll give it 100 pages or so and if I am not into it, I'll pass it on. Just not those two series for some reason.

 

[DeaverTex]

I really, really tried to finish the Mission: Earth series. That's the 10 part L Ron Hubbard sci-fi series. I made it through book 9 by sheer determination. I have book 10, but I've never had even the slightest inclination to open it.

The thing that kept me going in that series is the same thing that's kept me going through a couple of Elizabeth Moon's science fiction books - the conviction that it HAS to get better soon. Don't get me wrong, now. I love Elizabeth Moon's fantasy, but her sci-fi is just irritating. (IMO, of course.)

 

[xipotec]

Wicked

I hated that book. I'm not a fan of wizard of oz but thought I'd give it a shot.

Omg yes! And the play is sooooo good!

I liked the Hunger games series....

Worst book of the year." Pride and Prejudice, and zombies."
Just as boring as the original.......

 

[avgeek81]

Hunger Games 3: Mockingbird I finished it just for the sake of completing the trilogy. Didn't enjoy it at all...

I agree also. I read the first 2 books fairly quickly. Might've helped that I was up north visiting family and then hurricane Sandy hit so we had no power for a few days and I didn't have much else to do. The end of the third killed me. I was looking forward to seeing the other 2 movies and now i dont really care. I thought people were exaggerating when they said it was that bad.

My aunt made me read The Shack. I could not get into it but she kept asking me about it so I finally finished it.

OP I read a book like you are describing but I actually liked it. This ladies friend was murdered halfway thru and she is telling the reader about it and said she was out of town when it took place. She is worried her son was involved. Turns out she murdered her friend to protect her son and what she told us was a lie I think she was writing in a diary or something

 

[AC7179]

OP - Did your book include a party with a large cake near the end? If so, I read the same book.

I keep wanting to discuss this plot telling device (sike! It was all a lie!) with someone, but certainly didn't like the book enough to recommend it to my friends.

Yes! I didn't want to say too much in case someone was currently reading it but ohhhh my gosh I wanted to throw the book across the room! I was slogging through the book and now you're gonna tell me it wasn't even real. Haha....it's funnier now but I was livid this afternoon!

 

[BCmomma]

If a book doesn't grab me in the first 1 or 2 chapters then I just let it go, I don't waste my time on the rest of it. Most of the time it's a 'popular' book that so many people loved and I did NOT. Case in point: The Lovely Bones. Ick. Put it down after only 5 pages. No thank you.

The only book that I hated but read til the end was The DaVinci Code. I didn't hate it because of the content, I hated it because it was so poorly written!!! But I read til the end - luckily that piece of poop book was an easy read, grammatical mistakes and all.

 

[Mel522]

Anna Karenina

I try to mix in some classics with my trashier reading, but it took me about 6 months to read this one. Absolute torture for me

Not once, but twice:The Great Gatsby.

I read it in high school and hated it.
Then my friend, who hates to read btw, picked it for our book club, so I slogged through it again, and hated it again.

Those are two of my all time favorite books I can definitely see why others don't like them though.

For Anna Karenina I think the translation makes a huge difference. I think the Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky translation is the best.