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Question: Has a book ever been so bad you cannot finish it!?
I tried to read 'Lunar Park' by Bret Easton Ellis last year, and to date it is the only book in 28 years I have chosen not to read any further!. I got 2/3 the way through simply disbelieving how bad it was!.!.!.!.!.

Has it ever happened to you!?

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Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
Almost all autobiographies !. Bram Stokers Dracula , I finished it but one of the worst written books I've ever read !. The lord of the rings , I'm glad they made the films because I just couldn't get through it , Tolken takes twenty pages to say what needed two !.Www@QuestionHome@Com

There are 2 different sorts of "bad" when it comes to reasons for not finishing stories!.

There's the really, really frustratingly badly written / plotted!.!.!.I tried and failed to read The Illuminatus Trilogy 3 times before I finally gritted my teeth and finished the bugger!.!.!.it's so deliberately convoluted, jumping forwards and backwards in time and space that it made my brain squeal in torment!. It only makes sense when you're stoned, I think!. Most people I know have failed to finish Midnight's Children by Rushdie (I think it's the second most unfinished book after the Bible!.) Don Quixote is another one I started to read before my eyes went numb!. Not good!. (Though I did get about 50 pages in!)

Then there are the books you fail to finish because they're too damn depressing or upsetting!. The Book of Disquiet by Pessoa was bleak as hell and I was reading it on a commuter train with a load of sad looking people - definitely a book to slit your wrists by!. Kind of learnt my lesson with that one!. Better to save the bleak ones for a warm summer holiday!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Oh yeah, lots of times!.!.!.I sometimes go into my brother's room and pick out a book ( well, not anymore 'cause he lives in Spain ) if I'm bored, and try and read it!.!.!.and I can't!.!.!.for example, one of them was El Zorro by Isabel Allende ( in Spanish :P )!.!.!.yeah, the film was one thing, but the book is c-r-a-p!.!.!.!!!!! I also find some of the Terry Pratchett books quite bad ( sorry to anyone who likes them :] )!.!.!.my brother is obsessed with them and has like 30, but I've only ever read a few, and that was because he FORCED me too haha!!!
As you know, I'm reading the Xmas Carol by Dickens, and I can't really finish that!.!.!.I've watched the DVD and fell asleep!.!.!.so you can imagine the book!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I read 100 pages, if by then I am not enthralled that's it!! Next book please!.

I was intrigued on one of your recent questions where you mentioned a book called The Book Thief!. I had read about this book and thought it seemed to be just my kind of thing!.
However I couldn't even get through my usually obligatory first 100 pages, I found it quite a peculiar writing style and very hard to get into!. Maybe I should give it another try!.!!
I was even more puzzled because it was in the children's section too!.

i frequently get books from the library, only to return them unread!. I always think there are too many good books out there to waste time reading anything I consider to be rubbish!.
I guess that's a bit snobby, but it is my philosophy!. : -- DWww@QuestionHome@Com

oh man yes!

i hate it when it takes forever for the story to get going, and then when you finally get to the climax it is crap!

you get so fed up with reading, you then leave it for ages, and soon forget where you were and then just can't be bothered to read it!

Lol bad books shouldn't be published!Www@QuestionHome@Com

For A-Level English years ago, I did a book called The Handmaids Tale!.

I think the concept of the book was quite good, but the extremely vague wording fashion and the constant jumping from past to present was hugely confusing, so that would definitely be the worst book I have ever read, and I would not have finished it if I didn't have to!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

"The Moonstone" by Wilkie Collins

And to Cody Chance: I read every word of "Atlas Shrugs" by Ayn Rand, and while I found it dreadfully boring after the first 50 pages, it was not bad enough that I didn't have a desire to find out how it ended!.

I was considering reading Moby Dick, I'm glad that I read other people's answers on here, perhaps I'll find something else!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I am a bookworm by nature and have a fascination for reading!. My friend recommended a book to me that I also got 2/3 the way and feel like it is punishment for me to pick it back up!. Even in school, I read boring books and wrote great reports on them, but this one really sucks! I feel your pain, if it is that important get the cliff notes, but if not burn bad reads!!!!!Www@QuestionHome@Com

Hiya,

There has been times I have picked up a book by an author whose work I have read previously!. Expecting the new one to be just as good and have sometimes been very disappointed - only reading halfway through!. There are other times I will pick up something and know straight away if it's just 'not my thing'!.

xWww@QuestionHome@Com

I really tried and tried with Phillip Pullman and His Dark Materials!. I was told "Oh, it's tons better than Harry Potter blah! blah! blah!" Utter crap!. Could not get past the second page!. AND the kids in my class have also backed up my complaint!.

Moby Dick: M Name is Ishmael!. Good!. Seee ya!

Wuthering Heights!. Oh!.My!.God!. That's when I realised I was a chav with chav literary tastes too!.

Patricia Cornwell's latest 'Book of the Dead' Book of the thoroughly confused, more like!. Utter crap!. And I've got all her books!. I was most upset!.

Gerald's games by Stephen King!.

You know, when I feel cheated by a book I get inexplicably angy!Www@QuestionHome@Com

Ugh!. "The Prophecy of the Stones" I think!? Oh it was horrible! I stopped reading when one the characters was killed, but couldn't die because Death was on strike!. It was funny on Family Guy, but when the author wanted it to be serious!? Wow!.
I don't get why all these people said Moby Dick!. I thought it was pretty cool!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I'm quite ruthless about that!. If I don't care about anyone within the first 3 chapters or the style irritates me I bin it!.

I could give you loads of examples but the most recent is 'We Need To Talk About Kevin" The way it was written drove me insane, got to chapter 2 and lost the will to live!.


EDIT- Don't you start I get grief everytime I say I hate that book!.!.!.!.IT'S POO!. So there!. I'm crying again now!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Yes, I actually put down a John Gresham book a while ago, it was so dull and boring and I cant remember what the title was, it was a true story, and apparently a convicted man was not guilty and Zzzzzzzzz!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

it has only append to me once!. There was this series about a girl with these powers!. The first 2 books were amazing but the second book was horrible!. It was so boring and nothing was happening!. The problem was i never got to hear what the ending was so i had to ask my momWww@QuestionHome@Com

I bought a book that i thought was amazing at first when i read the blurb, when i started reading the book it was absolutely crap!. I only got up to 5 pages, I think it was called 'Please let it stop'Www@QuestionHome@Com

I could barely finish Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer!. It took me a whopping two weeks to finish it( and that's a LONG time for me)-- I had to force myself to get through it!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Yup!
I stopped reading The Other Boleyn Girl about 1/3 way through!. To me it seemed like my bookmark stayed in the same place even when I read like 20 pages!. It took me about a week to realise how bad the book was!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I think Pride and Prejudice is the most boring book ever!.When I have insomnia I read a page or to and fall asleep right away!.I'm still in the first chapter!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I used to push myself through every book whether it was bad or good!. Only recently have I allowed myself to stop reading a book if I don't like it!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Not very often but once or twice, there was this one about a rough sleeper in London, and another one about a man looking after a sick sheep in Ireland and trying to get off with his brothers wife!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

slaughterhouse 5 by kurt vonnegut and the doors of perception by aldous huxley

i last 20 pages on both, i would be so bothered by they are both short
these are the only 2 i have never finished Www@QuestionHome@Com

yep anything by clive cussler! Tried it, not for me, I also couldn't get through the Bourne Ultimatum, couldn't do it!Www@QuestionHome@Com

you should read 'A piece of Cake' by Cupcake Brown!. Thats a true life story and THAT is bad!.!.!.as in shocking bad so you'll be too upset to read further!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Lord of the rings

I know it's supposed to be a great book but the first dozen pages just describing them setting up a party!.!. so dull! It's obvious Tolkien never heard of a "hook"!Www@QuestionHome@Com

yes

robbie williams autobioghry

neva finished it coz it was soooooooo badWww@QuestionHome@Com

Moby Dick!. I even endured the very long chapter all about whales, for Christ's sakes!.
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Yes- The Day Of The Triffids was terrible! It is the ONLY book that i have never finished because it was so terrible!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I could never finish reading Adolf Hitler by John Toland!. 1000 pages is a bit too much for me!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Lord Foul's Bane by Stephen R Donaldson!. No matter how hard I tried I just couldn't get into it!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I have a problem getting through Captain Correllis Mandolin!. I get half way then give up!. The film is good though!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

It happens more than I would like!. It's such a waste of time!. I wouldn't have got 2/3 of the way through though!. I usually give it til between 50-150 pages and then give upWww@QuestionHome@Com