What's the last book you read and just couldn't finish? (and why not)?

Question

Answering another question made me think of the last book I gave an honest shot at finishing (made it 2/3 of the way through) but just couldn't make myself care enough to follow it through to the end.

For myself, that book was The Coast of Akron. Poorly developed characters and scenes that just seemed to go on forever with no apparent plot advancement.

I felt like I knew what the ending would be about a 1/4 of the way into book. Who knows, there could be some twist ending that I never made it to, but I don't really care enough to ever find out.

The bad part is that I grew up in Akron and I'm an artist (the book takes place in Akron - though very little of the books details signify as such, other than the author just continually saying so - and the book also centers around an artist) and I still couldn't make myself finish that book.

Answer 1

It was Stephen King's "IT" It was even more detailed than the movie, but it was just way to long of a book over a thousand pages! So I had to set it down.

Answer 2

Face the Fire by Nora Roberts

It's the third book in the Sisters Trilogy, but Hurricane Katrina hit, and I never got the chance to get back to it. Don't know where it is now. Too many bad memories surrounding the time I was reading it. Don't know if I'll ever get back to it. I think I might be sad trying to start it again anyway. Maybe if I wait a very long time, and can still remember the first two books, then I'll be able to start it again. I hope so.



I tried to read a Catherine Coulter book, The Sherbrooke Twins, when we evacuated, but her grammar was so bad, I couldn't get through chapter one. Never bought one of her books again.

Answer 3

The last book I was reading was "100 Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. About a Native Mexican family. I could'nt finish because the book seems too complex. A lot of settings, flashbacks,native terms based on superstitions and folklores.Everytime I get started reading it, I could not remember whereI left off and I have to read back 1 or 2 chapters to refresh my memory and sometimes do a research on the native/foreign terminologies to fully understand the purpose.But I know it is one of the great books.Wish me luck.

Answer 4

Valley of the Horses, which is a sequel to Clan of the Cave Bear. I liked that one a lot (I saw someone else didn't) and I was curious to see what happened to Ayla later on down the road.

The descriptions were long, and uh, long. The dialog was sparse, which is understandable since Ayla mostly speaks in grunts. Thing is there's a lack of characters and so little to really care about.

I'm glad she made friends with the animals and found a way to survive, but please, how many pages? 400+? I had to skim it because I really did want to find out what happened. Of course I'd love her to see her son again (maybe she does finally?) Maybe I'm biased because I really liked the movie (which is unusual, since I'm usually partial to the book.)

I even have the book that comes after this one - started it, but haven't made much progress yet.

Answer 5

"Doctor Zhivago," by Boris Pasternak. And I am interested in Russian culture, but this book is SO BORING! I've never understood what was so fascinating about its vacuous heroine. I've never even seen the movie all the way through because I fall asleep. Maybe it's a generational thing; people who are at least ten years older than myself seem to love it. I didn't finish "Desperation" by Stephen King either, though I love most of his work. This book just didn't hold together; it had no pacing, no narrative tension at all.

Answer 6

it was the lord of the dead i can't remember the author. Being 13 and basically a book worm i should be able to finish any book. but alas i haven't i distinctly remember 3 books i have never come close to finishing. *order from newest to oldest page number*

Lord Of The Dead~ 13 i just couldn't pay attention it never held.
Magyk Septimus Heap series~39 my phone rang....amazing huh
Eragon~77 i don't really remember why but i just couldn't. i got tothe part where the guy found the egg and the egg hatched then i start think about Cirque Du Freak *excellent series trying to fine book 3 though*

Answer 7

The Awakening, it's an interesting book and Chopin is a talented writer, but honestly i'm not into stories of adultery and such. I didn't get passed chapter twelve.
God Bless!!

Answer 8

"Shopgirl" by Steve Martin. I heard tell that he was a brilliant writer and his stuff was gold, plus I wanted to have read it to see the movie. But it was utter dribble- written in what I felt was a slightly pretentious manner, and in this odd, detached style that made me not care at all about the characters, not to mention that they weren't very sympathetic at all anyways. I never got to any good part, so I gave up fairly soon. I guess that's what I get for listening to the critics and not trusting my gut!

Answer 9

The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, A history of Nazi Germany
By William L Shirer
2/3 done, it is time-consuming and very hard to read.
I am determine to finish it.

Answer 10

I used to read all the vampire chronicles until I got to one certain book (cannot remember the title). Ann Rice had put in the book about Lestat being offered Jesus' blood for more power or something and just felt too sacrilegious and I could not read it anymore or anymore of the chronicles.