For Booking Through Thursday this week, we're asked to share our abandoned books. 'The books that you start but don’t finish say as much about you as the ones you actually read, sometimes because of the books themselves or because of the circumstances that prevent you from finishing'
My great unread book is Ulysees by James Joyce, I got to page 5 i think the first time I read it but i loved The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man so will try again with Ulysees and may even get to page 10 next time!
I also have to admit to not finishing Kafka's The Castle. I read it in German and though I felt it was a worthwhile read and I loved a lot about it, it is just so long and I just couldn't face spending any more time stuck in Kafka's imagination in German, which is such hard work to read....
I remember when I left Primary School I felt sad that I hadn't been able to finish the Intriductory book to Greek Mythology that I had been reading.
There are others too, but those are the ones I most remember just now. As I get older I'm more likely to give up on a book, I don't see the point of continuing to read a book when I'm not enjoying it or getting anything out of it. Having said that I finish most books I read.
18 comments:
I too liked Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man but for Ulysses, I could't go beyond page 4!
I am always abandoning romance novels, if I ever start one!
These days I leave anything I don't really gel with unfinished; years ago that would have been sacrilege.....chiefly because I feel I have limited time. I didn't even start War and Peace, never mind finish it.
I'm slowly getting to be more like you and Jo, I think. I'm totally OK with putting down a non-fiction book if it's not floating my boat. It's really hard for me to put down fiction and if I do, it comes with great angst...but you're right, so many books, so little time.
I've got Ulysses waiting to be read (with trepidation) and I too liked Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. At one time I really hated to give up on a book, but now, like you, if I'm not enjoying a book, I'll quite happily abandon it.
Ulysses has a bad rep. I'm curious to see myself just how bad it is.
Portrait is one of my favorite books, but Ulysses... nope. Can't do it.
Kafka in German. You know, I still have anxiety dreams about that, usually involving final exams and not being able to find the room.
P.S. Thanks for the visit.
I got through Ulysses when I was out of work - literally nothing better to do at the time! I had more patience in those days, too!
There's been more than a few commonalities between these lists today! I want to read Ulysses and yet I fear it at the same time.
I think you right, as you get older....it might be easily to give up on a book and move on :)
Happy Booking Through Thursday!
I have never read Ulysses. Always meant to. It seems to be one of those books people either love or they hate!!
I really hate leaving a book unfinished. But I may have to rethink that idea. There are SO MANY good books out there I want to read!
I can't waste time on a book I don't LOVE. I'm too busy!! Good luck with Ulysses.
Thanks for visiting!
I couldn't get through Ulysses either. We should take a count at the end and see if Joyce comes up the winner/loser???
Donna
I have tried to read to Robert Musil's "The Man With No Qualities" so many times and failed. I know I must but I don't know why.
I have never read Ulysses... and nowadays my reading depends a lot on recommendations from book blogs. I think I'm more picky now as compared to the past because I simply don't want to waste my time reading a book which I don't enjoy while there are so many good ones lying around.
Happy BTT!
I'm wondering if Ulysses is going to take the prize as most unfinished book ... Strangely, I have a dim recollection of sitting absolutely riveted through a very arty/gritty/b&w movie of it, or maybe part of it, screened by my uni's arty-farty film club, back in the 70s. But I might well have been under the influence of something.
Thanks for stopping by my BTT.
I haven't read anything by James Joyce other than a poem or two. Ulysses does seem daunting. It does sound like a challenging book to read.
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