Anyone else have a book (or books) that they want to read but just never seem to actually get around to reading? Any books you feel like you ought to read but never do?
Probably unpopular, but for me it’s classic Russian literature- War and Peace, Crime and Punishment and the like. I know they’re supposed to be amazing, but I just can’t work up the energy to read them. I think Anna Karenina soured me on Russian literature; the middle portion of that book with Levin on the farm was such a drag that I’m hesitant about the other books.
What about you?
I keep putting off reading the Sanderson Secret Project books. I’m super excited, but I haven’t opened any of the three yet.
… okay, off-topic, but I have to say that if you didn’t like Anna Karenina, there are a lot of “classic” novels you might not like. If it’s just Levin, and you liked other aspects, that’s reasonable, since part of the point of the book is how widely people’s perspectives vary, and how that contributes to unhappy families. The variation means that everyone is going to find at least one of the characters unsympathetic. I had a love-hate relationship with most of the characters, but I enjoy that experience, and I know not everyone does. I recommend doing the first page (or first chapter) test on Russian literature: if you finish the first page (or chapter), and have no desire to flip to the next one, don’t. The world is full of amazing books, and you don’t owe it to anyone to read anything specific.
On topic, for me, choosing what to read is complicated by not always being able to read a book with my eyeballs (health issues), and not being able to enjoy certain books as audiobooks. So I spend a lot of time going, “is this book worth a possible migraine?” or trying something as an audiobook, and finding I don’t like it that way. Then I might leave something on the shelf or in my queue with the vague idea that I’ll give it another try when I have more patience, but I am not patient with books. I eventually get around to stuff people have recommended, but I have realized that it doesn’t actually make me a better person to read the things I am expected to read (YMMV), so I just… don’t, and try to be honest with myself about what I should have on my “to read” list. There’s no point in having it on the list if I know, deep down, that I am not interested.
Oh I have no problem finding plenty of books and classics that I like, ha ha! Just that Anna Karenina was going along so well and then there was this huge boring (to me, anyway) diversion to Levin on the farm when I was way more interested in what Anna was up to! I finished the book, but that middle part was a struggle!
but for me it’s classic Russian literature- War and Peace, Crime and Punishment and the like.
Same here! And I’ll bet we’re not the only ones.
Joyce’s Ulysses is one. I’d started Finnegan’s Wake years ago but unfortunately never got past the first 20ish pages. Not that I couldn’t go forward, like you with Anna Karenina or me with Moby Dick (“Sorry, your honor, I just couldn’t finish it!”). I think I was distracted by something else at that point in my life.
Camus’ The Plague is another. There’re certainly hundreds of others that just don’t come to mind at the moment.
Wow…this post is making feel like a philistine!
I can feel Infinite Jest staring at me every time I walk past the bookshelf. I will read it… one day…
I’ve started and stopped Ulysses 3 times now. I think it’s a retirement project at this point.
Btw, I found War and Peace much more readable than Karenina.
