Have you given up on any books you started reading?

Here is one to avoid. After seeing a passing mention in a thread about something completely different, I downloaded a sample of Felidae by Akif Pirincci. It was billed as a story of a cat detective, which sounded intriguing, also as not being a children's story, which proved very true.

It started Ok. A streetwise cat, wisecracking like a Raymond Chandler private eye, moves with his owner to a dilapidated apartment in a run-down house. He refers to his owner as his can-opener and puts up with his sentimental attachment for the sake of the food. Very catlike. Written in a long-winded translated-from-the-German style but what the hell. So I downloaded the whole book.

Murdered cats appear in the neighbourhood, their dreadful injuries graphically described. Our hero investigates the upstairs apartment and finds a congregation of cats high on some substance being indoctrinated in the worship of one of their kind and reciting the details of his martyrdom, all graphically and lingeringly described. More and more deaths, more and more bloodsoaked fur and ghastly sadistic injuries.

I found myself skipping several pages to avoid the increasingly lengthy and unpleasant descriptions and get back to some kind of story. Detective cat finds an old diary kept by a scientist who experimented on cats. Again, graphic descriptions of the scientist's increasing obsession with the torture of the creatures, with undertones of eroticism. Then cat detective is seduced by a Mata Hari type feline, graphic and frankly pornographic description of sex scene..... at this point I decided I could take no more. I should have stopped earlier.

My general impression of the author is of a man obsessed with cats and sado-masochism, not necessarily in that order, and getting increasingly turned on himself by what he is writing. Left a bad taste in the memory. Reminded me of what has been posted here by people who have had dealings with sex offenders - the snail trails remain in the mind.

Elegran I started that book, as I was told it was clever, cultish, and would appeal to my forensic tastes - I ditched it after a couple of chapters and a quick flick through the rest, finding it sexually sadistic. Not for me!

Sounds horrible!

I have just given up on Pilgrim by James Jackson. It is about the Children's Crusade of 1212, but I can't get into it. I usually love that sort of book, but I don't think this one is very well written tbh.

It was horrible. Clever-clever in a nasty way. I disliked it so much that I wrote a review on Amazon saying so. (more or less copied what I wrote below). There were reviews from people (sounded male) who thought it the best book they had ever read "and some gratuitous sex, too" said one. With a sinister cat ?

Carol did you read Patricia Cornwell? i used to read her earlier books, they were forensic and technical, but interesting. Then her later ones seemed to be written to a formula, as though she was just getting as much revolting detail in as possible. I went right off them.

Yes, read them every now and again, also Tess Gerritson. Like you say Elegran some are formulaic and that irritates me. I prefer a rattling good read.

I recently read 'The Alienist' by Caleb Carr, which is a victorian type forensic story, exquisitely written, detailing the beginnings of American forensics with things like finger prints and psychological profiling in a story about a serial killer. Fascinating book!

I must try those.

I took against Tess Gerritson because there seemed to be a lot of product placement of up-market gear.

Captain Correlli's Mandolin springs to mind. Everybody said "ooh its WONDERFUL " and so I think it was too hyped up. I persevered but ended up chucking it up the corner, which is what I do with a book that disappoints me. What a drama queen!

We Need To Talk About Kevin was on my Christmas list and I was really looking forward to reading it, but I just can't get into it. Maybe I'll try again at a later date.

The Time Travellors Wife really weird and I soon gave up - the first page of The Slap used c--t and several others and I couldn't be bothered. A really thick book can be off putting if you read in bed like me - however I am really enjoying Clare Tomlin's book on Charles Dickens. I've also got another thick book, the new book about Queen Anne I've had a skim and it also looks good. Unless it's really bad I will try and read it through - there is the odd one however...

The name of the rose - Umberto Eco. I bought it in a charity shop while I was working away in Bournemouth. Perhaps it was because I didn't have a Catholic upbringing.

The book was in pristine condition, and I found the sales receipt which I think had been used as a bookmark 30 pages in. So I guess the original owner had given up on it too. I persevered but gave up on the book after half way. I didn't really enjoy the film of the book either.

Oh! I enjoyed both. It's based on William of occam of occam's razor fame!

I agree that there are certain books that appeal more when you are a certain age. I read Lord of the Rings when I was about 30 an d wept when I had finished the last one as I knew there were no more. I tried to read it again recently 50 years on and found it extremely self indulgent. I gave up, I was so bored.

I couldn't get into " The Time Traveler's Wife " either or "We have to Talk About Kevin." I don't often give up on a book but they just didn;t appeal. I don't think that the length of a book is the problem it is usually the subject! I did enjoy "The Name of the Rose" though.

I tried the time etc and just did not get on with it!

The Time Traveller's Wife is awful you end up with your head spinning with all the dates at the beginnngs of chapters. I also thought there was something a bit creepy and almost symptomatic of grooming about him entering his wife's life when she was a child. Why did he not have clothes when he "jumped"?
I've just finshed Any human Heart Willam Boyd and really didn't enjoy the first section re his school days. However it was a gift from a dear friend and I perservered and really enjoyed it however i didn't like Logan at all - without giving anything away the man is totally selfish and was a serious serial adulterer creating misery everywhere he went and most unlikeable.

Me too- the language was appalling & totally gratuitous & none of the characters had any redeeming features. I was given the book by a friend to 'see what I thought' & when I told her I couldn't read it she confessed she had given up on it too for the same reasons.
I have hardly ever given up on a book before- awful book- I compensated with the new Jojo Moyes to cheer mysled up!

it is worth it for the ending- trust me!

Howard Jacobson's 'The Finckler Question'..trying too hard to be clever and funny and achieving neither.

I have read Captain Corelli's Mandolin several times, it's one of my favourites. I try never to give up on a book, but A.S Byatt's The Children's Book was a real challenge.

Agree about Lord of the Rings. The book itself is one of my oldest and most treasured possessions, but I don't think I could read it now. The same with Titus Groan. I loved the Time Travellers wife by the time I actually managed to complete it. I must get Louis de Brernierre's shirt story The Red Dog after seeing the film. Captain Corelli is probably my favourite book of all time.

I adored The Lord of the Rings when I read it in my 20s. Now I think the writing is rather pretentious. Tastes change!

Tastes certainly do change, I also loved Lord of the Rings, but doubt if I would like it now. When I was 14 read all of Agatha Christie as well. I suppose we all move on. I really disliked the Time Travellers Wife.