How to read difficult book?

Aldom

Sarnia correct me if I am wrong, but I think you will find that The Blue Flower is by Penelope Fitzgerald and not Phillipa Gregory.

You are right. I have tried my best to erase that book from my mind but I wouldn't like Phillipa Gregory to be linked with it. Still only good for firelighters.

There is so much snobbery about literature, isn't there? Some people think it's rather "worthy" to struggle through a book that is seen as "difficult", I don't. I taught English many moons ago and it rather saddened me that some of the books on the curriculum put children (especially boys, off reading rather than igniting their interest. I remember having to read Cobbett's Rural Rides and The Apple and the Spectroscope at school, I'm sure they are very worthy but I found them extremely dull! Reading for pleasure doesn't have to mean reading poorly written trash, fortunately there's lots of really well written, engaging books to choose from.

Life is too short (mine is, literally) to struggle with a book I find too difficult, or boring, whatever. It doesn't often happen though, I just love reading.

Why read a book you are not enjoying? Unless you have to for an exam, perhaps.

Mind you, there are several books where I stalled multiple times, then all of a suddent read right through.

But why, oh why?

I sometimes leave a book that I am not enjoying then go back to it several weeks or sometimes months later. If on the second attempt I am not engaged with the plot or characters then it’s put away for the either charity shop or in a folder on my kindle.

The only time I’ve read books I wasn’t enjoying to the bitter end has been for exams - inc. not all that long ago, a couple of the novels for an OU course, The 19thC Novel.

As pps have said, life’s too short. Annoying if I’ve shelled out for them though, even those that are 3 for a fiver in The Works, which is rather too conveniently close to my bus stop home from town.
Local charity shops will still benefit, though.

I am in a book group and we read a library book each month which we all have previously chosen from their group selection.
This has taken me out of my comfort zone, and I have read a diverse number of books many of which I would not personally have chosen. I tend to stick with the difficult books, as do the others, because we have such great discussions, particularly about disliked books. I often get more enjoyment discussing than reading the books!
We are fairly focussed, no alcohol and doesn’t just become a gossip session ?

I gave up on War and Peace from the school library when I was 14. Many years later, aged around 70, I bought a copy from Amazon and read it all. I didn`t really enjoy it, but it gave me a sense of achievement.

I started a book on the way up to Scotland, and couldn't get into it.

Then a few visits later, I started ot again, and it was a real page turner.
Then it got dropped behind a large chest of drawers, and I never did get to finish it.

tidyskatemum

I’ve been guilty of buying books on kindle at 99p - or even ones free to download. They are inevitably rubbish and I often don’t get past chapter 2 or sometimes even page 2! I keep telling myself not to do it again but I never seem to learn.

My Kindle is full of books that looked promising but I haven't even started.

The book I'm reading at the moment is quite hard work but I'm persevering. There is a historical theme about something I knew little, interwoven with a family story.

My book club.

I won’t say which one is me.

Brilliant Maggiemaybe

I can remember the contents but can never remember the title or author ?

Should I worry?

You're the one without wine of course, Maggiemaybe ?
Read the wrong book?
Or didn't start the book?

You need a ?

I gave up on The Shadow of the Wind when I’d read about 80% of it. Got chatting to someone on a train a few years later and he said he gave up round about the same place. Mind you I tried to read the Gormenghast trilogy several time. Couldn’t get behind the first couple of chapters and then it was as if I’d opened a door and entered another world and I sailed through the rest. That’s why I do try to persevere with books. Or did. I don’t seem to read these days.

Callistemon21

You're the one without wine of course, Maggiemaybe ?
Read the wrong book?
Or didn't start the book?

You need a ?

Our latest book was The Last House on Needless Street, by Catriona Ward. Good Lord, but it was depressing. I’d never have got through it without the help of a Shiraz or several.

I’ve perfected a habit of skimming through a book I don’t like at a great rate of knots, and somehow manage to get the gist. But if it’s really bad, I don’t even bother doing that. Then I feel guilty taking it to the charity shop and subjecting someone else to it.

It sounds thrilling, I shall go and research!
?

I find this incredibly patronising - both the concept and some of the suggestions.
We are no longer at school/college/university studying literature - and I usually found studying a book was a sure fire kiss of death to enjoying it.
Read what you like- one person’s “difficult” book is another’s bedtime favourite.
If you are not gripped by a book or enjoying it - why bother.
As adults we are no longer required to eat up our greens or the crusts on our bread (if we don’t want to) so why apply that to reading matter?
Watch any ”film of the book” for the story if you want, they are often quite different but who is to deny anybody the pleasure of Colin Firth in his wet shirt even if Jane Austen didn’t think of it first.
There is a lot of virtue signalling when it comes to talking about books, and I think book groups are often to blame. It’s a bit like wine or art- you can hear a lot of tosh talked about them too.

MayBeMaw I am totally with you on this! Having reached my 70's I know what sort of books I enjoy reading and what genres really don't interest me. I started reading "Piranesi" which got great reviews, won the Women's prize 2021 and was reviewed enthusiastically on BBC's book club. It's not a difficult book, it's very well written and initially I thought I was going to enjoy it but I just started to find it rather tedious and ditched it. It's being read on radio 4 ATM if anyone is interested, I'm not!

NotTooOld

I always used to finish any book I started but now I don't bother. As someone above says, life is too short. There are many really good books out there just waiting to be discovered.

That's exactly how I feel, there are so many other books that people could be reading, rather than waste time finishing something that isn't doing anything for them.

I applied the first hundred pages to rule to Captain Corelli's Mandolin' and was so glad that I did; it was worth persevering. At present I am struggling to get through Becoming... Michelle, not difficult to read but 428 pages all about Me, in less than a month. Hard going.

I think it can also depend on the book you read immediately before. If it was an easy read and you enjoyed it, then a more taxing book e.g. in a different writing style or slower /more complicated plot can be harder to get into.

I started reading The Snow Child but gave up after a few chapters as it was such a slow book. I picked it up a few months later and I was so glad I did. It is one of the best books I have ever read.

I find it hard to give up with a book but do confess to 'speed reading' books that I am not enjoying.

Jane43
Catch22 is one of the very few books I’ve given up on, Cloud Atlas was given to me as a present, otherwise, it may have joined it.
I really struggled with ‘Midnights Children’ last year, it took me ages, and I really couldn’t get into it, but I persevered, I feel bad if I don’t finish.