How to read difficult book?

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 ?

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 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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

I never read a difficult book.
That's what I had to do at school, so I wouldn't voluntarily suffer.
My mum used to though, she would try and read it quickly, so it would be over with.

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.

I have been a book club member for some time and it has made me read books I would not previously have chosen to read. It has opened up a whole new world of authors to me but even though the vast majority of the books have enjoyable to unputdownable there have been a couple of absolute turkeys. The worst one by a mile was 'The Blue Flower' by Phillipa Gregory. Lots of encouraging recommendations on the cover but believe me it's only fit for firelighters.

I have tried to read Catch 22 twice but had to admit defeat at the second attempt. I found Cloud Atlas hard going too.

I don't like to give up on a book, but it sometimes happens.

I think some books are oversold on their cover blurb (I'm sure that's not the proper term), and end up being either badly written or boring. I will usually finish well written but boring, haha! Also if the main character is not well drawn out, or has qualities that don't make them attractive I won't finish.

Eat, Pray, Love.... fairly well written, but I found the main character so insipid and shallow that I gave up half way through her India trip. Somehow I enjoyed the movie.

Paperback mysteries with cute titles involving a cat or bakery ... I picked one up from a free bookshelf on vacation and could only read a few pages. I know these sell like Harlequin romances, but yikes, what drivel.

There are very few books I have actually given up on but I have skim read some very boring chapters. I did give up on one because the spelling was so bad I couldn't bear it.

i read 3/4 books per week, if i can't get into a book by chapter 3/4 then i ditch the book.

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.

I’ll quite happily just stop attempting any book which I’m not enjoying. Why struggle? Same with audio books if I don’t like the voice of the reader for example. I’m currently enjoying on BBC Sounds a Victorian Detective series set in Edinburgh - voice of Brian Cox.

At my book club, we meet for a nice meal at the pub, chat about the books we've read since the last time we met and make suggestions about what someone might read for our next meeting. We are quite a diverse group, brought together by the love of riding not books. Sometimes I read the book, sometimes I don't and tbh, no-one minds. It is very relaxed and I've read some books that I've thoroughly enjoyed. I don't think we take it very seriously but it's always good fun.

So many books so little time.
Agree that life is too short to read a book you don’t enjoy but I feel obliged to read our book group books and quite often I’ve found that it’s taken quite a few chapters before I get into a book, I frequently find that I’m glad I persevered.

In out book club we read Camino Island by John Grisham. In there one of the main characters the rather fetching Bruce who owned a book shop, declared if you still don't get into a book after a 100 pages it's absolutely fine to give in and stop.
We've used this as our mantra every since and it has served us well and removed the guilt.

Oh OH

If its boring I skip to the last chapter. I would not usually read a book I'm not enjoying. As others say, life's too short.
Although if it's a present from my Oh or one of the children I will make an extra effort.

I don't give a fig if it's won a prize or is a bit of chick lit, it has to engage me.

Me too. Films as well. I do sometimes persevere if a book has been lauded by other people in the hope that I will find what everyone else has found but if I'm halfway through and still looking I will give it up. I have found that sometimes if I reread the same book at a later date I do enjoy it. Don't know if that's because I am in a different frame of mind, forgotten what it's about and why everyone loved it, or what.

Reminds me of my films watching list despite trying to be a 'stayer'

Goodness there's loads of reasons for not finishing a book and if I'm not engaged with a book once I've read a few chapters, it gets ditched. Sometimes I go back to a book and sometimes it gets sent to a charity shop straightaway. tbh I don't give a fig if it's won a prize or is a bit of chick lit, it has to engage me.

Sometime ago, well years, I tried to read the Glass Bead Game by Herman Hesse. I had 3 attempts and finally managed to get half way. At that point I decided I was not ever going to keep trying. Life’s too short!