A few weeks ago, the Top Ten Tuesday everyone posted was about books they didn't think they'd ever read. I wrote the idea down, knowing I had a few titles that fell under this category. So today, for the heck of it (and coincidentally on a Tuesday), here are five books I don't think I'll ever read.
1. Moby Dick, by Herman Melville. Despite it's famous first line, "Call me Ishmael," nothing about this book attracts me. Even ignoring the comments I've heard about the extensive descriptions (after all, that doesn't bother me in Dickens or Hugo's work), the synopsis doesn't even grab my attention.
Moby Dick also has the distinction of being the one book, of all possible books, my husband picked to read when we were dating. I had talked him into reading a classic - anything he picked - and I would even buy it for him. He picked Moby Dick and I knew nothing about it at the time, so didn't warn him. Neither of us made it past the first page and it took me years to get him to read a book at my suggestion again. I hold a grudge Moby...
2. Finnegans Wake, by James Joyce. Ummmm, it's not even real words.
3. Don Quixote, by Cervantes. I was supposed to read this as an undergrad. I tried, but it just didn't gel. It could've been the professor, I suppose, or my age, but I still don't see myself ever getting around to it.
4. Lord of the Rings trilogy, by J.R. Tolkien. At this point, I probably won't read these because I've seen the movies. Even the movies I had to watch a few times before I liked them. Not my thing, despite all the wonderful allegory, symbolism, etc.
5. Fifty Shades of Grey, et al., by E.L. James. Ah, you thought these would all be Classics or heralded literature. I admit, those come to mind first, even though I love Classics. I won't read Fifty Shades because it is nothing but gratuitous sex. I'm not discriminating here. I read books with sex scenes in them, but if you've read enough of my reviews, you've noticed that any book with gratuitous sex in it takes a hit on my appraisal of it. It crosses a line for me and quite honestly, at some point (like when the book is nothing but...), it's pretty much porn.
And you, reader? What book(s) are you most likely to not read?
I am not likely to read Les Mis. I don't even want to go through the trouble of spelling it all out. I'm also not going to read The Odyssey. Nope!
ReplyDeleteHowever, I was just gifted with a copy of Moby Dick and the friend who gave it to me inscribed a message telling me that it is best read slowly, over a period of time and that it provides lots of thought provoking insights. And I trust him. If he hadn't said all that and hadn't given it to me, I wouldn't have read that one either. But I may just try to move through it is 2015. Maybe.
The Lord of the Rings trilogy is not something that would typically draw me. I'm not into fantasy. But I read these as a personal challenge to myself, and though it took a while, I felt unbelievably rewarded for it. Like....I may just read them again sometime. But in general, I won't go for other books like that.
With an inscription like that, I can see how you wouldn't pass it up. I don't generally go with much fantasy either. There are exceptions, but I'm picky about it having certain aspects before I read.
DeleteOh you SHOULD read Les Miserables! It's WONDERFUL. Well worth the effort.
DeleteI do agree. I loved Les Mis! Within two months I read the unabridged version, saw the new movie, and saw the musical in Pittsburgh. It was a Les Mis extravaganza!
DeleteAhh. Moby-Dick and The Lord of the Rings. Two of my favorite books of all time. Can't say that I'm not disappointed. But I understand your reasoning. Especially the reason you gave for not reading Moby-Dick. It is very tedious and you've got to love whales. The Lord of the Rings to me is incredible not only for the story but especially for the dialogue. I absolutely love the way Theoden speaks to Aragorn. The poetry is also beautiful. They are very well-crafted books. To be honest, the movies put me to sleep. I don't even know if that's really Peter Jackson's fault. On the surface, the characters seem to do the same things over and over again. Run away from orcs, kill orcs, get captured by orcs, meet black riders, etc. The trilogy really give me the sense that the Fellowship is on some sort of a pilgrimage. The The journey is more than a physical one. That being said, it took me years before I could read the books. I had such difficulty understanding the first book. It felt like a real accomplishment when I finished The Lord of the Rings. It was a journey for me too and one that I'm glad I went on.
ReplyDeleteI will seriously keep this in mind. I know it is not the best to judge them by the movies, but I wasn't very interested...I'm picky about fantasy reading. However, I do like a reading challenge and if the books present the journey in more than just a physical way, that interests me greatly. Maybe this is a consideration that needs to summer awhile.
DeleteI am never going to read War & Peace. Or Ulysses.
ReplyDeleteI had considered both of those for my list, but I think I might actually attempt War and a Peace at some point (that doesn't mean I'm confident about it though). Ulysses, a big I don't know, but I don't know much about it either. They'll probably end up on the "I couldn't cut it" post in the future!
DeleteNever say never! I was thinking about what I would put on my list, but just as soon as I say that someone would give me a beautiful hardbound copy or something. :) Although I know I won't read 50 Shades even if someone does give it to me.
ReplyDeleteI know! Just above exploringclassics's comment already has me reconsidering!
DeleteMoby Dick is at the tippy top of my list, right alongside Ulysses. lol
ReplyDeleteYea, James Joyce has it tough all around! Lol! I would try Moby Dick before James Joyce anything I think!
Delete1, 4 and 5 - yes! I kind of toyed with the idea of reading Lord of the Rings but I have difficultly reading the book once I've watched a film adaptation and I think perhaps the books would just cause me to dislike the films... I don't know if that makes any sense, but it does to me. Haha!
ReplyDeleteI find myself avoiding a lot of chunky books, especially if they're classics.
:-)
Bits & Bobs
I'm with you in the movie/book thing. Even with a book as simple as Nicholas Sparks, if I see the movie first, the book holds no interest for me. Even if they're different, the story is still kinda ruined for me. But I have no problem with the movies if I've read the book first. Weird.
DeleteThat's a good list. Moby Dick I will read because I'm an X-files fan (inside joke), but all the rest on that list - no thank you. I tried reading LOTR, but it took those hobbits 40 pages just to get to the party, and Life is too short.
ReplyDeleteHaha! Life IS too short! Ain't nobody got time for that!
DeleteThere are so many books I will never read, not because I don't want to, but because carving out the time is almost impossible. (I write so much I have little time to read.) Years ago I read Atlas Shrugged and Gone with the Wind at the same time. I used to read 3 and 4 science fiction books at the same time too, picking up a book to read was like changing the channel, I could chose what I wanted at the time.
ReplyDeleteOne book I cannot get into, and believe me I have tried, is one of your favorites, To Kill A Mockingbird. At one time I promised you I'd read it but I just can't get into it.
I read Fifty Shades and though there is a lot of sex, that part didn't bother me. it was the inflicting of pain that did. The older I get the more I turn away from stories, movies and TV programs that are about, as they say, man's inhumanity to man and especially women allowing themselves to be hurt by others.
This is a great post, we often talk about what books we want to read, almost never about the ones we chose to skip.
Writers that correct themselves after posting a comment is a little like apologizing to the family for forgetting to salt the mashed but I just have to mention my use of chose instead choose. I just got home from work, nine hours on my feet. I know, my feet have nothing to do with my brain but my brain is simply fried. Next time I'll remember the salt.
DeleteHaha, the one thing I don't like about Blogger's comment section - the inability to edit the comment once posted!
DeleteI think as I've gotten older, I've been able to zero in on what I really can't read. Sometimes pain in books doesn't bother me, but that same scene as a movie I can't abide. Girl with the Dragon Tattoo for example, read them all and will never watch the movies because of those specific painful scenes with the woman main character.
I haven't read LOTR, but am still sad to see it on your list! I know that the Hobbit movies have been drastically changed and drawn out (just to make more money) than the book and it wouldn't surprise me if the LOTR movies were the same thing!
ReplyDeleteYea, I imagine so. One of the bad things about seeing the movie first is that I lose most interest in ever reading the book. Not knowing what happens is what propels me through a book, so the movie first ruins it.
DeleteI agree with you Jennine. Just a mistake also...
DeleteI am most likely to not read no. 5, because I'm sorry to say that. Thanks for your list of the books to not read, regardless of anyone's opinion.
ReplyDelete:) Thank you for the encouragement!
DeleteI'm pretty much with you...until, sadly, the last one hahahahaha. I agree that the first book is largely about sex but there is *some* plot in books 2 and 3. Oh yes, I read them all. It's not for everyone but I actually don't see that much wrong with the exploration of sexuality like this. It opened up a lot of doors for a lot of people to experiment a bit more in the bedroom and that's not terrible.
ReplyDeleteI just think there is a line that shouldn't be crossed because of the intimacy of the act. Kind of like the "Is nothing sacred?" reaction I guess.
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