I Can't Finish

[Flying_Changes]

I can't finish this book. Kind of pathetic actually. For the most part, I always finish my books; but "Mr. Knightley's Diary" is just not motivating me to read. I just can't get into it. I am thinking about putting it down and moving onto my other book, and then maybe I'll try reading it again; if not now, maybe down the road. Anyone else in the same boat as me?

 

[Isabell]

Yes, I've been there. Tried reading "Lost and Found" (Can't remember the Author's name)

Gave the book away without looking back

 

[SeoulMan]

No harm. I've had many false starts. I think I said in another thread that I can't seem to get past the first few pages of Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, so I always gave up and came back to it and gave up and came back to it.

 

[Sneaky Reader]

Ah, the art of non-finishing...

Like you, I finish most of the books I start, but every now and then I get a dud. Reading is fun for me - a way to relax and unwind. If a book stops being fun or interesting to read, I stop reading it. Life is too short to spend my leisure time doing something I don't enjoy. If I don't like what's on the radio, I change the station. Why should books be any different? I refuse to feel guilty about abandoning a book just because it's a bestseller, or a classic, or because my grandmother recommended it (I don't enjoy most of what she recommends anyway :lol.

My disinclination to finish a book does not mean the book isn't good - just that it's not a good fit for me right now. There are a few books that I've abandoned once, but returned to later and enjoyed. Sometimes you have to get used to an author's idiosyncrasies with an easier read before you can enjoy something heavier by the same author.

Obviously, if I have to read something in order to pass a class at school, that's a different story, but my leisure reading is governed solely by what I enjoy, not what anyone else thinks.

Best Regards,

J

 

[dele]

Just curious, what's the book about? I like the title... Don't feel badly about not finishing the book if you can't get into it. Maybe in a few years you'll come back to it and appreciate it more. Or maybe it's not worth the paper it's printed on, in which case you shouldn't waste your time on it.

 

[Flying_Changes]

Here's what it's all about:

Between managing his estate and visiting his brother in London, Mr. Knightley is both exasperated and amused by his irresistibly beautiful, outrageously mischievous neighbor, Emma Woodhouse, whose misguided attempts at matchmaking are wreaking havoc in the village of Highbury.

But when a handsome newcomer arrives and catches Emma's attention, Mr. Knightley is shocked by his reaction. Amusement gives way to another emotion entirely- for his unreasonable dislike of the young man seems suspiciously like jealousy...

In this rollicking retelling of Jane Austen's Emma, "Ms. Grange manages the tricky balancing act of satisfying the reader and remaining respectful of Jane Austen's original at the same time, and like Miss Woodhouse herself, we are given the priviledge of falling for Mr. Knightley all over again".

 

[Flying_Changes]

Thanks for the replies.

I just feel kind of guilty because it's in relation to the author Jane Austen...and even though I have never read her originals, I did enjoy her movies and I imagine that the books were a hit back in those days...it's just sort of a hard read for me. I wanted a new challenge.

Well I am not going to give the book away, I am just going to set it aside for now.

 

[sparkchaser]

If you can't finish the book because you can't get into it, there's no shame in stopping and putting it aside and grabbing something else to read.*






*The only three exceptions are when you're being paid to read it, it's for an assignment, or your name is Stewart.

 

[dele]

While the book sounds very interesting, keep in mind there's a reason that Jane Austen didn't write it. The story is supposed to be about Emma's growth as a character, and while many people will wonder why Mr. Knightely put up with her, I don't think it would make for nearly as good a story. Famous sequels and re-tellings are never as good.

Another one to steer clear of is Mrs De Winter by Susan Hill. If Rebecca had needed a sequel, Daphne du Maurier would have written it herself.