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What's the most tedious book you've read?

T

text_maniac

Member
Alas Poor Darwin: Steven/Hilary Rose (Eds)

It's a collection of essays by various anti evolutionary psychology protagonists, and it is excruciatingly tedious. It took me five weeks to read 250 pages. Basically it's a load of politically motivated (by their own admission) whats-bad-is-false arguments. It was pleasing to find that Dawkins, Pinker, et al had taught me well, and that I could answer virtually every point, but with each paragraph punctuated with 10 mins of mentally arguing with the author, it was an absolute drudge!

I think a more apt title would be Poor Alias, Darwin by Ramblin' Rose.
 
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. Though he is one of my favorite authors, I really struggled reading everything he wrote. Other than that, I've tried to read Gerald's Game by Stephen King a few times and cannot get through it. I also found The Stand tedious and was honestly happy to see it finally end. Everyone raves about this book and I found it a true struggle to read.
 
Wind in the Willows. It's hailed to be such a classic, but I just couldn't get through it.
 
I'm probably going to get shot down in flames for this but to date it is Crime and Punishement. I know it's a classic but at the moment it's half finished in my book shelf.
 
I can't remember the title, but it was an economics article on the Chinese economy in the '70s. It is true that economics is a dull science. This book was beyond dry. All sorts of crazy stats and charts about the Chinese inflation and unemployment rates. That taught me the importance of not choosing an esoteric topic that is boring.
 
Emanuel Kant seems like heavy reading. I read a chapter in highschool, and soon said "Geex crimeny, this sucks!" and I tossed the copy onto the green.
 
Bellacapricorn said:
I'm probably going to get shot down in flames for this but to date it is Crime and Punishement. I know it's a classic but at the moment it's half finished in my book shelf.
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you finish your book! (really, I have only read half the book myself, but what I have read seems a remarkable jab at the false prestige enjoyed by perpetual students)
 
SFG75 said:
I can't remember the title, but it was an economics article on the Chinese economy in the '70s. It is true that economics is a dull science. This book was beyond dry. All sorts of crazy stats and charts about the Chinese inflation and unemployment rates. That taught me the importance of not choosing an esoteric topic that is boring.
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Next time choose an esoteric topic that is exciting such as double agents in the Civil War or early electronic music.
 
Moby Dick
The Historian
The Women in White - Never even finished and sold my copy
Eldest - Never finished and will some day pick back up
 
BeerWench13 said:
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare.
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My father's copy is on the shelf unread, and that's the way it's likely to stay. I spent the whole time staring out of the window when we did Shakespeare at school, (and failed my English Lit.). I'm really turned off by archaic language, being a Dawkins Disciple I've had a couple of attempts at the Bible but given up for the same reason.
Someone mentioned Kant. When reading modern philosophers they sometimes press home a point by quoting from Bacon, Hume, Locke etc., and I've noticed that whilst I understand the author's point I can often make head nor tail of the quote in the archaic language, even when I already know what the point is!!
 
text_maniac said:
I'm really turned off by archaic language
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That's certainly understandable and I can assure you that you are not alone. I love Shakepeare, but have to read one story of his at a time or my brain fizzles. It's not that I don't enjoy his works, but there is such a thing as overkill. If I take a break and read something lighter in between, it's no problem

I recently had to read a manual on calculating payroll taxes, the latest updates to the OSHA Training Guide and an instructional manual on oil-fired furnaces, all within two days. As if I'm ever going to work on an oil furnace! Collectively, those were more tedious than any fiction or non-fiction I've ever read.
 
sparkchaser said:
Next time choose an esoteric topic that is exciting such as double agents in the Civil War or early electronic music.
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My next book is going to be called 'A Civil Disguise' and it's about the Yankee who dressed as a woman to get intelligence from the southern officers.
 
helgi said:
My next book is going to be called 'A Civil Disguise' and it's about the Yankee who dressed as a woman to get intelligence from the southern officers.
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I heard about that story on the history channel, so I don't figure it's too esoteric. But the documentary on the history channel was too dignified upon such a situation that had comedic potential, and I thought it would make a good novel.

It's full of compromising situations, like problems resulting from the soldier's beard growing back[infuriating the southern officer]...of course, the novel is light hearted, and the soldier never falls victim to consumation with his rendevous.
 
Not non-fiction, but

Tale of Two Cities, Dickens

I got through almost all of it, with only eighty pages left, and I still couldn't finish it. :( It's very hard for me to put down a book, especially that far along, but I couldn't help myself.

Also, Les Miserables, by Hugo. I only got about a third through before I gave up. Maybe in a few years.
 
The most tedious non-fiction book I have ever read would have to be my Dynamics textbook from college.
 
The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire by Edward Gibbons. It's still a great book.

The Works Of Philo by Philo of Alexandria. Got about 30 pages in....yeah.

Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler. About 100 pages this time!
 
I couldn't get through Neuromancer by William Gibson, surprising since anything futuristic normally holds my interest. Something in the book repelled me, though I still can't point to a specific.
 
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