Some of you readers might be interested in this story about the top ten fiction and non-fiction titles the British public has started and just can't finish. I have only attempted one of the twenty titles on the list, and I did finish that one (gold star to the first person who correctly identifies the one title I've read).
Of course, it probably doesn't surprise you that there are so many books I've started and not yet finished (that doesn't mean I won't finish them someday) that my brain will not remember them all. A few that come to mind (and please recognize that I'm baring my soul here, so be nice, because I know some of you think I've finished these books) are:
David Copperfield
The Memory Keeper's Daughter
The Unfinished Bombing
Ugh--I feel terrible knowing those three are just the tip of the iceberg.
To be clear, I do endorse Nancy Pearl's opinion that there's no sense in finishing a book you just aren't enjoying, and I like her formula about giving a book 50 pages, or 100 minus your age if you're over 50.
My guilt, however, stems from the fact that there are so many books, like the three aforementioned, that I did enjoy but for some inexplicable reason, I put aside unfinished, in some cases years ago.
To my credit, however, there are some books I have finished and indeed read multiple times, including The Book of Mormon, Anne of Green Gables, all of the Betsy-Tacy Books, and The Stranger Beside Me.
5 comments:
My guess is that you started and finished Ulysses by James Joyce.
Also, good choice of books that you have finished multiple times. I have finished a couple of them multiple times too. Can you guess which ones?
LOL--even I have never attempted Ulysses. And yes, I can guess which two on the list you have started and finished multiple times :-)
Crime and Punishment.
You guys are attributing far too much literary culture to me than I actually have. No, I have never even attempted Crime and Punishment. But I did read Anna Karenina (it's not on the list, however).
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