Having come across this post on Musing Of A Bookish Kitty's blog I couldn't help but think on the books I'll probably never read. The Land Of Painted Caves. A one-time fan of the author's Earth's Children series I'm afraid these novels by Jean Auel became so formulaic that I lost interest well before book five so this, the sixth, holds no appeal what so ever even if it is the last ever book in the series.
Watership Down. Never a fan of animal stories to begin with, I remember how my ten year old self felt her heart breaking listening to the 1978 song so I'm afraid Richard Adams' novel, along with other animal stories, is a no-go area as far as I'm concerned.
A Big Nowhere/LA Confidential/White Jazz. Books two to four in a series that began with The Black Dahlia, a novel by crime writer James Elroy that to quote my review I thought 'one of the most vile books I have ever had the misfortune to read, 'badly written and full of colloquiums I didn't understand'.
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. Not a big fan of overly violent books, I'm totally put off by this book which, set in a near future English society, portrays a subculture of extreme youth violence.
E.L. James' Fifty Shades Of Grey/Fifty Shades Darker/Fifty Shades Freed. A prude (there I've said it) when it comes to explicit sex scenes, but even more off-putting for me is the books reputation as a badly written piece of literature.
The first book I can personally remember people calling to be banned. A huge Elvis fan as a girl I can remember the controversy surrounding the publication of Albert Goldman's Elvis and vowing that whilst people were indeed entitled to read what they wished I for one wouldn't be reading this.
What about you, what books, if any, can't you see yourself reading?
9 comments:
I agree with you on most everything here.
I've not read any of the Elroy novels nor do I really have any desire and like you, it's not the length of War and Peace, it's more the subject matter that turns me off.
My younger daughter read the 50 Shades of Grey books when they were still nothing more than stories on a fan-fiction site. Based on her comments, they just don't appeal to me at all. I've never read a Jean Auel book nor have they ever enticed me.
I have to admit I'm not familiar with the last one you mentioned.
I think you know I finally read Watership Down a few years ago and ended up loving it! It had sat on my shelf for decades (literally) and I'm glad I finally read it (same with the Herriott books).
I've always wanted to at least see if War and Peace would interest me but I just don't think it would. Probably should listen to my inclination. I don't think I'll read 50 Shades either. Too many bloggers I trust tried it and said it was not well written. Nope, not for me.
What an interesting concept, and well carried out, for a book blog post! I have not read any of the books on your list, but I saw the movie version of A Clockwork Orange, while I was in college. I'm not sure which books I'd cross off my list in such a certain manner, although there are many books that really hold little appeal for me, for various reasons.
Have to say that I agree with all of the books on your list, as I know I won't be reading any of them. I lost interest in the Earth's Children series after the first book and have no interest in picking up War and Peace (unless I need a doorstop!). :)
Thank you for the link, Tracy!
I enjoyed reading through your list! War and Peace . . . I don't know if I will ever read that one. I've tried three times with no luck. :-(
Watership Down is another one I can't say I'm interested in.
I may try A Clockwork Orange, but admit I am put off by the violence I've heard so much about.
I read the first two E.L. James' books. I know people who loved them. I wasn't one of them.
I really enjoyed this post Tracy.I myself would have a very long list.
I guess that it is no surprise that I too am not likely to read Fifty Shades of Gray. It is interesting that I was having a discussion with my wife and we concluded that someone with a serious interest in popular culture as it relates to gender roles and sexuality would likely want to read this book, from a critical point of view.
A Clockwork Orange was terribly violent and contained a couple of passages that are very disturbing. I tend not to recommend it to anyone who has qualms about that.
I will get to War and Peace, hopefully sooner rather then later :)
I've actually read A Clockwork Orange; it's quite good, but the "slang" is really hard to read so that's kind of the worst of it...I didn't think the violence, etc. was too graphic though.
Love your list and most of them would be on mine as well. Otherwise, I'm fairly open. ^_^
I don't think I'd be reading Fifty Shades of Grey or the Twilight series in this lifetime. The Divergent series aren't my kind of reads also. (Though, like you said, never say never.)
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