The Vampire Lestat After a long break, I have officially given up on The Vampire Lestat. This book just couldn't hold my interest long enough. I got about 150 pages in, and pretty much nothing had happened yet. Like the first book in the series, Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat is filled mostly with overwrought descriptions and lots of angst. Since this book isn't exactly a classic, it needs a plot to make it interesting, and without that it just becomes a long and boring string of the kind philosophical musings you'd expect from someone who is really high. I just couldn't make myself read one more angst-filled page.
Why I dropped it: To put it simply, it was boring.
Remarkable CreaturesI had mixed feelings about Remarkable Creatures going into it. On one hand, I'd heard lots of good reviews from many wonderful book bloggers, and I've always been interested in Mary Anning. On the other hand, the other book I'd read by Chevalier, Girl with a Pearl Earring, was incredibly boring, simplistic, and sometimes downright bad. I was hoping that the interesting character she had to base her story on would help make this one more exciting. Sadly, that wasn't the case. I got a ways into this one. Fossils had been discovered by the time I left, and yet I still didn't feel like anything was happening. The character development was non-existent and the plot was crawling. There were parts where I knew Chevalier intended to be meaningful or deep, but they just came off as contrived or cheesy, like something somebody would write rather than something somebody would actually think or say. With this book being as much of a failure as the last, I have officially given up on Tracy Chevalier.
Why I dropped it: It was boring, and the writing wasn't all that good either.
So that's what I haven't been reading lately. How do you all feel about giving up on books? Do you always push on to the end? Is there anything you've given up on recently? Anything you wish you had?
Have you read either of these? How did you feel about them? I'd love to hear what you have to say!
I appreciate your honesty about books you've given up on. Sometimes it's hard to keep going when so many other great books are calling you. I have a similar meme called Friday Fuhgettaboutit. Here's a thread of my past FF posts if you're interested.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a really good idea for a post. It's useful to hear from fellow readers when they've given up on books and why.
ReplyDeleteAnd, yes, I do give up on books...now. I used to be very strict about finishing what I started, but there are WAY too many books on my TBR list and WAY too little time ahead of me for reading to waste time on books I'm not enjoying. The most recent book I ditched was Mary, Queen of Scots by Antonia Fraser (my experience on that may be found here: http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2010/08/throwing-in-towel-on-mary.html).
I like this format! I've been thinking about doing something similar, just because I feel like what I don't end up finishing is as much a part of my reader self as what I do.
ReplyDeleteI do give up on books. I usually try to give it 50 pages, but life is too short to read bad books. The exceptions are if I'm reading the book as part of a group or because I've committed to writing a review. Otherwise, if I'm not trying to find time to read it, out it goes!
The last one I gave up on was actually today: Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson on audio. I fully intend to read the book, but the narrator on the audiobook was making me cringe!
I actually stuck with both Interview with a Vampire and Vampire Lestat...and I'm not sure why in either case.
ReplyDeleteI just love this --
ReplyDeleteChevalier is an author I keep trying, over and over, even though I'm always lukewarm on her books. I went ahead and got Remarkable Creatures from the library but I may not waste my time now!
This summer I stopped reading The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker -- it was my third attempt and I just couldn't get into it.
I found the first two books in Anne Rice's vampire cronicles practically unreadable. I found The Queen of the damed read like it was writen by a different author almost.
ReplyDeletefunny Anne Rice is so popular and yet soo many people dislike the books! hahah, I just talked a friend into ditching Interview. I've read all of them and LOVED them but I can see where people stalemate, especially with the first.
ReplyDeleteBev- I've also finished Antonia Frasiers Queen of Scotts (many moons ago while i was still in high school). It and Cromwell are not her better books which is a shame since she is an AMAZING biographer. Try her Biography on Marie Antoinette, it was groundbreaking at the time since it portrayed her so sympathetically but it was great.