[sanclemente99]

I've been reading all the excellent posts in the various topics on this site, and it occurred to me that I have put down several of the books that readers mention as being great reads. In some cases I did pick it up another time and finish it, but in other cases it ended up being traded in at a used book store half read.

Anyway, here's my list of books I put down unfinished the first time I tried to read them. The reason for not finishing it differ by book.

Robert Jordan - Eye Of The World
Tad Williams - The Dragonbone Chair
Terry Goodkind - Wizard's First Rule
China Meiville - Perdido Street Station
John Myers Myers - Moon's Fire Eating Daughter
George RR Martin - Game Of Thrones

[lacorte]

I have to admit that I put down:

Eye of the world
Wizards Furst Rule
Game of Thrones

at the first attempt. Now however, I have become an avid fan of Jordan and Martin, but am still trying to get the nerve together to read Goodkind. The WOT series is very compeling if you can get used to the detail in Jordan's books (Well worth it). Martin has his own way of writing and I found it hard to get into, but once you are then you'll never put it down.

They are well worth the read, and even though Goodkind is slated at this site you should give him a go too (At worst it'll just make the others look so much better).

[Rob B]

Many people put down The Eye of the World, some return to it, some don't. I enjoyed it myself, but the series is d-r-a-g-g-g-i-i-n-g a bit.

Tad Williams and George R.R. Martin both put a lot of detail into their books, but for me, it is well worth it.

As much as I have been a Goodkind detractor, I did enjoy Wizard's First Rule as light fantasy/entertainment. Fairly quick read, considering its size.

http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/frown.gif[/img] http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/frown.gif] I *hate* admitting this but I picked up an [i]Elric omnibus by Moorcock who is highly touted. I had a really tough time with it, so I put it down after the first book in the collection. I think when I tried it the first time, life was hectic and a lot of stuff was going on, so I may not have been in my right mind, I will give it another try at some point.

[Shehzad]

"The Warrior's Tale" by whoever wrote "The Far Kingdoms" is probably the only fantasy book I've put down. Having said that, I haven't picked up Jordan yet - the size of that series seriously intimidates me.

[Mirror]

I had a terrible time trying to get through A Game of Thrones myself. I couldn't get into it because for over 600 pages nothing comes together and it felt like there was nothing to compel the story other than who killed Jon Arryn. Too many points are brought up that are never dealt with - like the king's bastards. I knew this was just a prelude to the series so after leaving it for awhile and with the action picking up at the end it was worth finishing. Besides I hate giving up on a book. Honestly, half the books I've ever just totally given up on were by Stephen King. Maybe I'm in the minority.

[Lady Fox]

I usually go ahead and try to finish a book even if I am not completely enjoying it simply because I can't stand to leave anything unfinished. However, there have been a few books that I just couldn't get all the way through. They are:
Runelords - David Farland
The first book of Janny Wurts Light and Shadow series
Sea of Black Glass - the third book in Tad Williams' Otherland series

[Cygnus]

My goodness San, you are picky!! http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif There are some books in that list that I thought were great! I will admit that it took me two times to get through Game of Thrones, and now I consider that series to be one of the best I have ever read. The key to me was to read the second half of the book in one sitting (basically an entire day) so the plot went by much faster. I read the other two books like that not by choice but because I couldn't put them down!

Magician: Apprentice by Feist was the second fantasy series I ever tried to read. I couldn't get through it at first, but when I came back to it a year later I found it to be fantastic.

This year I have tried to read the Elric saga by Moorcock (you're not the only one FitzFlagg) and Lord Foul's Bane by Donaldson and was unable to finish either.

Mirror, the only Stephen King book I didn't complete was Nightmares and Dreamscapes. I started having intense nightmares every night, and once I stopped reading it I was fine. Crazy.

I dislike putting a book down unfinished but I'm stealing time from things I should be doing in order to read. So, if I'm really not enjoying it, I move on.

[EE]

I've just put down one book that I can remember:

"The Ruins of Ambrai" by Melanie Rawn (after reading the complete Dragon Prince and Dragon Star trilogies by Rawn), because it was soooo booooooooring...

I seriously doubt that I ever will pick up another book by Melanie Rawn/Yawn again.

Lady Fox: Come on, pick up "Curse of the Mistwraith" again, that series is IMO the finest work of fantasy to be seen so far.

[Metosblat]

I put down The Return of the King twice before I finally finished it.
The Shining was another one.
Other than that I don't think i've ever stopped reading any other book.

[Canaris]

I really have had a bad streak lately.

Either I am getting fed up with Fantasy or I have been a moron being these books

Stormwarden / Wurts . Put it down and is still down
Ellenium series by Edding. Put it down and it will stay down
Mad Ship / Hopp Put it down , probably pick it up again
Game of Thrones/ Martin. Nearly put it down, but then got in to it
Lord of the isles. / Threw it out of the window


[This message has been edited by Canaris (edited July 12, 2001).]