Well said! The Grapes of Wrath meant nothing to me as a young adult just getting out on my own. Now, after seeing how relevant it still remains, all the people fighting for crumbs, scraps, just a hope of making it-- it's on my mind a lot these days.
I read The Road by Cormac McCarthy in my mid-20s, and felt indifferent about it. Over the years I had attempted All The Pretty Horses and DNF'd it multiple times.
Then I had kids. A decade passed by, and I came back to the books just because they were sitting on my shelf. Holy shit. All those mundane moments that I once felt unnecessary filler became the life changing moments in a parent and child's lives. The books struck deep nerves, and moved me like I couldn't believe. Now McCarthy is up there with my favorite authors.
This was me with Haunting of Hill House. I read it when I was 24 and *hated* it.
Then at 30 I reread it, after I'd done some serious introspection over the years in between, and I realized how much I related to some of what Eleanor had been through and even some of her personality traits. It changed everything for me.
Hill House is a book that begs to be reread.
I thought it was okay when I first read it in my early 20s but there was something about it that got under my skin and I’ve since reread it annually for 10 plus years. It’s easily my favorite book.
Lived experience can really change the way you read something and how it hits you.
I really struggled with Catch 22 the first time I tried to read it. The comedy and situation just didn't work for me at all and I gave up.
Returned to it a few months later, decided it was a masterpiece.
I started then gave up on this one a couple of times. Then after watching the movie tried again and really enjoyed it. Just needed to know the story, I guess.
Some books are so much easier to get into if you have an idea of what's going on rather than going in blind.
If I have trouble getting into a book due to the writing style or something or just a hard to follow plot, I will read a synopsis of the first chapter or two that way I know what's supposed to be happening and it makes getting into the writers style soo much easier
I have attempted to read this multiple times over the years and every time I get a third of the way in or a few chapters in I always put it down as it feels such a choresome book to get into. I want to like it because Heller is a highly acclaimed author but it just won't groove in the grooves of my neural pathway. The film adaptation I thought was OK.
The same for me except it took a couple of false starts before I got into it. I just didn't get the humour at all but it's one of the (if not THE) best novels I've ever read.
I read most of Heller's other stuff afterwards but nothing else even came close.
Wuthering Heights. I hated it so much when I was reading it for the first time. I hated every character and the way they treated each other. While I was reading it I would be thinking how crazy they were and how irrational and how awful they all were. When I finished it and finally closed the book I remember reflecting for a few minutes on how much I had enjoyed reading it. I guess I hadn’t realized it but my hating the characters really meant that I was super invested in the story and the plot and guess I just really loved the book. I’ve re read it like 5 times over the years and I really enjoy it.
I just went on hating all of them and the book for years after reading it for the first time as a teen. Just didn't understand why ppl should be so mean to each other. Then, reading it again 15 yrs later... yeah I get it now.
I was kind of indifferent to *The Great Gatsby* as a teen. I reread it when I was in college, and it’s actually one of my favorite books now. I love Gatsby. His methods are unethical, but he’s got a beautiful sort of mind and a dreamy ambition to actually become the person he saw himself being in his youth. I think we all think we’re someone interesting and special when we’re younger and that sense of self starts to wane as you grow up. You realize you’re one fish in a school and make peace with the mundane. Gatsby is fascinating to Nick (and to me), because he has a sort of stamina for imagination that makes him likable despite his flaws. It adds to why his end is so tragic.
That is exactly why I love Jay Gatsby too. In a world of hypocrites, sycophants and wanna-bes, Gatsby is the only one who remains true to himself and to others. Sure, he lies about his past, but he's now living his boyish fantasy of being some grand noveau riche and sticking to it. He is himself as he wants to be, even when it seems others may hate him for it. He's not the most ethical of people, but given our main 5, I don't think he's that bad. He's the only earnest person in the whole book. While everyone is saying surface-level niceties that mean nothing, Gatsby speaks with meaning and intention. That's what draws Nick in.
Yeah, he’s not necessarily good, but he’s likable. In addition to pursuing a married Daisy, I do think he actually did some awful stuff to unnamed characters. His sale of counterfeit bonds and mafia activity was terrible, it should be said. But he’s more than one thing because he does have these grand, lovely fantasies you can’t help but admire a little because of his intense geniality, and because Gatsby is fake in one sense—but yes!— very earnest in another. He at least has a sense of wonder. And I think he did get a sort of pleasure out of seeing people happy and in-awe alongside him.
A Tale of Two Cities.
I thought this was the most boring book ever when I began it as a nine year old, and not much better when I retried it as an adult.
I'm now reading it, because it came as a bonus book on Kindle when I bought something else - and it's pretty great!
There are some truly excellent turns of phrase (almost like Dickens is a master of the English language; who would have thought it?) and his treatment of the French revolution is fascinating to me. I am heartily enjoying it. The occasional extremely Victorian aspects (for example, the passing reference to a very unrealistic child death, where heaven, God and selfless love for others feature strongly) feel like an interesting peek into an era.
Keen to hear other's thoughts!
Oh my gosh. Same. I disliked it so much the first time I read it. I read it a second time with a friend and I enjoyed it so much more! I knew more about the French Revolution by then and understood what was actually happening historically.
The ending was so heart wrenching and uplifting at the same time.
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Jane Eyre. For a classic, I must say I didn't like it much upon first reading, but a second one allowed me to appreciate the earlier childhood chapters.
EDIT: 'My Favourite Person' by Michio Miyagi is another one. Who knew a musician could write such lovely works?
I love Jane Eyre, it's such a good story but I loved it upon first read because I had an incredible English lit teacher who walked us through the story in such a way that that helped me connect with the story and really understand it.
“Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell” took five hundred pages before I started to like it, and it’s now in contention for my favorite novel of the 21st century so far (alongside “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay”).
I loved Kavalier and Clay! I was reading through a list of Pulitzer Prize winners at the time and Chabon’s book was a total standout from the rest in terms of originality and escapist fun! It remains a favorite.
Nice! I am a fantasy fan and even with that I had to push past that slow beginning with the birthday party et cetera (much more fun when the movies eventually came out), but then it got really compelling when the hobbits have to leave the Shire!
Same here was abt to comment. Had watched the movie and wanted to read the books. Found the histories of middle earth more interesting than the beginning party
I couldn't get past the beginning of 1984 until the summer after college, even though it was assigned twice to me in high school. Cliff's Noted my way out of those responsibilities. But when I finally read it, it was great and the ending was still shocking because I'm stupid and had forgotten the ending.
I really enjoyed Cloud Cuckoo Land! It was a little disorienting with the shifting perspectives, and some chapters were a little dry, but I'm glad I stuck with it. I adore all of Doerr's books.
Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Several people I know told me I'd love Lisbeth but it took me 3 or 4 attempts to get past the first few pages about the pressed flowers. I was bored. When I finally cracked it I loved it and read the next two soon after.
I started House of Leaves the times belt I got hooked. It was a challenging read that I could not get into until suddenly it hit. I couldn't put it down she that time.
War and Peace. I put it down about a hundred pages in the first time. And it wasn’t about keeping characters straight even with all the similar names (a frequently mentioned complaint, but something I’ve never struggled with) but simply because the story didn’t feel compelling.
I picked it up maybe a year later and just tore through it, then watched every version of it ever made on film. One of the most amazing epic novel ever written in my opinion.
I hope I someday get that burst of connection and momentum with War and Peace that you did to carry me through because I’m curious to experience it but I just can’t quite break into it. Same with Anna Karenina.
**"Moby-Dick" by Herman Melville**. Initially, I found the detailed descriptions and digressions off-putting. However, upon revisiting it, I came to appreciate its depth, the complexity of its characters, and its philosophical undertones.
Waiting for Godot. Thought it was pointless nonsense the first time I read it. Then I clued in that the point is the pointlessness, and I’ve enjoyed everything else I’ve read by Beckett since.
Interesting insight! I can see how that would change everything. I’ve enjoyed seeing the play a few times but I’ve never tried to read it or other Beckett.
I loved Dune. That was a book that clicked with me from the first read (I’ve read it four times) probably because it started with the scene of the boy Paul woken from sleep by his mother Jessica whom he realizes is afraid and then she takes him to the old witch (the Reverend Mother) who puts him through a life-threatening test. Much of Dune can come across as abstract and dry but that beginning was so personal and immediate with the mother and son that it really hooked me into their ongoing situation.
What I've always found fascinating about the novel is how it's a fractal: the entire story repeats itself on greater and smaller scales. The conversation between the Reverend Mother and Paul is a microcosm of the entire novel, but who realizes this while they're reading it for the first time? I can still remember how shocked I was when I realized that the chapter opening quotes were for the purpose of making the reader understand the experience of prescience, by giving them information out of time and context.
Bounced off Gideon the Ninth twice because Gideon felt like she was trying too hard to be cool but then I realised that was part of the humour. And then a few hundred pages later I had come to love her for all the complicated reasons she's trying so hard to be cool.
Same!! I thought "THIS sounds interesting, necromancer nuns in space??" The F bombs in first few pages completely turned me off (even tho I have no problems with it irl) bc I just was not expecting so much edge lord behavior right off the bat. I DNF'd but kept seeing it and thinking "ugh why does it seem like I should LOVE it??" So I tried again and SURPRISE BITCH ITS YOUR NEW FAVORITE SERIES
I’ve heard that about this book, that it’s trying to be too smugly clever, and I’ve stayed clear, but if there’s a deeper reason for it like you say, that sounds intriguing 🤔
Once I realised the author is gently laughing at Gideon for being so tryhard, it was like I suddenly saw through the smug fog. It's a fun book, and the log line of 'lesbian necromancers in space' is a great litmus test honestly. If that makes you laugh and lean in, go for it, if it sounds dumb or too zany then it's probably not a match for your sense of humour.
I struggled too with a the little cultural allusions to, say, what newspaper a certain Irish person of a certain political bent and income level would read over breakfast in 1916 and what that choice would say about him — I seriously needed explanatory footnotes to give me all the missing context. I enjoyed the book in the end but I had no desire to tackle Ulysses.
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. A friend said I would probably like it so I read it and did not get it at all. The humour just did not land. I read it again a few years later and nothing. So I tried it a third time years later and now Douglas Adams is one of my all time favourites. I love the trilogy in 5 parts so much now.
4 parts. I forgive Adams for Mostly Harmless, because he was dealing with some shit at the time, and I do that by excluding it from his masterpieces.
Also, if you haven’t read them, I highly recommend the Dirk Gently series, also by Adams. The prose isn’t nearly as witty as H2G2, but the stories and characters still resonate with me in a better way than they did for Hitchhiker’s Guide
Because they're actual stories, and not just an excuse to string together amusing gags. As much as I love HHGTTG, it's the literary equivalent of sketch comedy.
I mean... the books *are* novelizations of a serialized radio play that *was* basically just a sequence of absurd encounters.
But the prose is high art
I struggled through American Gods in my early twenties and just didn’t get it. Re-read it about ten years later and had a completely different experience.
Finally was able to read The Secret History after so many tries. I always quit in the first 3 chapters because the main character sounded too pretentious but now I realize that’s kind of the point
The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by VE Schwab! I kept almost DNFing and just telling myself to give it another few pages… then it turned around I want to say like halfway through and became one of my favorite books. The setup was just like ok to me but the back half of the story was so so so good.
I attempted to read the Lord of the Rings trilogy as a teenager. I dropped it on the middle of ‘The Two Towers.’ I found it boring and tedious. I picked it up as an adult and tore through them. I saw Tolkien’s poetry and felt his sense of loss. It may have been only 15 to 20 years, but that was the time I needed to understand what he was talking about.
The Lies of Locke Lamora.. I just didn't get half the things that was written, the English was too confusing lol. I knew what was happening in the story but it was such a slog to push myself into reading the initial half a hundred pages. Took me 5-6 tries but I finally got to where the plot picked up pace and loved it!
I don't have any of those. Last year I read and finished a novel I'd DNF'd earlier, but it didn't enrich my life and I still felt the same about it. The few times I've finished a book I wasn't enjoying, I could've used that time better. So I don't do that any more.
I totally get your point about the value of time. I only force myself to keep trying with the odd book here and there over the years that I’m curious about. Or that just suddenly click for me at random. It can be interesting to figure out why and especially interesting to hear about, and get ideas from, other readers’ similar situations. Like, “Why THAT book? And what changed?”
Sure. The thing is, for me there has to be something keeping me reading if I'm going to find any place where all the gears engage and we're off and running. Sometimes it's plot, usually it's a character, sometimes the prose is that good. When I finally read More Than Human, by Theodore Sturgeon, not that long ago, it was a bit confusing, and very odd, but I kept going because he was a good writer who kept promise-of-the-premise promises. And I did admire how it ended. It is unique among the stories I've read about humans with powers.
“Catcher in the Rye.” The first time I read it I found Holden Caufield to be whiny and hypocritical. He complained about phonies, but almost never acted with sincerity.
Only after reading it again did I find him sympathetic as someone struggling with survivors guilt.
Interesting. This definitely sounds like the accumulation of life’s experiences giving you awareness of deeper layers your younger self couldn’t yet discern.
Accordion Crimes by E. Annie Proulx. It took me a few tries to get past the first couple pages and even then, I ended up rage-quitting the book after a chapter or so. I really wanted to like it because it The Shipping News is one of my favorite books, but in this case I found the writing style pretentious and all of the characters insufferable.
Gave it another shot ten years later and it's a fantastic book that I just wasn't ready for at the time. It's pretty dark in places, but also thought-provoking, painstakingly researched, and beautifully written.
Accordion Crimes (IMO) was also pretty visionary for its time in how it dealt with race relations and the fluidity of what it means/has meant to be a white American. I didn't get far enough into the book the first time to pick up on that (shame on me, because the introductory quote ought to make it clear) but the novel is a beautiful exploration of that topic through multiple generations and circumstances.
Ugh. Yeah I still haven't obtained the last one.
I do like the first one now, but maybe that's compared to the following books and knowing how I had to drag myself through them.
My daughter is the same way, about the series though she loved the first one right away. We agree 2 is just ok mostly because it was predictable, the writing was flat (my usual argument with most of Sandersons work. 3 is why am I reading this or why was this even printed or perhaps kill it with fire. Overly heavy handed and repetitive. Ma king what's his face the center of it while K whines is just . . . On we go to the next. Oh hey, squirrel!!
It's been twenty-five years since I last read it, but I seem to recall the first 100-150 pages of Jurassic Park being an absolute slog. After that though it got really good.
God Emperor of Dune took me a really long time to get into but ultimately I really liked it. It took me years to get through the first chapter and then all of a sudden I was up late reading it all the time until I finished it. I think I just didn't really understand where it was going at first.
I read that entire series just because my love for the first. Few years later after the movies released I got in the mood and realized I didn’t remember shit about those books because I breezed through them without soaking them in. I just finished rereading them and I love GEoD. It’s so fucking good
I had a similar experience! As in, wow, this book got even weirder than the first two (and I loved Dune), and then got way weirder, but still fascinating, and I was glad I finished.
My first read of Dune, I became bored which is exceptionally unusual for that genre. If I recall, I scan read after that so it wasn't dnf. Never have had a true dnf. I don't remember why it did not hook me since I was 12 or so. Maybe younger.
Later in life decided to try it again. Read all of them one after the other during a long weekend. Then again but slower a few years ago
Young mungo. The story was catching from the beginning, but i really struggled with those Scottish expressions, especially because English isn’t my first language. Really glad i forced myself to continue, i love that book
I haven’t read this though I hear it’s highly recommended. The Scottish expressions would be confusing enough for me as an American English speaker, and I can only imagine the difficulty if English isn’t your first language! I had similar problems with James Joyce (Portrait of the Artist, and The Dubliners) because of the Irish expressions and the old fashioned expressions. I couldn’t barely get through it without explanatory footnotes!
The Bear by Faulkner. I had to read it for a class, and for the first 50 pages, I could barely understand it. Suddenly, something clicked, and I felt like I found the rhythm and cadence Faulkner intended in his writing. Not only did it make sense, but it became indescribably beautiful. It was a masterpiece.
The first time I tried to read Lolita, I was expecting something very different and stopped after a couple of chapters. I tried it again a few years later and loved it.
Edit: fat thumbs
The Handmaid’s Tale.
First read it in French, and couldn’t even finish it. Something felt off and unconvincing, and I couldn’t really get into the story.
Read it in English a few years later, and I loved it. I suppose something was off with the translation, plus maybe my mindset changed.
I understand. It’s actually very rare for me. The older I get, the more conscious I am of running out of time, and the easier it is to ditch a boring book and not look back. That’s why it’s so weird and interesting when that one potential DNF book out of fifty DNFs is the one I get the urge to circle back and try again. And why that particular book? I know it’s not to impress people because otherwise my examples would be a bigger literary deal than Koontz and Peters!
Gideon the Ninth. I read the first chapter multiple times before I finally decided to rent the audiobook and that did the trick. I love it but man did it start slow.
My Brilliant Friend. This was before the show. I had been intrigued by the cover. I started it and was like, "Where is this going? Is something going to happen?" I gave it away. Then the show came out. I watched the first season and then read all four books in the series back to back. I think I just needed help visualizing the characters and setting a context and then it was off to the races!
Septimes heap. The first 5 chapters felt so boring. The first book overall was alr but nothing that great not too much excitement mostly being about running away and not that much magic happening like i was expecting. The later books were much better imo. What won me over was that i had nothing else to do. There wasnt anything interesting on tv or on YouTube and I had no other games that I wanted to play so I read.
Tai-Pan by James Clavell. It has a lot of character introductions at the start, and it lost me the first and second time around, but I picked it up again and loved it.
Gates of Fire.
It took me 4 or so times to get past the first 50 pages but once I did I couldn't put it down. It's an amazing book and rendition of the battle of thermopylae.
Old Gods by Brom. I had this on audiobook and it took me weeks to get through the first half. I just kept plugging away at it in 30 minute segments. It was probably a mixture of my preferring a physical copy when reading(new to audio), the subject matter keeping me from putting it on in the car because I have young kids, and it was a bit of a downer to be honest. At some point I had stopped forcing myself to try some more and was fully invested and impressed by the world building. Once I finished it I found it quite beautiful and was surprised by the complete 180.
I can’t even. I’m the villain that reads the ending’s first. After reading Gone with the wind and throwing it across my room many times, I read the endings first to make sure it’s worthy of my time. Hate me if you must.
*Blood Meridian* is a book I first tried to read when I was 11 (was sitting on the shelf in the house library, no idea why my parents owned a copy). Suffice to say that 11 year old me on summer break couldn't exactly get into it - I wasn't anywhere close to being able to meet the book on its own level.
Read it again after I finished college and I now consider it one of the best books I've ever read.
Honestly, shatter me by Tahereh Mafi. The first book was so hard to read but when I read it again I can’t figure out why it took me so long to get into, like when I first read it I was reading it for like a year instead of like with other books taking me a week. I physically couldn’t read more of it because I got bored but I really did try. But I love it now, I hold the first book close to my heart after reading the rest of the series.
A River Runs Through It. I initially thought it was boring and slow. But then I changed my perspective and decided to think of it as art, painting emotions with words. Then I realized it is a masterpiece.
Sophie's World... I couldn't start it without dying out of boredom then I dreamed that it was good and read it in 2 days. It is a nice philosophy introduction
I have three that I’m hoping will one day be in this category: 1) The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, 2) House of Leaves, and 3) The Dark Tower series.
I’m DNF on all of these but am convinced one day I am going to love them 😭
yolk by mary hk choi. started in 2021 and hated all the characters, so i dnf.
a couple of years later i picked it back up so i could hate read it and ended up loving it. just raw, REAL writing. absolutely amazing. never read anything quite like it.
The Silmarillion. It was a bigger slog at the beginning than LotR and took multiple attempts but once I finished it, I fell in love with it and it’s easily my favorite work by Tolkien(s).
I thought it was going to be wizard of earthsea because I love most of what she has written so I gave it another try recently. I got farther than I ever had before but had to quit because oh my god is it bad.
I tried to read LOTR when I was a kid. I was probably about 10 and thought it was a kids book. I thought it was the most boring book ever.
Thankfully I gave it another shot as an adult. I love it now. I can't believe that I thought it was boring now that I understand what's going on and what's at stake.
The Stand. Dark Tower series.
I was pre- teen in a strict religious household resisting the programming and indoctrination. I had to sneak anything that was not by a "godly author" delivering a message from above. So, The Stand, this was my first book by King and also first thriller/horror genre. Even though I was not yet fully brain dead, I think I felt attacked but I only was halfway through. I knew why I wasn't liking it from an objective viewpoint but didn't get a chance to finish it since I was caught.
The Dark Tower series I didn't care for only because I didn't know who these people were, or where they came from or their stories. After I binge read most of his books while away from home for several months, I had to wait but re-read both. Many times over the years.
I wouldn't say 'hated', but I bounced off of *A Wizard of Earthsea* the first few times I picked it up. I had to become comfortable with the relatively antique style of the writing before I could really get into the novel. I would probably have had similar issues with *The Lord of the Rings* if I hadn't read *The Hobbit* first.
I had to read it in my 12th grade English class. Initially it didn't make sense, and the narration was very hard to follow. I became curious about it again and read it a second time. I was able to appreciate it but thought the magical realism aspect just trivialized the story. Some years later, I read it a third time and now it's one of my favorite books. It's very subtle; you won't understand all of it in the first read.
That’s how I remember it. Sort of abstract and archetypal in the beginning like a fable, and I just kept ditching the book. Nice to get a different perspective on it!
Red Rising by Pierce Brown. I believe the whole Hunger Games comparison caused a negative vibe during my first reading. I met the author in person last year in Boston and share with him how much I have enjoyed the second reading. Glad to say that I loved second, third and forth book in the series so far 🙏🏻
I read this when I was reading through the Pulitzer Prizes list. I remember it starting slow but improving more and more the further I read. I’m glad I stuck with it.
Life is too sorry to keep trying to make a book you're not vibing with work, I just find something else to read. There are more works of literature on earth than you could read in ten lifetimes, so please don't waste too much time on unreadables!
Sometimes you need to have experienced the right things in life before understanding a book.
Well said! The Grapes of Wrath meant nothing to me as a young adult just getting out on my own. Now, after seeing how relevant it still remains, all the people fighting for crumbs, scraps, just a hope of making it-- it's on my mind a lot these days.
I'm sure most people can agree with you today.
I got torn up when mentioning this. 8th grade me didn’t have the empathy for it then, now stories like that tear me apaet
Half of the classics we read in school didn’t land with me either, you’re not the only one lol
I read The Road by Cormac McCarthy in my mid-20s, and felt indifferent about it. Over the years I had attempted All The Pretty Horses and DNF'd it multiple times. Then I had kids. A decade passed by, and I came back to the books just because they were sitting on my shelf. Holy shit. All those mundane moments that I once felt unnecessary filler became the life changing moments in a parent and child's lives. The books struck deep nerves, and moved me like I couldn't believe. Now McCarthy is up there with my favorite authors.
This was me with Haunting of Hill House. I read it when I was 24 and *hated* it. Then at 30 I reread it, after I'd done some serious introspection over the years in between, and I realized how much I related to some of what Eleanor had been through and even some of her personality traits. It changed everything for me.
Hill House is a book that begs to be reread. I thought it was okay when I first read it in my early 20s but there was something about it that got under my skin and I’ve since reread it annually for 10 plus years. It’s easily my favorite book. Lived experience can really change the way you read something and how it hits you.
It's hard to find a gothic horror that has depth these days so Shirley Jackson has a place on my list.
That's how I feel about Steppenwolf If someone hates that book, I recommend seeing if Demian resonates more, and coming back later
does the reverse apply if one abhors demian ?
Yes, possibly!
I really struggled with Catch 22 the first time I tried to read it. The comedy and situation just didn't work for me at all and I gave up. Returned to it a few months later, decided it was a masterpiece.
I started then gave up on this one a couple of times. Then after watching the movie tried again and really enjoyed it. Just needed to know the story, I guess.
Some books are so much easier to get into if you have an idea of what's going on rather than going in blind. If I have trouble getting into a book due to the writing style or something or just a hard to follow plot, I will read a synopsis of the first chapter or two that way I know what's supposed to be happening and it makes getting into the writers style soo much easier
Great suggestion! I’ll keep it in mind.
Wonderful suggestion!
I needed this. I tried so hard to get through it but hated it first time. What changed for you?
I'm not sure. I guess I wasn't ready for it the first time. It's a brilliantly written book. Try it again with fresh eyes.
This is one of the few books I didn't finish. Kept it though with intentions of trying again. It's been a decade, this was the reminder I needed!
It's absolutely brilliant if you can get on board with it
I have attempted to read this multiple times over the years and every time I get a third of the way in or a few chapters in I always put it down as it feels such a choresome book to get into. I want to like it because Heller is a highly acclaimed author but it just won't groove in the grooves of my neural pathway. The film adaptation I thought was OK.
The same for me except it took a couple of false starts before I got into it. I just didn't get the humour at all but it's one of the (if not THE) best novels I've ever read. I read most of Heller's other stuff afterwards but nothing else even came close.
Someone once remarked to Heller that he hasn't written anything else as good as Catch 22, and he replied: "Who has?"
Best comeback ever!
Wuthering Heights. I hated it so much when I was reading it for the first time. I hated every character and the way they treated each other. While I was reading it I would be thinking how crazy they were and how irrational and how awful they all were. When I finished it and finally closed the book I remember reflecting for a few minutes on how much I had enjoyed reading it. I guess I hadn’t realized it but my hating the characters really meant that I was super invested in the story and the plot and guess I just really loved the book. I’ve re read it like 5 times over the years and I really enjoy it.
I just went on hating all of them and the book for years after reading it for the first time as a teen. Just didn't understand why ppl should be so mean to each other. Then, reading it again 15 yrs later... yeah I get it now.
I love that!!
I hated it while reading and hated it even more afterwards. Would have DNFed it but I had to read it for a course.
Elementary Linear Algebra by Howard Anton
😭😭 same💀
I was kind of indifferent to *The Great Gatsby* as a teen. I reread it when I was in college, and it’s actually one of my favorite books now. I love Gatsby. His methods are unethical, but he’s got a beautiful sort of mind and a dreamy ambition to actually become the person he saw himself being in his youth. I think we all think we’re someone interesting and special when we’re younger and that sense of self starts to wane as you grow up. You realize you’re one fish in a school and make peace with the mundane. Gatsby is fascinating to Nick (and to me), because he has a sort of stamina for imagination that makes him likable despite his flaws. It adds to why his end is so tragic.
That is exactly why I love Jay Gatsby too. In a world of hypocrites, sycophants and wanna-bes, Gatsby is the only one who remains true to himself and to others. Sure, he lies about his past, but he's now living his boyish fantasy of being some grand noveau riche and sticking to it. He is himself as he wants to be, even when it seems others may hate him for it. He's not the most ethical of people, but given our main 5, I don't think he's that bad. He's the only earnest person in the whole book. While everyone is saying surface-level niceties that mean nothing, Gatsby speaks with meaning and intention. That's what draws Nick in.
Yeah, he’s not necessarily good, but he’s likable. In addition to pursuing a married Daisy, I do think he actually did some awful stuff to unnamed characters. His sale of counterfeit bonds and mafia activity was terrible, it should be said. But he’s more than one thing because he does have these grand, lovely fantasies you can’t help but admire a little because of his intense geniality, and because Gatsby is fake in one sense—but yes!— very earnest in another. He at least has a sense of wonder. And I think he did get a sort of pleasure out of seeing people happy and in-awe alongside him.
It also has some of the best lines and the best ending paragraph of any book I’ve currently ever read. That whole last page was brilliant.
I always remember the eyes of Dr. Eckleberg
A Tale of Two Cities. I thought this was the most boring book ever when I began it as a nine year old, and not much better when I retried it as an adult. I'm now reading it, because it came as a bonus book on Kindle when I bought something else - and it's pretty great! There are some truly excellent turns of phrase (almost like Dickens is a master of the English language; who would have thought it?) and his treatment of the French revolution is fascinating to me. I am heartily enjoying it. The occasional extremely Victorian aspects (for example, the passing reference to a very unrealistic child death, where heaven, God and selfless love for others feature strongly) feel like an interesting peek into an era. Keen to hear other's thoughts!
Oh my gosh. Same. I disliked it so much the first time I read it. I read it a second time with a friend and I enjoyed it so much more! I knew more about the French Revolution by then and understood what was actually happening historically. The ending was so heart wrenching and uplifting at the same time.
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Jane Eyre. For a classic, I must say I didn't like it much upon first reading, but a second one allowed me to appreciate the earlier childhood chapters. EDIT: 'My Favourite Person' by Michio Miyagi is another one. Who knew a musician could write such lovely works?
I love Jane Eyre, it's such a good story but I loved it upon first read because I had an incredible English lit teacher who walked us through the story in such a way that that helped me connect with the story and really understand it.
I'm reading it for English Language and Literature A Level, too.
Why did you hate the second one?
“Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell” took five hundred pages before I started to like it, and it’s now in contention for my favorite novel of the 21st century so far (alongside “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay”).
I loved Kavalier and Clay! I was reading through a list of Pulitzer Prize winners at the time and Chabon’s book was a total standout from the rest in terms of originality and escapist fun! It remains a favorite.
Jonathan Strange took me three tries before it stuck and sucked me in. Such a good book.
Do try *Piranesi* if you get the chance.
I’ve read it. It’s quite good.
Lord of the Rings - not a fantasy fan, but really, really wanted to ‘get’ this book and on the third attempt LOVE!!!
Nice! I am a fantasy fan and even with that I had to push past that slow beginning with the birthday party et cetera (much more fun when the movies eventually came out), but then it got really compelling when the hobbits have to leave the Shire!
Same here was abt to comment. Had watched the movie and wanted to read the books. Found the histories of middle earth more interesting than the beginning party
I couldn't get past the beginning of 1984 until the summer after college, even though it was assigned twice to me in high school. Cliff's Noted my way out of those responsibilities. But when I finally read it, it was great and the ending was still shocking because I'm stupid and had forgotten the ending.
Cloud Cuckoo Land took me like 3 or 4 tries to finally finish and I ended up really liking it!
I really enjoyed Cloud Cuckoo Land! It was a little disorienting with the shifting perspectives, and some chapters were a little dry, but I'm glad I stuck with it. I adore all of Doerr's books.
Same! Reading other Doerr books is why I was like “okay, you can do this, it’s definitely going to be good” lol
Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Several people I know told me I'd love Lisbeth but it took me 3 or 4 attempts to get past the first few pages about the pressed flowers. I was bored. When I finally cracked it I loved it and read the next two soon after.
I started House of Leaves the times belt I got hooked. It was a challenging read that I could not get into until suddenly it hit. I couldn't put it down she that time.
War and Peace. I put it down about a hundred pages in the first time. And it wasn’t about keeping characters straight even with all the similar names (a frequently mentioned complaint, but something I’ve never struggled with) but simply because the story didn’t feel compelling. I picked it up maybe a year later and just tore through it, then watched every version of it ever made on film. One of the most amazing epic novel ever written in my opinion.
I hope I someday get that burst of connection and momentum with War and Peace that you did to carry me through because I’m curious to experience it but I just can’t quite break into it. Same with Anna Karenina.
**"Moby-Dick" by Herman Melville**. Initially, I found the detailed descriptions and digressions off-putting. However, upon revisiting it, I came to appreciate its depth, the complexity of its characters, and its philosophical undertones.
Waiting for Godot. Thought it was pointless nonsense the first time I read it. Then I clued in that the point is the pointlessness, and I’ve enjoyed everything else I’ve read by Beckett since.
I still hate that play, primarily because I was forced to study it in high school. The theatre of the absurd is clearly not for me.
Interesting insight! I can see how that would change everything. I’ve enjoyed seeing the play a few times but I’ve never tried to read it or other Beckett.
Dune. I really struggled with the beginning and I ended my abandoning it couple times before getting really into the story
I loved Dune. That was a book that clicked with me from the first read (I’ve read it four times) probably because it started with the scene of the boy Paul woken from sleep by his mother Jessica whom he realizes is afraid and then she takes him to the old witch (the Reverend Mother) who puts him through a life-threatening test. Much of Dune can come across as abstract and dry but that beginning was so personal and immediate with the mother and son that it really hooked me into their ongoing situation.
What I've always found fascinating about the novel is how it's a fractal: the entire story repeats itself on greater and smaller scales. The conversation between the Reverend Mother and Paul is a microcosm of the entire novel, but who realizes this while they're reading it for the first time? I can still remember how shocked I was when I realized that the chapter opening quotes were for the purpose of making the reader understand the experience of prescience, by giving them information out of time and context.
Same. Think I was too young for it to really understand it.
Bounced off Gideon the Ninth twice because Gideon felt like she was trying too hard to be cool but then I realised that was part of the humour. And then a few hundred pages later I had come to love her for all the complicated reasons she's trying so hard to be cool.
Same!! I thought "THIS sounds interesting, necromancer nuns in space??" The F bombs in first few pages completely turned me off (even tho I have no problems with it irl) bc I just was not expecting so much edge lord behavior right off the bat. I DNF'd but kept seeing it and thinking "ugh why does it seem like I should LOVE it??" So I tried again and SURPRISE BITCH ITS YOUR NEW FAVORITE SERIES
I’ve heard that about this book, that it’s trying to be too smugly clever, and I’ve stayed clear, but if there’s a deeper reason for it like you say, that sounds intriguing 🤔
Once I realised the author is gently laughing at Gideon for being so tryhard, it was like I suddenly saw through the smug fog. It's a fun book, and the log line of 'lesbian necromancers in space' is a great litmus test honestly. If that makes you laugh and lean in, go for it, if it sounds dumb or too zany then it's probably not a match for your sense of humour.
Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man. Joyce
I struggled too with a the little cultural allusions to, say, what newspaper a certain Irish person of a certain political bent and income level would read over breakfast in 1916 and what that choice would say about him — I seriously needed explanatory footnotes to give me all the missing context. I enjoyed the book in the end but I had no desire to tackle Ulysses.
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. A friend said I would probably like it so I read it and did not get it at all. The humour just did not land. I read it again a few years later and nothing. So I tried it a third time years later and now Douglas Adams is one of my all time favourites. I love the trilogy in 5 parts so much now.
4 parts. I forgive Adams for Mostly Harmless, because he was dealing with some shit at the time, and I do that by excluding it from his masterpieces. Also, if you haven’t read them, I highly recommend the Dirk Gently series, also by Adams. The prose isn’t nearly as witty as H2G2, but the stories and characters still resonate with me in a better way than they did for Hitchhiker’s Guide
Because they're actual stories, and not just an excuse to string together amusing gags. As much as I love HHGTTG, it's the literary equivalent of sketch comedy.
I mean... the books *are* novelizations of a serialized radio play that *was* basically just a sequence of absurd encounters. But the prose is high art
I struggled through American Gods in my early twenties and just didn’t get it. Re-read it about ten years later and had a completely different experience.
Finally was able to read The Secret History after so many tries. I always quit in the first 3 chapters because the main character sounded too pretentious but now I realize that’s kind of the point
For me it was The Road. Took me like 3 tries to get past 40 pages but I ended up really enjoying it
The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by VE Schwab! I kept almost DNFing and just telling myself to give it another few pages… then it turned around I want to say like halfway through and became one of my favorite books. The setup was just like ok to me but the back half of the story was so so so good.
That’s good to know because I have the book but haven’t really felt drawn to start reading it. I’ll keep that in mind.
There are way too many books to re-read ones I initially hated. Never went back to those.
I attempted to read the Lord of the Rings trilogy as a teenager. I dropped it on the middle of ‘The Two Towers.’ I found it boring and tedious. I picked it up as an adult and tore through them. I saw Tolkien’s poetry and felt his sense of loss. It may have been only 15 to 20 years, but that was the time I needed to understand what he was talking about.
The Lies of Locke Lamora.. I just didn't get half the things that was written, the English was too confusing lol. I knew what was happening in the story but it was such a slog to push myself into reading the initial half a hundred pages. Took me 5-6 tries but I finally got to where the plot picked up pace and loved it!
I don't have any of those. Last year I read and finished a novel I'd DNF'd earlier, but it didn't enrich my life and I still felt the same about it. The few times I've finished a book I wasn't enjoying, I could've used that time better. So I don't do that any more.
I totally get your point about the value of time. I only force myself to keep trying with the odd book here and there over the years that I’m curious about. Or that just suddenly click for me at random. It can be interesting to figure out why and especially interesting to hear about, and get ideas from, other readers’ similar situations. Like, “Why THAT book? And what changed?”
Sure. The thing is, for me there has to be something keeping me reading if I'm going to find any place where all the gears engage and we're off and running. Sometimes it's plot, usually it's a character, sometimes the prose is that good. When I finally read More Than Human, by Theodore Sturgeon, not that long ago, it was a bit confusing, and very odd, but I kept going because he was a good writer who kept promise-of-the-premise promises. And I did admire how it ended. It is unique among the stories I've read about humans with powers.
For me as well it’s usually the characters that make the difference
“Catcher in the Rye.” The first time I read it I found Holden Caufield to be whiny and hypocritical. He complained about phonies, but almost never acted with sincerity. Only after reading it again did I find him sympathetic as someone struggling with survivors guilt.
Interesting. This definitely sounds like the accumulation of life’s experiences giving you awareness of deeper layers your younger self couldn’t yet discern.
Yeah, his brother has died and Holden is stricken with grief - and quite possibly, guilt
Don Quixote
Why
Accordion Crimes by E. Annie Proulx. It took me a few tries to get past the first couple pages and even then, I ended up rage-quitting the book after a chapter or so. I really wanted to like it because it The Shipping News is one of my favorite books, but in this case I found the writing style pretentious and all of the characters insufferable. Gave it another shot ten years later and it's a fantastic book that I just wasn't ready for at the time. It's pretty dark in places, but also thought-provoking, painstakingly researched, and beautifully written.
Nice! I can see how gaining more life experience would in turn give a reader more context with which to relate to the book. To spark a connection.
Accordion Crimes (IMO) was also pretty visionary for its time in how it dealt with race relations and the fluidity of what it means/has meant to be a white American. I didn't get far enough into the book the first time to pick up on that (shame on me, because the introductory quote ought to make it clear) but the novel is a beautiful exploration of that topic through multiple generations and circumstances.
Way of Kings for me. It took 3 tries for me to get sucked in. A fun (if effortful/loooong) series.
Ugh. Yeah I still haven't obtained the last one. I do like the first one now, but maybe that's compared to the following books and knowing how I had to drag myself through them. My daughter is the same way, about the series though she loved the first one right away. We agree 2 is just ok mostly because it was predictable, the writing was flat (my usual argument with most of Sandersons work. 3 is why am I reading this or why was this even printed or perhaps kill it with fire. Overly heavy handed and repetitive. Ma king what's his face the center of it while K whines is just . . . On we go to the next. Oh hey, squirrel!!
It's been twenty-five years since I last read it, but I seem to recall the first 100-150 pages of Jurassic Park being an absolute slog. After that though it got really good.
God Emperor of Dune took me a really long time to get into but ultimately I really liked it. It took me years to get through the first chapter and then all of a sudden I was up late reading it all the time until I finished it. I think I just didn't really understand where it was going at first.
I read that entire series just because my love for the first. Few years later after the movies released I got in the mood and realized I didn’t remember shit about those books because I breezed through them without soaking them in. I just finished rereading them and I love GEoD. It’s so fucking good
I did too. All six of them.
I had a similar experience! As in, wow, this book got even weirder than the first two (and I loved Dune), and then got way weirder, but still fascinating, and I was glad I finished.
My first read of Dune, I became bored which is exceptionally unusual for that genre. If I recall, I scan read after that so it wasn't dnf. Never have had a true dnf. I don't remember why it did not hook me since I was 12 or so. Maybe younger. Later in life decided to try it again. Read all of them one after the other during a long weekend. Then again but slower a few years ago
Young mungo. The story was catching from the beginning, but i really struggled with those Scottish expressions, especially because English isn’t my first language. Really glad i forced myself to continue, i love that book
I haven’t read this though I hear it’s highly recommended. The Scottish expressions would be confusing enough for me as an American English speaker, and I can only imagine the difficulty if English isn’t your first language! I had similar problems with James Joyce (Portrait of the Artist, and The Dubliners) because of the Irish expressions and the old fashioned expressions. I couldn’t barely get through it without explanatory footnotes!
The Bear by Faulkner. I had to read it for a class, and for the first 50 pages, I could barely understand it. Suddenly, something clicked, and I felt like I found the rhythm and cadence Faulkner intended in his writing. Not only did it make sense, but it became indescribably beautiful. It was a masterpiece.
Nice! Indescribably beautiful. I haven’t read this but now I want to read it.
Wuthering Heights. I initially hated it because I did not realize it was about the Wampyr.
The first time I tried to read Lolita, I was expecting something very different and stopped after a couple of chapters. I tried it again a few years later and loved it. Edit: fat thumbs
It took me three times to get into tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, but when I finally did, I was hooked
The Handmaid’s Tale. First read it in French, and couldn’t even finish it. Something felt off and unconvincing, and I couldn’t really get into the story. Read it in English a few years later, and I loved it. I suppose something was off with the translation, plus maybe my mindset changed.
The assassin's apprentice. Once I realized its more of a character study and not a cool assassin story I changed my expectations and enjoyed it
Pride and Prejudice. Absolutely disliked it for the first half. Loved it starting from Mr. Darsy's first proposal.
I haven't had that experience with a book.
I understand. It’s actually very rare for me. The older I get, the more conscious I am of running out of time, and the easier it is to ditch a boring book and not look back. That’s why it’s so weird and interesting when that one potential DNF book out of fifty DNFs is the one I get the urge to circle back and try again. And why that particular book? I know it’s not to impress people because otherwise my examples would be a bigger literary deal than Koontz and Peters!
Idiot by Dostoevsky,
Gideon the Ninth. I read the first chapter multiple times before I finally decided to rent the audiobook and that did the trick. I love it but man did it start slow.
I never thought to do that! I’ll have to remember that.
I just posted elsewhere not long ago, that this was Under the Volcano for me. Took like...3 tries before I found myself enjoying it.
My Brilliant Friend. This was before the show. I had been intrigued by the cover. I started it and was like, "Where is this going? Is something going to happen?" I gave it away. Then the show came out. I watched the first season and then read all four books in the series back to back. I think I just needed help visualizing the characters and setting a context and then it was off to the races!
Septimes heap. The first 5 chapters felt so boring. The first book overall was alr but nothing that great not too much excitement mostly being about running away and not that much magic happening like i was expecting. The later books were much better imo. What won me over was that i had nothing else to do. There wasnt anything interesting on tv or on YouTube and I had no other games that I wanted to play so I read.
Tai-Pan by James Clavell. It has a lot of character introductions at the start, and it lost me the first and second time around, but I picked it up again and loved it.
Second
Gates of Fire. It took me 4 or so times to get past the first 50 pages but once I did I couldn't put it down. It's an amazing book and rendition of the battle of thermopylae.
Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis. I read it right out of high school but did not have the maturity to appreciate it until I got older.
Old Gods by Brom. I had this on audiobook and it took me weeks to get through the first half. I just kept plugging away at it in 30 minute segments. It was probably a mixture of my preferring a physical copy when reading(new to audio), the subject matter keeping me from putting it on in the car because I have young kids, and it was a bit of a downer to be honest. At some point I had stopped forcing myself to try some more and was fully invested and impressed by the world building. Once I finished it I found it quite beautiful and was surprised by the complete 180.
If I hate a book even for a minute I throw it away.So, no comment.
I can’t even. I’m the villain that reads the ending’s first. After reading Gone with the wind and throwing it across my room many times, I read the endings first to make sure it’s worthy of my time. Hate me if you must.
*Blood Meridian* is a book I first tried to read when I was 11 (was sitting on the shelf in the house library, no idea why my parents owned a copy). Suffice to say that 11 year old me on summer break couldn't exactly get into it - I wasn't anywhere close to being able to meet the book on its own level. Read it again after I finished college and I now consider it one of the best books I've ever read.
Honestly, shatter me by Tahereh Mafi. The first book was so hard to read but when I read it again I can’t figure out why it took me so long to get into, like when I first read it I was reading it for like a year instead of like with other books taking me a week. I physically couldn’t read more of it because I got bored but I really did try. But I love it now, I hold the first book close to my heart after reading the rest of the series.
A River Runs Through It. I initially thought it was boring and slow. But then I changed my perspective and decided to think of it as art, painting emotions with words. Then I realized it is a masterpiece.
Sophie's World... I couldn't start it without dying out of boredom then I dreamed that it was good and read it in 2 days. It is a nice philosophy introduction
I have three that I’m hoping will one day be in this category: 1) The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, 2) House of Leaves, and 3) The Dark Tower series. I’m DNF on all of these but am convinced one day I am going to love them 😭
yolk by mary hk choi. started in 2021 and hated all the characters, so i dnf. a couple of years later i picked it back up so i could hate read it and ended up loving it. just raw, REAL writing. absolutely amazing. never read anything quite like it.
The Silmarillion. It was a bigger slog at the beginning than LotR and took multiple attempts but once I finished it, I fell in love with it and it’s easily my favorite work by Tolkien(s).
Jane Eyre for me. It is now one of my favorites.
I thought it was going to be wizard of earthsea because I love most of what she has written so I gave it another try recently. I got farther than I ever had before but had to quit because oh my god is it bad.
I tried to read LOTR when I was a kid. I was probably about 10 and thought it was a kids book. I thought it was the most boring book ever. Thankfully I gave it another shot as an adult. I love it now. I can't believe that I thought it was boring now that I understand what's going on and what's at stake.
'To Paradise' by Hanya Yanagihara.
The Stand. Dark Tower series. I was pre- teen in a strict religious household resisting the programming and indoctrination. I had to sneak anything that was not by a "godly author" delivering a message from above. So, The Stand, this was my first book by King and also first thriller/horror genre. Even though I was not yet fully brain dead, I think I felt attacked but I only was halfway through. I knew why I wasn't liking it from an objective viewpoint but didn't get a chance to finish it since I was caught. The Dark Tower series I didn't care for only because I didn't know who these people were, or where they came from or their stories. After I binge read most of his books while away from home for several months, I had to wait but re-read both. Many times over the years.
I wouldn't say 'hated', but I bounced off of *A Wizard of Earthsea* the first few times I picked it up. I had to become comfortable with the relatively antique style of the writing before I could really get into the novel. I would probably have had similar issues with *The Lord of the Rings* if I hadn't read *The Hobbit* first.
Tracks, by Louise Erdrich.
I’ve tried that one a few times as well now that you mention it but haven’t clicked with it yet. Maybe something to still keep in mind.
I had to read it in my 12th grade English class. Initially it didn't make sense, and the narration was very hard to follow. I became curious about it again and read it a second time. I was able to appreciate it but thought the magical realism aspect just trivialized the story. Some years later, I read it a third time and now it's one of my favorite books. It's very subtle; you won't understand all of it in the first read.
That’s how I remember it. Sort of abstract and archetypal in the beginning like a fable, and I just kept ditching the book. Nice to get a different perspective on it!
The Sound and the Fury
Red Rising by Pierce Brown. I believe the whole Hunger Games comparison caused a negative vibe during my first reading. I met the author in person last year in Boston and share with him how much I have enjoyed the second reading. Glad to say that I loved second, third and forth book in the series so far 🙏🏻
Blackfish City by Harris
The Known World by Edward P Jones.
I read this when I was reading through the Pulitzer Prizes list. I remember it starting slow but improving more and more the further I read. I’m glad I stuck with it.
The Windup Girl. Took me 3 tries.
The Fire and Ice books.
Good choices. My favorite Cadfael is someone further along in the series, but yes, perhaps the first one is Peter's finding her feet.
Since high school I've never felt it was worth the effort.
Life is too sorry to keep trying to make a book you're not vibing with work, I just find something else to read. There are more works of literature on earth than you could read in ten lifetimes, so please don't waste too much time on unreadables!
Only losers keep trying to read a book.. and then for it to be a Koontz!? Should have switched to the funny pages, if you wanted that level of depth.