Guest Raidne Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 the Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson. I ceased caring about the characters 100 pages into the first book. A novel without interesting characters is simply a history of something that never happened. That's really funny that you would say that because (1) While the first hundred pages are really, really boring, everything after that is terrific - you have to read until you meet Jack and Eliza, and (2) Some of the things in the book did happen, being historical fiction and all I, like everyone else, stopped reading Goodkind, all though I read all the way up to Faith of the Fallen, and I've currently stopped reading Erikson, although I might pick it back up. I'm still reading WOT because I've just invested too much fracking time into it and I hope he gets that last damn book out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arwen Posted August 2, 2006 Share Posted August 2, 2006 Dune - read the firs three and gave up Forgot that one on my list. Actually, I love Dune as a stand-alone novel. It's absolutely fantastic. Then I read the second one and got disgusted. Somehow the originality went out, I didn't care about the characters, the plot seemed stupid and contrieved.... meh! Almost same here. I loved the first one, liked the next 2, but after that it got more difficult to read than it was entertaining. Pern: Not really a series, but I stopped reading the Pern dragon books around when the talking dolphins started happening, I used to really enjoy the books a lot but after awhile it seemed like she was just inventing silly things to write more books. But maybe I should have just skipped a few and persevered, I don't know. Patricia Cornwall's Kay Scarpetta novels: Cornwall took what was, at the time, a great original idea (is she the grandmother of CSI?), built a realistic and gritty character and wrote a couple of interesting books based firmly in the realism of the character's working life. Then she took that and turned Scarpetta into 007 and all the supporting characters into uberheros chasing ridiculously fantastical criminals. Kathy Reichs' Tempe Brennan books: Reichs copied Cornwall but had the advantage of actually doing the job she was writing about. But the criticisms above of Cornwall's work hold true for Reichs, except that Reichs had worse writing and characterisation Not to mention Scarpettas niece who I hate, not because she's gay but because who cares about Lucy's this or Lucy's that? I tried 2 Kathy Reich's and found them so gory I could not read them, and I am a seasoned thriller reader. And OK, I must admit, I always loved Steven King but after Pet Cemetery (which I didn't finish) I had to stop because they got too scary for me. OK I'm a wimp. I really wanted to read Bag of Bones because I saw such good reviews, and I tried but I was terrified. (I slept with the lights on for 2 weeks after I read the Exorcist, and I don't go to horror movies). i stopped reading a game of thrones after about 50 pages. about a year later i picked it up again cause i was bored, and, well, look where we are now. I'm curious why you stopped the first time. Were you bored? (not possible) Did you get busy? Did you want to read something else at the time? I also gave up on The Vampire Chronicles - I quit after the Mayfair Witches, it just started getting too weird and stupid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demonblade Posted August 2, 2006 Share Posted August 2, 2006 I'm curious why you stopped the first time. Were you bored? (not possible) Did you get busy? Did you want to read something else at the time? When I first bought AGOT, I read the prologue and the Bran chapter and left it alone for two years before picking it up again. The idea of reading a book through the eyes of a seven year old boy just didn't have much appeal to me. It was when Tyrion stood like a giant in Jon's eyes where I started to get into it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhoram Posted August 2, 2006 Share Posted August 2, 2006 I read the first two books of Malazan and never finished because I am lazy. I read the first four books of Dune because I just didn't like the series as much without Paul Muad'Dib, who owns. I have read all 7 books of the "Covenant" series so far (because it is much, much better than ASoIaF ). The first book of Wheel of Time sucked, and I couldn't really get beyond the first book of Wild Cards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anubiel Posted August 2, 2006 Share Posted August 2, 2006 the Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson. I ceased caring about the characters 100 pages into the first book. A novel without interesting characters is simply a history of something that never happened. Oh dear. If you'd just read a few more pages, you would have come across Jack Shaftoe and his Imp of the perverse. That's what I call an interesting character. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ztemhead Posted August 3, 2006 Share Posted August 3, 2006 Oh dear. If you'd just read a few more pages, you would have come across Jack Shaftoe and his Imp of the perverse. That's what I call an interesting character. I actually DID read the whole book. (look at me, ma, I read the WHOLE THING!!) I just felt so bogged down in digesting the fruits of Stephenson's exhaustive resaerch, by the time I got to the good bits with Shaftoe and Eliza, I didn't care very much. The guy got me all wet for a foine swashbuckling tale with that scene where they outrun the pirates, and then left me cold for another 500 pages. That book is so damn big I don't know what to do with it. There it sits on my bookshelf, 7 pounds of fany edged paper in first edition hardcover, looking at me, judging me.... It's like it's saying to me, "Michael- you're just not smart enough to find me interesting... All your friends like me... Are they BETTER than you? Do they know more math than you? They produce geeky bellylaughs at my subtle humor which you obviously are too thick to understand, you historical fantasy n00b." I think I'll hollow out the middle of it and make it into a place to stash weed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dakkon Blackblade Posted August 24, 2006 Share Posted August 24, 2006 Good kind's Sword of Truth - I read WFR and thought it kinda sucks Brooks's Shannara - I didnt even bother to finish the First King of Shannra. The story is pretty cheesy Jordan's WoT - At first, I got hooked. And then after book 4, it became dull. I still bought the 5,6,7th hoping that Jordan will make story better but to my dissapointment, they're crap!! I promised to myself I wont be reading them again.. ever! Edding's Malloreon (Guardians of the West) - I really hate jack-of-all-trades protagonist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunera Posted August 24, 2006 Share Posted August 24, 2006 Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn --I read the first book, but I didn't care enough to go out and get the others. I may do so at some point in the future though. Malazan --Couldn't get through that first book. The Anita Blake series--I read the preview for Cerulean Sins(I think) in Obsidian Butterfly and decided I didn't particularly want to read it. Evidently this was a wise decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yakman Posted August 24, 2006 Share Posted August 24, 2006 Wheel of Time - obvious reasons the Wayfarer Redemption - tripe Drizzt Do'Urden series - repetitive after the 13th book... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abattawolf Posted August 24, 2006 Share Posted August 24, 2006 Malazan read the 1st book because of all the praise that it had gotten. I was really disappointed when I finished. Someone gave me the 2nd book, Deadhouse Gates and I'm not sure I should continue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krafus Posted August 24, 2006 Share Posted August 24, 2006 Wheel of Time - I stopped at book 9, when I read ASoS right after WH and realized how low Jordan had fallen. Reading the Amazon reviews for Crossroads of Twilight comforted me in my decision. Sword of Truth - Here I stopped at book 4, after I read a lot of Amazon reviews of later books talking about the main protagonist becoming a preacher with 10-page speeches, blatant anti-communism and the slaughter of peace protesters... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
direwolf Posted August 24, 2006 Share Posted August 24, 2006 like everyone else, i did not complete sword of truth. actually, i only read the first one, it sucked so bad i didn't even bother reading on. should've stopped reading drizzt a long time ago, but for some reason, i just keep reading 'em. they only take two or three days to complete, and i have a lot of nostalgia about drizzt, being thet i read the first book about fifteen years ago. i've stopped reading the Dark Tower after just the Gunslinger, i dont really like that book at all, but pretty much everyone i've ever spoken to insists i read on. supposedly i gets a lot better, but im not convinced yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
direwolf Posted August 24, 2006 Share Posted August 24, 2006 i hate to double post, but i was reading through other posts and saw several people quit memory, sorrow, thorn. i'm reading it now, and although the first 130-180 pages of Dragonbone Chair were absolutely boring, it gets way better. so far, IMO, its on par with ASOIF, but really im just on the end of book one. of course, this is the exact same advise peiople give me about The Dark Tower series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yakman Posted August 24, 2006 Share Posted August 24, 2006 i've stopped reading the Dark Tower after just the Gunslinger, i dont really like that book at all, but pretty much everyone i've ever spoken to insists i read on. supposedly i gets a lot better, but im not convinced yet. book 2 is kinda lame, there are some cool bits in book 3, and book 4 is really good. i haven't read the rest and i'm not sure i will. dunno why... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
back_packn Posted August 24, 2006 Share Posted August 24, 2006 The only series (or book, for that matter), that I've started and not finished was Eragon (can't remember the series name.) I could rant about the book, but there's no need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Papz101 Posted August 24, 2006 Share Posted August 24, 2006 Wow, this thread made me reevaluate my usual statement that i dont ususally stop in the middle. Reminded me of so many crappy books ive dropped. First, obviously Sword of Truth. What a load of animal feces. Wow. I actually read maybe 5 of them. A friend kept giving them to me and I kept reading them and mocking them with him. This was long before the threads made it trendy to mock him. I coudlnt believe this guy was for real. Then i found I wasnt alone, to my great relief. WoT- Used to be a big fan. But, Jordan, come on! Dune- Book one I loved, couldnt read passt maybe 30 pages of the next. Dryer than the desert. These were the main ones that I can think of as I type, but i think a few others popped up while i was perusing this thread. (good use of peruse eh eh? ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yakman Posted August 24, 2006 Share Posted August 24, 2006 Dune- Book one I loved, couldnt read passt maybe 30 pages of the next. Dryer than the desert. Dune... wow. What a collapse in quality. I read halfway through the third one before giving up. The first one was SO GOOD and man... what tripe afterwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beniowa Posted August 24, 2006 Share Posted August 24, 2006 For some reason I haven't been able to get beyond the third book either, let alone all the new Dune books. I have the fourth book on my "To Read Eventually" List and I'll get around to it... eventually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isis Posted August 25, 2006 Share Posted August 25, 2006 That book is so damn big I don't know what to do with it. There it sits on my bookshelf, 7 pounds of fany edged paper in first edition hardcover, looking at me, judging me.... It's like it's saying to me, "Michael- you're just not smart enough to find me interesting... All your friends like me... Are they BETTER than you? Do they know more math than you? They produce geeky bellylaughs at my subtle humor which you obviously are too thick to understand, you historical fantasy n00b." I think I'll hollow out the middle of it and make it into a place to stash weed.Hell, yeah. I've been carrying The Confusion round in my handbag for the past few weeks. It doesn't look as if it would be that heavy BUT IT IS! It must be very dense. I just can't seem to get out of the 300s no matter how long I read it for. It's not going to beat me even if I have to read it a sentence a day. But I'm not carrying the fucker around any more. Dune: Not sure it really counts as something given up when I merely took the advice of this board to read no further than book three. I certainly didn't despise the second and third books although they weren't a patch on the first one. WOT: Read the first three. Did not care what happened beyond this point. Authors I have not yet polluted myself with: Goodkind, Gemmel, Eddings...there must be more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klegane the Kinhater Posted August 25, 2006 Share Posted August 25, 2006 Hobb's Liveship Trilogy, stopped half-way through the first book, It is a disaster compared to Farseer + Tawny Man. WOT- For every reason put forth already (Stopped at book 3) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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