Despite our best intentions, sometimes we just can’t seem to finish a book. Whether it’s because life gets in the way, the story doesn’t hold our interest, or we simply can’t get into the writing style, abandoning a book can be a frustrating experience for any reader. As an avid reader myself, I have encountered numerous books that I have started but never finished. In this article, I will discuss the last ten books I abandoned and the reasons why I couldn’t bring myself to complete them.

1. “The Goldfinch” by Donna Tartt

I had high hopes for this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, but found it to be overly long and slow-paced. The intricate plot and detailed descriptions became tedious to me, and after struggling through the first few hundred pages, I ultimately gave up on finishing it.

2. “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger

Despite its status as a classic coming-of-age novel, I couldn’t connect with the protagonist, Holden Caulfield, and found his ramblings to be more irritating than insightful. I gave up on this book early on, feeling that I couldn’t invest any more time in a character I didn’t care about.

3. “The Night Circus” by Erin Morgenstern

While the premise of this novel intrigued me, I found the writing style to be too flowery and overwrought for my taste. The slow pacing and lack of compelling characters made it difficult for me to stay engaged, leading me to abandon the book halfway through.

4. “Infinite Jest” by David Foster Wallace

This massive and complex novel proved to be too dense for me to fully grasp. The disjointed narrative and unconventional structure made it a challenging read, and after struggling through the first few hundred pages, I decided to set it aside rather than continue to wrestle with it.

5. “The Lovely Bones” by Alice Sebold

Despite its intriguing premise, I found the writing in this novel to be underwhelming and lacking in emotional depth. The detached narrative style and unlikable characters made it difficult for me to care about the story, leading me to abandon the book before reaching the halfway mark.

6. “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy

While I appreciated the bleak and harrowing atmosphere of this post-apocalyptic novel, I found the sparse writing style to be too stark and unemotional for my taste. The lack of dialogue and character development made it difficult for me to connect with the story, prompting me to stop reading before reaching the end.

7. “Life After Life” by Kate Atkinson

This novel’s premise of a woman living multiple lives and experiencing different outcomes intrigued me, but I found the nonlinear narrative structure to be confusing and hard to follow. The constant jumping back and forth in time made it difficult for me to stay engaged, and after struggling to keep up with the story, I ultimately gave up on finishing it.

8. “The Secret History” by Donna Tartt

I had heard great things about this novel, but found the characters to be unlikable and the story to be slow-paced. The pretentious tone and lack of compelling plot twists made it difficult for me to stay interested, leading me to abandon the book before reaching the halfway point.

9. “The Shining” by Stephen King

As a fan of horror fiction, I was excited to read this classic novel by Stephen King. However, I found the slow build-up and lack of scares to be disappointing. The mundane setting and uneventful plot made it difficult for me to stay engaged, prompting me to set the book aside before finishing it.

10. “The Girl on the Train” by Paula Hawkins

Despite its status as a bestselling thriller, I found this novel to be predictable and underwhelming. The unlikable characters and clichéd plot twists made it difficult for me to stay invested in the story, leading me to abandon the book before reaching the end.

In conclusion, abandoning a book can be a frustrating experience for any reader, but sometimes it’s necessary in order to make room for books that truly capture our interest and imagination. While I may have abandoned the last ten books I mentioned, I remain hopeful that I will discover new reads that will captivate me from beginning to end. After all, the joy of reading lies in finding those rare gems that keep us turning the pages until the very last word.