Books that are too difficult, out of your league, too long

9bit · Post by **9bit** » 29 Dec 2013, 22:51

There was a time in my life (around middle- and high-school) when I wouldn't think twice about tackling a 1,000+ page book, but these days, at this moment in my life, I don't really have a desire to read anything over 400 pages.

My reading pace / schedule is pretty slow and sporadic right now. But I am hoping to one day get back to that point where I can just devour some dense hulking tome for hours on end every day.

Loveabull · Post by **Loveabull** » 29 Dec 2013, 23:16

Susan Sontag...I wish I could begin to understand a writer like that. I took philosophy in college and I was just lost

S dot Lennon · Post by **S dot Lennon** » 31 Dec 2013, 13:26

Hands down, the one book that just never holds my interest is Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. I have tried on more than one occasion to really lose myself in it and still no success! Maybe one day, but today is not it.

tracydinh96 · Post by **tracydinh96** » 04 Jan 2014, 16:51

A Suitable Boy was difficult

Bella_0772 · Post by **Bella_0772** » 05 Jan 2014, 03:09

The only one I can think of right now was called The Tea Rose. It was an ok book, but very long and drawn out. I didn't get to finish it because I had to return it to the library.

Bfrisco · Post by **Bfrisco** » 28 Jan 2014, 13:59

Les Miserables is the first one I think of. I tried to start it at least a few times when I was younger, but the size intimidated me quite a bit!

Spontaneo · Post by **Spontaneo** » 07 Sep 2017, 22:19

This may seem terrible, but I am being honest...I only understand Proverbs and Psalms in the bible. I have 3 different versions of the bible, hoping the next would be easier to understand...everywhere from Catholic to Joyce Meyer to English. Any suggestions?

Then, there is philosophy. Anywhere from Plato's Republic to Augustine's Confessions, I get lost. While reading all of these philosophy books, I should have been out in the real world with a job.

Star88 · Post by **Star88** » 10 Oct 2017, 21:59

I had a hard time reading books by Charles Dickens because they were always so long. I read Sherlock Holmes in 6th grade, but I had to reread it a few years later to understand what was happening.

TheWriteAngel · Post by **TheWriteAngel** » 19 Oct 2017, 12:09

War and Peace is a long term goal of mine that I am yet to achieve. And I agree with the 'anything Russian' part - Crime and Punishment was a challenging read.

Violet Devreaux · Post by **Violet Devreaux** » 24 Jun 2025, 16:13

Ulysses by James Joyce was the only book I have ever had to put down because it was simply too hard. I felt like I needed to take a whole college course dedicated to it.