What book do you recommend to people but you know they'll never read it?

judgefudge

Just out of curiosity.

I'd have to say Life of Pi. I've lent it to so many friends and gotten it back about 6 months pages either unopened or abandoned half-way through. They'd love it

charlemont

The Holocaust Martin Gilbert. An excellent if frightening book.

Giselle

Hawkings ' A Brief History Of Time'.

Everyone says they want to read it, very few read past the first few chapters.

dr gonzo

Giselle wrote: »

Hawkings ' A Brief History Of Time'.

Everyone says they want to read it, very few read past the first few chapters.

Youre absolutely right, and what annoys me so much about that is that I fall into that catagory due to circumstances. I got sidetracked by work and then forgot where I was despite the fact that I was enjoying it immensely. Really need to re-read it.

I often recommend The Count of Monte Cristo, one of my favourites, but the size generally changes peoples minds.

mikemac1

Hard Times and Bleak House, Charles Dickens

Love them both

Both many seem traumatized by the Leaving Cert in the nineties and didn't like Hard Times and won't touch Dickens again

BBC did an amazing adaptation of Bleak House, it's all up on youtube if you don't want to read it

Giselle

dr gonzo wrote: »

I often recommend The Count of Monte Cristo, one of my favourites, but the size generally changes peoples minds.

I love that book.

Outkast_IRE

Giselle wrote: »

I love that book.

me too excellent book, if your carrying around though people tend to give ya funny looks with the size of it

Giselle

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

me too excellent book, if your carrying around though people tend to give ya funny looks with the size of it

This is one of the reasons I caved, and finally bought a Kindle. You can have six giant tomes on the go, and carry them in your pocket with 1000 other books!

charlemont

Giselle wrote: »

Hawkings ' A Brief History Of Time'.

Everyone says they want to read it, very few read past the first few chapters.

Have it myself and never read past the intro.

Outkast_IRE

Giselle wrote: »

This is one of the reasons I caved, and finally bought a Kindle. You can have six giant tomes on the go, and carry them in your pocket with 1000 other books!

I actually bought a kindle about a month after reading it. :pac:

xoxyx

Not a book, but a series. I've been trying to get my friends into the Wheel of Time for years and only one has fallen from it. Every last one of them has seen me with one or another of the books at some stage, and when they realise they have to read that x 14, they run away scared. Even my cousin who introduced them to me for my 18th birthday (best gift ever!) quit after the fifth or sixth one.

kylith

xoxyx wrote: »

Not a book, but a series. I've been trying to get my friends into the Wheel of Time for years and only one has fallen from it. Every last one of them has seen me with one or another of the books at some stage, and when they realise they have to read that x 14, they run away scared. Even my cousin who introduced them to me for my 18th birthday (best gift ever!) quit after the fifth or sixth one.

That's what happened me with that. I really enjoyed the first book, but when I saw how many others there were all I could think was 'That'll take me a year to get through'.

I often recommend House of Leaves, but I know that even flicking through the pages terrifies people.

xoxyx

kylith wrote: »

That's what happened me with that. I really enjoyed the first book, but when I saw how many others there were all I could think was 'That'll take me a year to get through'.

They're totally worth it. I've read them all twice and some of them three times. Sure, people spend half an hour, three times a week watching Coronation Street for most of their lives. Give that dedication to the Wheel of Time and you'll fly through them. Much better storyline too!!

ThunderApple

Giselle wrote: »

This is one of the reasons I caved, and finally bought a Kindle. You can have six giant tomes on the go, and carry them in your pocket with 1000 other books!

I used to be proud of me when people looked strange at my big books and then I got Kindle... never again I'm going to carry those heavy bricks of books in my bag.
Love The Count of Monte Cristo, too.

The Master and Margarita is one of my favorite books and I love lending it to friends but I always get it back untouched. The most of my friends can't deal with those crazy Russian names, I guess.

Andy-Pandy

Perdido Street Station by China Miéville. I loved that book so much, found the writing and story so mind blowing that i've given copy's to many people to read and as presents, but not one person has even managed to finish it. Is it really that hard a read?

MagicMarker

dr gonzo wrote: »

I often recommend The Count of Monte Cristo, one of my favourites, but the size generally changes peoples minds.

Started this this evening, only about 40 pages in but already I love it.

I can understand people being reluctant though, most of the time if I have the choice between ticking 4 books off my 'to read' list or just 1 in the same time period, I'll take the former.

Tesco Massacre

Infinite Jest

I've given my copy to a couple of people and neither of them managed to get past page 100.

Philistines!

catherinej

I have told so many people to read War and Peace or Crime and Punishment - 2 of my favorite books. Unfortunately they see the size of the book and run away!

shancoduff

Tesco Massacre wrote: »

Infinite Jest

I've given my copy to a couple of people and neither of them managed to get past page 100.

Philistines!

Well it is a daunting book after all but an excellent read! I've taken the easier route of showing one friend This is Water and then lending him The Broom of the System. You can lead a horse to water and all that..

judgefudge

Tesco Massacre wrote: »

Infinite Jest

I've given my copy to a couple of people and neither of them managed to get past page 100.

Philistines!

I'm on page 790 or somethin at the moment. By god it's taken me a while but I'm loving it!

Andy-Pandy

Tesco Massacre wrote: »

Infinite Jest

I've given my copy to a couple of people and neither of them managed to get past page 100.

Philistines!

Just added this to my reading list, thanks.

Tesco Massacre

shancoduff wrote: »

Well it is a daunting book after all but an excellent read! I've taken the easier route of showing one friend This is Water and then lending him The Broom of the System. You can lead a horse to water and all that..

judgefudge wrote: »

I'm on page 790 or somethin at the moment. By god it's taken me a while but I'm loving it!

After page 70 or 80 and you've got a grasp of what's going on it's actually a very readable novel. It's zips along at a fair clip story-wise.

Andy-Pandy wrote: »

Just added this to my reading list, thanks

Enjoy, it's a great book. Definitely in my top-3 of all time.

WickedWest

Catch 22

It's a fantastic book, but it took even me about four years to finally buckle down and read it.

biohaiid

I've tried getting a few people into Ellen Hopkins but once they see if they first page and how different her writing it is I think it puts them off. Sigh, such a shame.

Monkeybonkers

catherinej wrote: »

I have told so many people to read War and Peace or Crime and Punishment - 2 of my favorite books. Unfortunately they see the size of the book and run away!

Crime and Punishment isn't that big!

Anyway my own contribution to this is 'The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman'. I loved it but just know that most people wouldn't bother to read it