Vox Hunt: Stuck in the Middle
Show us a book you started reading, but never finished.
This is particularly memorable because I loved reading Charles Dickens as a kid. A Tale of Two Cities; Oliver Twist, and, of course, A Christmas Story were some favorite reads of mine when I was 10. And then I chanced upon David Copperfield, couldn't get past the third chapter, and decided then and there that I no longer liked Dickens. It was about that time, though, that my mother introduced me to Edgar Allen Poe, and, soon after, George Orwell. I ought to read Orwell again, now that I'm a bit older. I think I still have Mom's copy of Animal Farm somewhere...
Another book I've never been able to finish is this one:
I never was a fan of Steinbeck. The first thing I read by him was The Red Pony, which I began reading with gusto because Steinbeck is one of America's greatest literary figures and I so wanted to be a writer. The whole thing disturbed me, and I decided that American authors (excluding Mark Twain) were terrible and that I should stick with British authors, instead (hence the fascination with Dickens). The Grapes of Wrath was required reading in high school, of course, and since I didn't mind Of Mice and Men, I decided to give Steinbeck another chance. I think I made it to the second chapter before I caved and chose to rely heavily on Cliff's Notes instead of trudging through its pages.
Comments
I love Steinbeck, though. I actually can't stand reading British authors typically. I don't know what it is about British things, but I typically find them incredibly grating. Same goes for most British music, television, and movies.
It's not out of any sort of nationalism or anything, but I tend to identify a lot more with American aesthetics and ideals.