Better Dead Than Read

Here's an interesting infographic on books people don't finish.  I have nothing to say about the modern bestsellers since I haven't read them, and probably won't.  But the list of the five top "abandoned classics" was intriguing: Catch-22, Lord Of The Rings, Ulysses, Moby-Dick, Atlas Shrugged.

The first one is the hardest to understand, since I've read Catch-22 several times and think it's one of the funniest novels ever written, as well as one of the most powerful.  But I guess its almost unending absurdist humor, huge number of characters and plot that twists back upon itself makes it tough going for some. All I can say is don't worry about it--if you're laughing, keep going. (But if you're not laughing after about ten or twenty pages, then maybe you should jump ship).

Lord Of The Rings I can understand better, since I don't like it either.  It's fantasy, a genre I have little patience for, and the trilogy goes on forever.  I'd suggest avoiding it altogether unless you find Hobbits irresistible.

Ulysses is a great book, but it's not hard to see why people give up. It's not only lengthy, it's also experimental, almost impenetrable. But the rewards are great for those who work at it. (Though even for those Finnegans Wake is often a bridge too far--perhaps that didn't make the list because few even attempt it.)

Moby-Dick is actually a lot of fun, but it's not what people think.  Even back in its day it was not a success. Melville, who had written popular adventure novels, created an audacious work bursting in so many directions that it often forgets to keep the action going.  In fact, it's fairly meditative, stopping regularly to consider various aspects of the world.  If you're looking for the excitement of chasing a whale, and suddenly get lengthy essays on how whaling works, not to mention a lot of general philosophy, I can see how you'd toss it aside.

Then there's Atlas Shrugged. Very long, and in small print, too.  And full of one-dimensional characters who love to speechify. Also all about a philosophy that a lot of people find repugnant.  It's got all the flaws of The Fountainhead magnified.

I guess, in general, people like plots that carry them along, not to mention protagonists they can root for.  There are readers who like to be challenged, but for most people if they're struggling with a novel--or it seems to be struggling against them--hey, life is short, and if they need to read a classic there's always another Dickens.