[Books] The Most Difficult/Boring Book You Have Read

[Rendia]

I read a book by R.A. Salvatore once, I can't think of anything more boring or difficult to force myself to finish.

Really? I find Salvatore's work to be great.

His fight scenes are usually some of the best in fantasy writing.

[Poutinecrazed]

The chapter with Faramir and Eowyn? I skipped that one.

I was actually referring to the Council of Elrond scene I think

[Buxton McGraff]

Into Darkness. The name suggested possible darkness and excitement. However it sucked and was boring.

[theWocky]

The Similarian.

Yeah - I found that too - but then, it was a co-edited book.

I didn't find it difficult, so much as boring, but I was surprised someone mentioned that here.

I read this like 10~20 years ago, heck, maybe even more! I think. I think it's still on my book-shelf.
Definitely not by Tolkien - even though claimed to be mostly his by his son.

[Kreyzor]

Easily has to be Walden. In comparison, I found Moby Dick far more readable ( I know they're not similar at all), which I also found to be quite a difficult read.

[ambivalence]

The most difficult I've read isn't necessarily a book, but was tough to read. I've read most of Shakespeare's plays in their original (old English) language. I did enjoy them, but I found myself having to re-read many parts just to understand exactly what was going on.

As for most boring? I'd have to go with just about any of the books I had to read for high school english classes. Most of them have been mentioned in here, but gems like "Lord of the Flies" and "The Things They Carried" were extremely dull to me.

Also, I have read Twilight, and while it is by no means good, it was far better than I was expecting. My expectations were extremely low, so that probably has something to do with it. My expectations for it being good were about as high as my expectations for something like "Shark Attack 3D!" from the SciFi channel being good. More mind numbing "entertainment" than actual substance.

[Mercadi]

It was a book about history of the Vikings, don't remember the author's name (a Norwegian or Danish historian). When I bought the book I was very excited and couldn't wait to read. It was very detailed, with a lot of references to other historians (contemporary and old), but the language made it extremely boring to read. Perhaps it was a poor translation, or the intended audience was historians such as the author. In any case, I've used that book many times when I needed to fall asleep fast.

Other one was the first book of the "Twilight" series. I attempted to understand the popularity of it, but failed. And regret the wasted time (which does not happen to me very often).

[BHD]

The chapter with Faramir and Eowyn? I skipped that one.

One does not simply skip chapters in books! D:

Definitely not by Tolkien - even though claimed to be mostly his by his son.

Silmarillion is only edited by Christopher Tolkien, all the material is from J.R.R himself. Christopher just made it all into a book.

[ravenshaelo]

Before the movies came out, I forced myself to read The Lord of the Rings. I actually can't even stand the movies now.
I've never forced myself through a book before, or since. If a book doesn't grab me, I don't read it.

[Barnabas]

Simulacra and Simulation is my choice for most difficult book. It's interesting but I can't finish it. Been going on 3 years now of off and on reading.

[Waniou]

Moby Dick. Holy crap, nothing happened in that book except him whining on about whale sperm and whale phrenology.

Also, I found Crossroads of Twilight to be considerably less unbearable second time around, when I didn't quite so much read it as one big story, but a collection of shortish stories just kinda going on about what everyone's doing at the end of the previous book. Was still easily the worst book in the series, but not nearly as badly.

[Okacz]

"Lord of the Clans" by Christie Golden.

My God, how painfull this book was. I bought a bunch of WoW books just to improve my english, and although "Day of the Dragon" and "The Last Guardian" were kinda okay, this one was horrible. I mean, ALL the characters were the same. Thrall was an orc who wanted his kin to be free, had strong spirit and was brave. Orgrim was an orc who wanted his kin to be free, had strong spirit and was brave. Grom was an orc who wanted his kin to be free, had strong spirit and was brave. Drek'Thar as well. And Taretha, tho she wasn't an orc. Character developement at its highest.

The only thing that could save the book was the villian. A man living with a taint of his fathers betrayal and struggling with his own problem - addiction to alcohol? Great introduction, there is so much you can get from that! But nope, too difficult for the writer I guess. Let's just make him go pretty much insane. I was hoping that the final slash between him and Thrall would be something a little bit more sophisticated, but I guess I was out of my mind.

And the cheesyness. It's just everywhere. Cheesy quotes are being said by Grom Hellscream, Drek'Thar, Thrall, almost everyone. And it's pretty irritating when writing space that should be used to give Grom Hellscream some story, something about his internal struggle with fel energies (seriously, this was barely touched) is used up by him saying quotes like "Where did you learn about mercy?". Just wow.

Bottom line, "Lord of the Clans" sucks major balls. It's not the only book of Golden I've read - I scored "Arthas..." as well. And guess what - it was terrible mashup of bad writing and lines taken straight from the game.

[Kasierith]

One does not simply skip chapters in books! D:

When rereading Wheel of Time books, I skip every single chapter that's from the perspective of Nynaeve. And I'm overall far happier for it.

[BHD]

When rereading Wheel of Time books, I skip every single chapter that's from the perspective of Nynaeve. And I'm overall far happier for it.

If I was an author I'd be terribly sad if someone skipped parts of my books.

[obdigore]

If I was an author I'd be terribly sad if someone skipped parts of my books.

Well, if you were Jordan you would be 1) Dead, and 2) probably acknowledge the fact that lots of people hate Ninny.

[BHD]

Well, if you were Jordan you would be 1) Dead, and 2) probably acknowledge the fact that lots of people hate Ninny.

Haven't read the book(s) this person made, but I was talking in general anyway. And realizing that people hate a character I made would make me terribly sad, unless it was intended to make the character very unlikeable

[obdigore]

Haven't read the book(s) this person made, but I was talking in general anyway. And realizing that people hate a character I made would make me terribly sad, unless it was intended to make the character very unlikeable

I can't really think of any way to describe Ninny as a stuck up person who thinks everyone around her is wrong and too stupid to breathe without her interference.

So... I mean... I really can't believe that Jordan didn't intend people to at least dislike Ninny.

[Zafire]

I had to read "Old Man and the Sea" in high school. Let me sum up the whole book for you:

*MAJOR SPOILERS INC*

** Old Man fishes a lot
** Old Man goes fishing far out to sea in a boat
** Old Man catches a shark and it drags him through the water for about half the book
** Old Man kills shark and has to fight other sea creatures to keep his shark "Kill" for roughly the second half of the book

The End.

I zoned out so many times reading that book I think I re-read every page at least twice. I have never struggled to get through a book like that in my life.

[Phollux]

Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco, like a couple of other people already stated.

Very hard to read by also very rewarding when you finally finish the book.

First time I read it I semi-skipped the hard passages, thinking "This probably means this or that" and it worked out ok.

Second time I tried to look up every foreign word I didn't understand fully, but it was too time consuming, and just understanding the single words didn't help that much in the sometimes very convoluted sentance construction he uses, and now two years later, I'm still stuck around hundred pages in

[Kerath]

The most difficult I've read isn't necessarily a book, but was tough to read. I've read most of Shakespeare's plays in their original (old English) language. I did enjoy them, but I found myself having to re-read many parts just to understand exactly what was going on.

Shakespeare plays were not written in old English. This is old English:
Þa wæs Hroðgare heresped gyfen,
Shakespeare's work is early modern English.