Weekly Lists #168: Books I DNF’d

I don’t really ever “not finish” a book. Well in general. Honestly, a book has to be either a) really badly written; b) really upsetting; or c) really overtly moral for me to actual go: you know what? Let’s not. It hardly ever happens. And yet… Here’s 5 books I DNF’d.

1. Primates of Park Avenue, Wednesday Martin

Honestly, I was really excited to read this one. And, then… I don’t know… The concept of this book is basically that a new mum “studies” the mothers around her. However, the book soon ventured into the pseudo-scientific sociology, and for me… I guess it just felt too much like a sort of self-applauding thing? Also, I put a picture of this book on Instagram, and then the author found that pic, liked it, and proceeded to follow-and-unfollow me about twice a week for the next month. Any willingness I’d had to read this book? Gone out the window after that one.

 

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2. Snow White, Jenni James

You know that whole “overly moralist” thing I was talking about in the introduction? Yeah, that’s where this book comes in. I might even have already mentioned this somewhere, but the entire series of fairytale retellings by Jenni James? Doused in a thick layer of moral in-your-face-ness. And, don’t get me wrong – I can handle a moral undertone, or a lesson here or there. But in this book? It was just so non-stop, rubbing it in, every other page… It completely took away the pleasure of reading this book – which could’ve been a really cool retelling otherwise!

3. A Handful of Dust, Evelyn Waugh

I mean, school books. Basically? If I have to read it for school? There’s a large chance I’m not going to like it. And, you know… In this case, the story also just really didn’t speak to me. And I had to read it for a class with the one professor who was maybe slightly too happy with himself at all times? That might’ve had something to do with it as well, probably. Either way – did not enjoy it, did not finish it… As a matter of fact: hardly even started it!

4. Don’t Look Down, Jennifer Crusie

I’d already read two other books by Jennifer Crusie by the time I got to this one, and I really enjoyed both of them. In the first one, Bet Me, you have the classic concept of a guy and a girl dating because of a bet and then emotions happen… Well-known plot, well-written story, and it made me quite eager to keep on reading. The second book I read by Jennifer Crusie, already had more of a dark edge. In Crazy For You, the perfect boyfriend soon turns into the ex-boyfriend from hell, developing stalker tendencies, being generally very creepy… But I still did enjoy the story. By the time I started on Don’t Look Down, however… Well, after a couple of pages, I already felt so on edge, so uncomfortable… I just had to put the book away. I’m still really glad I did – because honestly, I don’t think it was going to be the kind of story I deal with very well… But I do think it’s a pity I’m now basically kind of on edge at the thought of reading anything else by this author…

 

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5. Prep, Curtis Sittenfeld

Okay, so, you know those scenes in movies? The ones that are so embarrassing that you just can’t watch them? I mean, by now the bf sees them coming as well, because he’s always the one that has to tap me on the shoulder to tell me it’s over. “It” being anything where a character deeply and thoroughly embarrasses themselves, basically. Well, this entire book was basically that. Only, I couldn’t really ask someone else to read ahead for me, could I now? I fought my way through about half of the story, and then I basically just had to give up. Also, I always had to put the book away for a while, to recover, and eventually my loan term from the library ran out. That didn’t help either :p

Anyways, what are some books you DNF’d? Any you feel you should warn me about? I mean, my TBR is certainly big enough, without place being taken up by books I most likely won’t like, so any cautionary tales might be useful!

And of course, as always: feel free to check out the rest of my book-ish content, or all my weekly lists!

-Saar