Yesterday’s (12 July) Daily Mail contains an article regarding the books which people most frequently fail to finish. The survey was carried out by the Goodreads website and shows E L Jame’s Fifty Shades of Grey and J K Rowling’s The Casual Vacancy as being the books which readers most often fail to finish. I must confess to having read neither book so I am not in a position to impart words of wisdom on either work. I have, however read War and Peace in the original Russian and I must admit to having derived great pleasure from the experience. It was hard going in places but I felt a real sense of achievement once I read those final words, “the end”. OK I’d better come clean. I have indeed read War and Peace from cover to cover but it was in translation rather than the original Russian! I did, however plough through 20 odd braille volumes which took up some considerable space on my book shelves!
For the article please visit http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2361598/JK-Rowling-EL-James-bestsellers-list-books-readers-finish.html
K Morris - Poet 
Wow I was very impressed when you said you had read War & Peace in Russian! Although having read it myself I know just how hrd going it is even in translation, but you’re right, it’s such an achievement! Give me that over 50 shades any day 🙂
Many thanks for your comment. Have you read Fifty Shades? I can’t see myself doing so unless someone gives me a copy as a gift then I’ll feel obliged to at least attempt to read it!
I did actually try and read it once, mainly because my room mate was raving about it, but it couldn’t get past the awkward writing. Honestly. It was sort of like a fourteen year old explaining kinky sex…
Your comment made me smile! Kevin
Fifty Shades is awful. I read a paragraph. It’s laughably bad. One book I couldn’t finish was The Recognitions by Gaddis. I tried my best, I really did, but I ended up taking it to a charity shop for someone else to struggle with
Many thanks for your comment. I haven’t read The Recognitions but I’ll take a look on Amazon, see what readers have to say about it and if the consensus is (as with yourself) that it is hard going then I’ll steer well clear!