Top Ten Tuesday: Books That Were Difficult for Me to Read

This Top Ten Tuesday, we are discussing difficult books. Whether they be bad books or just so sad you didn't want to continue, we all have books that were difficult. Today, Marilyn shares hers.

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme started on the Broke and the Bookish blog.

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The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

I started reading The Scarlet Letter when I was a freshman in high school. The language and subject matter proved to be a bit of a challenge for me. By the end I was mad at all the characters and had to sit down and count to ten.

Battle Royale by Koushun Takami

For those of you who aren’t familiar, Battle Royale is about a class of Japanese high schoolers who are put into an arena and forced to fight to the death. I’m not sure why, but I have attempted to read this book in two separate formats; first in graphic novel and then in novel form. Both times the story’s violent subject matter proved to be a bit too much for me.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

It is very difficult to finish a book when you hate the main character. Fangirl tells the story of Cather, a college freshman who is much more interested in writing fan fiction then she is in anything found in the real world.

Maus by Art Speigelman

I want to be clear, dear readers, you should absolutely read Maus. This graphic novel tells the story of author Art Speigelman’s father, and his experiences as a Jewish man during the Holocaust. This book was very difficult to read and I had to set it down several times to collect myself, but it was well worth it.

The Cardturner by Louis Sachar

I like playing card games and I do know a couple, but I’ve never had the time or patience to learn how to play bridge. I picked up Cardturner expecting a fun story about a young boy trying to connect with his elderly uncle, but I was treated to how-to instructions on how to play bridge. The explanations really broke up the story and made it an incredibly difficult read.

City Dog, Country Frog by Mo Willems

Mo Willems lulled me into a false sense of security with his friendly and inviting books that are filled with smart humor. City Dog, Country Frog starts out as a heartwarming tale about a dog who, when visiting from the city, meets up with and becomes friends with a wise old frog from the country. When fall arrives, it becomes clear that the frog will not make it to spring. I didn’t want to finish the story and confirm my worst fears.

The Hobbit by J.R. R. Tolkien

So, admission time, I’m not the biggest fan of fantasy. And Tolkien is one of the big names in fantasy. Every once in a while I try to go back and read The Hobbit or The Fellowship of the Ring but I just can’t bring myself the finish them. Tolkien’s incredibly expansive lore and detailed writing style do me in every time.

Notes from the Internet Apocalypse by Wayne Gladstone

This title was on my summer reading list. And let me just say, this didn’t strike me as something that would be a challenging read. But let me put it this way, have you ever tried to read the comments section on an online posting?

My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares

This book tells the story of Daniel, a man who can remember his past lives and has spent most of those lives searching for the girl he loves. She can’t remember Daniel, which makes his constant pursuit of her all the creepier. And to make it worse, the chase spans centuries, making this book a difficult read.

What books have been difficult for you?

~Marilyn W.