While summer reading is very popular among the masses, there are plenty of classic mainstays that go abandoned. That is to say that many books are started by readers, but go unfinished in the end.
According to book website Goodreads, some of the most groundbreaking works of fiction get tossed aside by readers before they can even finish. They may be award-winning and critically-acclaimed tomes, but for whatever reason, they just do not make the cut.
Most notably included on the list are classics such as "Catch 22," "Atlas Shrugged" and "The Lord of the Rings." It is hard to believe that such coveted titles are abandoned by readers, but Goodreads has found that these classics are usually left to collect dust before the final page is turned.
As far as the most abandoned contemporary books, the list cites J.K. Rowling's "The Casual Vacancy," "Fifty Shades of Grey," "Eat Pray Love," "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" and "Wicked" as being put back on the shelf by a great deal of readers.
According to Goodreads, the most common reason why a reader has quit on a book was because the titles were deemed too slow or boring. However, almost 40-percent of users say that they always finish their books, regardless of whether or not they put the book down and came back to it years later.
Even classics like James Joyce's "Ulysses" and "Moby Dick" are off their game and round out the top five classic offenders list. While these books may be timeless, they are also thrown aside by readers when interest wanes. It is hard to think of these books as being flops among readers, but the proof is on the Goodreads website.
They are still classics in the eyes of many, but for some reason they seem to read like molasses on a cold day for some. Don't let any of this put you off on picking up any of these classics because they all gained their iconic reputation for a reason. Instead, prepare yourself for what you are getting into in advance.
As the years roll by, it seems that the same books are continually read by certain age demographics but given up on before they finish. It is fair to say that the list is in tune with the reading habits of a voracious public.
No matter if the books are beach reading or serious books that have been studied for years, the Goodreads users have spoken. Whether or not the list of discarded books stays consistent through time is unclear, but the list no doubt matches users likes and dislikes on what makes a good book.
