Classics I've Started But Haven't Yet Finished 📚 | Jane Austen, Charles Dickens & More!

[@cunningba]

It's a common pattern in my reading too, but I don't worry about it too much. I'm 74 years old now, so I've been doing for a while. I have 235 items on my Currently Reading list on Goodreads. Admittedly many of those are Delphi Classics editions of The Complete Works of So-and-so that aren't intended to be read cover-to-cover, but it you broke out the works inside I've started, the count might be higher. It's the same problem you have when you go out to lunch at a nice restaurant with friends, then there are so many wonderful things to eat you pick some and spend the whole lunch discussing the wonderful things you could be eating if you weren't eating the wonderful things you're eating now. There are many books that I started in my youth, put down for a while, and came back to many years or even decades later. My most prominent recent examples that I started in my teens and didn't get around to finishing until the past few years include Proust, Rabelais, and The Tale of Genji. These all required enough historical background, the right translations, and adequate notes to supply context. Others, not so culturally distant include several by R. L. Stevenson (Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and The Master of Ballantrae), Hardy's Mayor of Casterbridge (more on Hardy later), Shakespeare's King Lear, Edgar Rice Burroughs's A Princess of Mars, Jeffery Lloyd Castle's Vanguard to Venus (checked out of the library the 6th grade about 1960, returned it before I'd finished it, found it in a used book store in grad school, bought it and finished it then, recently bought another copy and reread it for nostalgia's sake, not recommended), all of James Fenimore Cooper's Leatherstocking Tales (I had bounced off of The Last of the Mohicans and The Deerslayer in my youth), Harry Golden's Only in America, and Hans Zinsser's Rats, Lice, and History. Your eyes are glazing over. I'm sure I've left out a bunch, but I've made my point. Let's look at three of the authors you named that you were having trouble with: Austen, Hardy, and Dickens. I've had some troubles with these authors too that I can speak about. I'm more about reading to learn than reading just for fun, so I don't usually want to toss a book just because the author is difficult or the reading isn't fun. So let's look at these authors' problems. First, Austen's Sense and Sensibility. This was Austen's first novel and the exposition has some technical difficulties. One of the main problems is her handling of dialog. Because of the formal naming conventions she adheres to, her attribution of conversation to speakers is frequently ambiguous to modern readers. Her attributing a line of dialog to Mr. Dashwood might refer to the father, the son, or the uncle depending on context and who is in the room at the time. Attribution to one of the sisters Dashwood is even more problematical. Miss Dashwood refers to the eldest sister in the conversation at the time, not to any one particular individual throughout. In some conversations the context is not immediately apparent at the outset. This imposes more than a little cognitive load on a casual reading for the first time, frequently requiring backtracking and rereading to make sense of conversations. Steve Donoghue insists you will love rereading Austen even if you didn't love her the first time. I suspect part of this is because you will pick up on the speakers more quickly in the dialogs if you are already familiar with them and won't be distracted by the chore of disambiguating the dialog. That's probably also why it seems like a good idea to you to watch a good adaptation first before reading it. It is. It lessens the cognitive load processing the awkward bits in the exposition. Another tactic would be to do what a good editor would have done for Jane Austen, make notes in the text to clarify who is speaking in dialogs and eliminate ambiguous antecedents in general. My other problem with Austen you may not care about at all. Her novels, no matter how clever the dialog and insightful the characterizations, all deal with the problems an elite class of parasites has sponging off each other. Granted the women are largely victims forced to play this game. But still, the money in these affluent classes is generally not money they earned. This is made pretty explicit in the of Mansfield Park, where is estate is only made possible because of the Bertram ownership of a slave plantation in Antigua. Next Hardy. I have always loathed Hardy. I had to read The Mayor of Casterbridge for my Advanced Placement English class in high school in 1965. I basically DNF'ed the book after 80 pages because I could not suspend disbelief any more after the opening incident. Granted that may partly have been youthful naiveté. Given that this was a required book for a course I really loved, this was a very unusual action for me. I got a Cliff's Notes on the book, reviewed that, and wrote a scathing essay on my exam on the book based mainly on what I had read. I have read the book recently. The opening incident I now acknowledge is historically believable. But I have found even more reasons to loathe the book. I still find Henchard too stupid to be believable. But then some people believe Trump. I just don't get it. I also read Jude the Obscure sometime in the early 1970s when a fellow math grad student told me I would love it. I didn't. Read a bunch of Hardy's short stories about a decade ago. Again I found the characters wooden and the plots too predictable. I have a collected Hardy, so I will probably end up reading most of his novels if I live long enough. But I don't have high hopes for him. Recently saw a short by Amy's Dusty Bookshelf entitled "Books I Hated?" that about summed it up for me too. Dickens has written many memorable characters. I had A Christmas Carol read to me at Christmas when I was very young and read it soon thereafter. I read Great Expectations twice before I graduated high school: the first time, on my own because my father was a retired English teacher and we had it lying around in a text book; the second time, in school, using that same text book. I remember marveling at how Dickens created a wealth of threads in his plot and gathered them neatly together in the end. In the 10th grade English class, in 1964 we also read A Tale of Two Cities, one of his most memorable. Perhaps my favorite Dickens so far has been Bleak House, which, despite the title, is a very funny book. Also, around 30 years ago I read Little Dorrit, which I enjoyed enough to watch the interminable two-part 1987 movie. I started The Old Curiosity Shop in a Folio Society edition maybe 20 years ago. I was enjoying the first third or so. Then not so much. The characters started descending into caricatures and, like you, I put the book down. I sold the Folio Society edition a couple of years ago. I'll probably read it on my Kindle sometime. But I won't expect to love it. That's the trouble with Dickens. His characters can be engaging, sympathetic, colorful, delightful, memorable, over-the-top, and, alas, sometimes too far over-the-top so that they become caricatures and all too predictable. We all have different lines where that happens for us and our lines will move with time. Sometimes we just have to coast through on curiosity if we can't love the characters any more.

[@KindleAndCoffeeCups]

Lucy, your honesty is very much appreciated. ❤ My daughter is neurodivergent and she doesn't watch BookTube because of the focus on "huge TBRs' and "huge wrap ups". Her life involves a floating in and out of just a few novels per YEAR. The beauty of reading is that it is personal. I've loved watching your journey (long time viewer), and I am so happy to see a different approach to literature here. Just sitting with the novels is an experience of it's own. My daughter reads just one-three pages at a time and lets her mind wander around. She can't fathom the bookish world that is so obsessed with finishing books when for her just reading a few pages is enough. Sometimes she returns to them, other times she puts them aside. Hugs to you for your honesty. I know it will help a LOT of viewers/readers/book lovers. Your "experience" with the novels is what keeps us viewers coming back. Your enthusiasm for literature and your gentle nature. It would be great to see you vlog reading books and not feeling pressure to finish them. You're AMAZING.

[@carleybarnes4365]

As someone who was diagnosed with a learning disability and in elementary school and struggled to keep up with my classmates I really liked this video. I can relate.

[@mithunsharma1803]

I too

[@Wild_Flower1997]

I have a mental health disorder and reading is difficult but it's my passion. I find you to be inspiring and strong. God bless you.

[@gritvoight]

It's good to see that I'm not alone! I started "Middlemarch" last year and tried soooo hard... but I stopped after 150 pages. Too many characters who have nothing to do, no real plot, boring as hell! The best thing about it was its cover (Penguin English Library - beautiful pink).

[@antigony8178]

Thanks Lucy for sharing the classics you've started. I'm usually a linear reader, but began Sense & Sensibility this year and got distracted and I don't have ADHD! I can only imagine how difficult it is for you to not get distracted and appreciate you sharing your process. Sounds like you're accepting how your brain works and how to work with your diagnoses. Of the books you mentioned, I've read and really enjoyed Mary Barton. Look forward to watching your Victober TBR - it's great to see you back on KZbin 🙂

[@freyabookishgamer]

I was diagnosed with high functioning autism and ADHD when I was about 5 or 6 years old. It wasn't until watching this video that made me realise I have a similar reading pattern to you. I never thought of it as being a trait of the autistic and ADHD mind. Don't give up with Middlemarch! It's not the easiest read but it is worth getting through it. It's such a great novel! Read a little at a time, and maybe read a guide alongside it. It will really help 🙂

[@lucythereader]

I feel like I've had to go back through every life experience I've ever had since my diagnoses, trying to understand how those experiences have been informed by the fact I'm neurodivergent. So it makes sense that reading would be affected, too - but I hadn't realised just how much it is! Lovely to know a fellow autistic/ADHDer! I definitely won't give up with Middlemarch! I'm desperate to finish it; hopefully soon!

[@an6596]

This video resonated so much with me, I also very much struggle with finishing books, even books I'm absolutely loving, and not just books but projects and tasks in general. I have around 15 books I've started, but haven't finished, there's even one I started in 2016 and I have 1 chapter left to finish, but for some reason I just never get around to it. I was diagnosed with autism a few months ago and on the one hand it has taken a weight off my shoulders, it has helped me understand myself and be kinder to myself when I struggle with things that seem so basic for others, on the other hand it can be frustrating to know that your brain works in mysterious ways. Anyways, thank you for posting this video and being so honest, I find it very encouraging to know I'm not alone. On a lighter note, since being diagnosed I've started to notice how much I instinctively seem to gravitate towards creators (and people in general) that are neurodivegent, even if I didn't realise it when I started watching, there must be some sort of neurodivegent radar or something 😅 Funnily enough one of my special interests is Jane Austen! My favourite book is Emma (I even named my cat Emma) I really recommend reading it if you're finding Sense and Sensibility hard to get through. Emma is funny, lighthearted and a entertaining, and the 2020 adaptation, though not completely faithful, captures the vibe of the book very well and the costumes and soundtrack are amazing! Ok, I will stop now, have a great day 😀

[@meghanthestorygirl4581]

I'm glad you're reading Mary Barton. Something happens about one third to one half of the way through that picks up the plot like crazy. I'd definitely keep reading 😊

[@justsomebunny]

i love henry james so my vote goes to that book! so glad to see you making videos again!

[@imaginativebibliophile549]

Lucy, I love how you are discussing the differences in your reading process like a mentor for those of us that are neurodivergent. Every neurodivergent reader and writer holds different experiences and I love how you explore that in such an authentic way. I have learned that I cannot pressure myself even when I am writing and I have never been able to force myself to meet a daily word count. I merely have to work around the way I view the challenges and remind myself that I have certain strengths because of my neurological wiring that can be used. As for reading, I often struggle to read only one book at a time and I may pick up another book if I feel like. I am incredibly intuitive in both reading and writing. There are so many books that I began reading, but could not yet finish and that is perhaps related to my ADHD. Something that comes with being autistic and ADHD is that I can fixate on my obsessions, my intense interests and passions. However, my neurodiversity also means that I can only follow my intuition and I find it arduous to focus on something if I am not presently in the mood. I am reading Emma by Jane Austen. I started reading the book on my flight back from India to the US. I read about six chapters and I am not able to constantly read it. I must say that Emma does not scare me in the same way it would have a few months ago because I allowed myself to read without fretting over not finishing it. Jane Austen’s books take me a long time to read and I spent months reading Pride and Prejudice and Northanger Abbey. I read Lady Susan in a few days, but I still need to read Persuasion, Mansfield Park, and Sense and Sensibility once I finish Emma. As for Charles Dickens, I was able to read A Christmas Carol and Great Expectations, but am having trouble finishing Oliver Twist and A Tale of Two Cities. It is most important to remember the joy of books and stories and simply enter these vivid worlds without fear. I love you

[@dianewalker9154]

Dickens is a deep difficult author to read, but when in the zone, he is a fantastic story teller. You really need to be in a correct frame of mind to take on Dickens. Middlemarch has been on my TBR goal for all of 2022. But other books pop up.

[@yasminchowdhury3909]

i leave a few books occasionally somewhere I get irritated at a turn or a change in a book or when my brain has just moved on ( I'm neurotypical. ) I just take a piece of paper and make a bookmark with it writing down everything that's happened. the themes and maybe a character I might end up forgetting that way you can feel like you don't need to go back and read the 100 pages you've already read. I love you're channel by the way

[@ecw199]

When I get stuck with a classic I definitely find listening to the audio book (which is usually available for free through your library) really, really helps.

[@nicolegarden2370]

Completely agree!

[@LuneFlaneuse]

Putting a timer really helps, that makes me focus more

[@dqan7372]

Last I checked I had 65 books on the go, just on my Kindle. When it comes to classics, Bradbury's "Under the Volcano" and Amis's "Lucky Jim" are definitely being read on a long schedule. And then there's Dickens. I know I finished "Pickwick Papers" and enjoyed it. I also finished "A Tale of Two Cities" and didn't enjoy it. I recall enjoying lectures on "Hard Times" but I couldn't tell you if I actually read it or not. I would have to start over with Dickens.

[@pavlinasyruckova3661]

I used to read books, enjoy them and then abandoning them later frequently in the past too. Not so much now, I think, but it still happens sometimes. I too recently started Sense and Sensibility, but I find it hard to focus on it, so I too plan to watch an adaptation (probably both the movie and the miniseries) first to get familiar with the story and then read the book. It's alright to watch the adaptation first, I do it frequently and I cannot remember reading any classic novel in English without knowing the story from an adaptation beforehand, because English is not my first language, so it makes twice as hard to focus on it.

[@ArtBookshelfOdyssey]

Mary Barton was one of the best books I read last year. The book really picks up about half way through or so. There's definitely a lot of story coming in it! Now I will almost always finish a book I start reading. But I will often read more than one at a time! So I'll read a certain number of pages or chapters from each book and just rotate through. I think one time I was reading about 10 books at the same time! That was a little much, LOL! Typically I can handle about 4-5 books at a time, especially if they are different genres.

[@YourTrueShelf]

I love the honesty and openness in this video 💛 thank you for sharing and for explaining how adhd affects reading. It's nice to know that you don't enjoy all the classic authors as well!

[@s.hopkins4490]

Middlemarch is a tricky one with 3 plots going on altogether. I have read it but only because I loved the mini series back in the 90s which launched Rufus Sewell’s career. He was perfection.

[@maisie5068]

I have about 100 books I've started but never finished, from across all genres. I'd never conntected that with ADHD, that's interesting! Some classics I've got on the TBF (to be finished) pile: Barnaby Rudge, Wuthering Heights, Oblomov, Lark Rise to Candleford, Wives and Daughters, Edogowa Ranpo's short story collection, 晩年, The Fortune of the Rougons, Across the Snow, A Journal of the Plague Year, Demian, The Flowers of Evil, ...

[@KierTheScrivener]

I love this! I have ADHD and always have thirty or more books I've started and never finished and I will get back to it's just not how my mind works

[@emiliepaquet5159]

Three years have passed between my reading of the first book in Middlemarch and reading the seven others. I picked it back up this year after having started it in 2019. I then decided I would read one book per week, so it took me seven weeks to finish it - it was an easier way for my brain to accept the length of it and not feel overwhelmed ;) The way George Eliot wrote Middlemarch feels very anti-climatic to our 21st-century minds, but all in all, I loved this book!

[@nawalm8223]

The mayor of casterbridge is one of my favourite classic books. And glad to hear that you too have problem finishing jane austen's novels, i thought it was only me 😊

[@jackiesliterarycorner]

I'm on the Spectrum myself, but I haven't thought about how it could effect my reading. The longer it is the more chance I'll put it down for long periods of time and I'll feel the need to assure my viewers I still love the book. I've been reading The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson for years and I have books that I have read all the way through within the time frame of a few years, but still can't read without putting them down. I also will feel the inspiration to pick up books even if I'm in the middle of another one.

[@femsfables]

This was such an interesting video! I'm currently reading Sense and Sensibility and although I'm enjoying it, it's definitely not my favorite Jane Austen novel. Mary Barton is very high on my tbr as well! I love Elizabeth Gaskell so much and am very curious about this one.

[@dianewalker9154]

Sense & Sensibility is my favorite Austen novel. Whenever I need to laugh, I’ll re-read Emma. It’s hilarious. Miss Bates one of my favorite characters. Miranda Hart as Miss Bates in the most recent Emma movie adaptation was truly brilliant.

[@ChristyLuisDostoevskyinSpace]

Sooo wonderful to hear that you are getting more comfortable with your own way of reading! Taking the pressure off can really help. I was recently diagnosed with anxiety and have realized that my problems focusing on reading stemmed largely from that.

[@helenrwaddington]

It took me ages to read “Emma” by Jane Austen so I understand exactly what you mean about her. Currently I’m struggling with “Tender is the Night” by F Scott Fitzgerald. Sometimes the reputations of these books/authors precedes them but it doesn’t necessarily make them books that are an easy read or one than keeps you captivated enough to keep wanting to finish them. Sometimes the only motivation in finishing them is to get them off your TBR list!

[@WordTrix1]

I love “Sense and Sensibility” - actually anything Jane Austen except “Emma.” I have also liked all of the Dickens I’ve read, including “Oliver Twist” and “A Tale of Two Cities.” “The Mayor if Casterbridge” was okay and I only got halfway through “Mary Barton” before setting it aside. Same with “Moll Flanders.” There are many classics in Mount TBR I’d like to get to that are daunting just based on page count.

[@donaldkelly3983]

Glad to see you back, Lucy. I've had problems finishing classics, which I am currently on the process of revisiting. At the moment, Jane Eyre is my project. I am one third done with, which is further than I got on my first try a decade ago. There is one Hardy novel I never finished, Far From the Madding Crowd. None of his other novels were trouble, but FFMC couldn't hold my interest. But that tome is next. You are not the only person unable to read Dickens! You will enjoy Portrait of a Lady, it takes awhile to get rolling, but then it carries you along! Never give up!

[@Nelle4ever]

I have way too many books I've started reading and I also put too many books on hold at the library and they become available at random times and it's a bit of a mess. I also got stuck reading Oliver Twist about 5 years ago or so. I think I need to go back to the beginning... But, thank you, your struggles help inspire me to analyze my reading habits.

[@lucislibrary2008]

Thanks for the new video, Lucy, and thank you for your honesty. I am not neurodivergent, but I find your honest facts about what you face an important thing to be discussed. Each person is different and will read differently and I like hearing about others reading habits. As I have aged I have found that I am happier reading more slowly and reading one book at a time. Reading one book at a time can help to ensure, for me, that I finish the book. After 50 or so pages, if I'm not into it, I DNF it and move on. Took a while for me to be okay with that, but it was either that or drive myself literally crazy, so now I DNF and don't look back. Right now I'm reading, finally, Far from the Madding Crowd, based on your recommendation in your video on Thomas Hardy. Best wishes, Lucy!

[@otherworldsthanthese]

You’ve come back to talking about classics just as I’ve started my English Lit A Level, so glad you’re making videos again 💙

[@lucythereader]

Good luck! I really miss English Lit A Level - I enjoyed it so much! Do you know which books you'll be reading yet?

[@CoriaTheBlue]

Thank you for sharing! I have also quite a few books I’ve started and haven’t finished for years😢 It’s good to know I’m not alone💕

[@ImogenValkyrie]

It's been normal for me to read more than one book in a day, or every day, but i tend to stay with those books. Let's say, now I am reading Middlemarch, but I'm also reading Confession of an English Opium Eater. I stay between these two books until one of them is finished, then i will pick another book.

[@JodieTheReader]

Soooo happy to see another video from you :) you bring so much joy for so many people. Thank you for coming back. I also have quite a few on the go usually.

[@KJ-yh9uy]

I find it really hard reading Charles Dickens and Jane Austen books too. I have read two of their books each but find others hard to read .I have dyslexia and dyspraxia so some books just take longer to read. Great video and so nice to see you back making videos.

[@jmsl910]

i have a TBF pile: to be finished!

[@Raindrop2424]

Great video 😊 I’ve started Northanger Abbey about 2 years ago. And read like almost 60% but haven’t really continued in over a year. Not because I don’t like it but simply because it’s hard to read in English as a non native speaker and since it’s written in a different style due to the time. But I really want to continue. Maybe it’s my autumn book this year.

[@madyjune]

I have many unfinished classic novels on my bookshelf including Mary Barton and Anna Karenina. I think the book edition is one of the reasons why I can't finish reading them. I have high myopia so I can't concentrate when the print is small in Wordsworth edition. I think I will try to finish reading them on my Kindle.

[@jannickehansen5645]

I loved Middlemarch!

[@someonesomewhere1100]

TBF!! I have way too many of those 🤣 I have severe adhd and I related to this too much. To me it's about the journey but never the finish line haha Edit: listening to audiobooks while I read is a literal life changer.

[@misskimmy4040]

Great video Lucy, I am also reading Sense and sensibility. It takes me quite a while to read through a classic, I like to take my time and really get everything out of it xx

[@logann-mackenziefroste563]

Awesome vlog! You totally described my brain and reading. I also have adhd and I have dyslexia as well.

[@SimplyBeautiful516]

Middlemarch is worth every moment! And worth the effort!

[@MissSunita04]

I love Charles Dickens, but I couldn't finish Hard Times either, so I officially DNF'ed it. I'm going to read The Mayor of Casterbridge for Victober this year, since it's the group read :) I'm usually a very linear reader, but I do have a pile of unfinished books bc I'm such a mood reader. Sometimes I start books and then realise a couple chapters in that I'm not in the mood, so I abandon them 🙃

[@july3817]

So I'm neurotypical as far as I know, but I still have the habit of reading and enjoying a book and then putting it away for months or even a year. However, for me it's probably because either the book is too hard and my mind would like something easier or I'm just not in the mood for reading/too distracted with other stuff. I "handled" this by going through my unread books once in a while and finishing them. Usually I have like under 4 unfinished books which are often quite short so it's not a huge deal. If I am still not in the mood for it, I won't force myself to read them. I currently have "to the lighthouse" on my pile, but that will probably take me a while because of the writing style.

[@CottonCandy635]

Mary Barton is one of my favourite books and I love it even more than North and South. I have also read Middlemarch and it is well worth the read (even though some sections are tough to get through).

[@scarlettgray]

I have so many books I've started and not finished too. I read about 5 books at a time. I like to dip in and out of them. How is university going?

[@AbiofPellinor]

Middlemarch is huge and it'll be *such* an achievement to finish it!

[@PockyAndPinatas]

Great video Lucy! 😊 And I can relate so much to starting a book and then not picking it up again for months, even though I'm really loving the story, and also not watching the last episode of a TV show too. I think for me personally it's a combination of me losing interest quickly but also not wanting a book or show to end, so I can still wonder about how it will end and stay in that story world

[@janetsmith8566]

I don’t have ADHD but I have had the same thing happen to me mentally with some of those titles. Especially Middlemarch. I’ve read the same number of pages twice and both times stop about a third of the way in. I’m going to try try again this Victober.

[@bugsby4663]

I am glad it's not just me. It took me months to read Pride & Prejudice although I quite enjoyed it. Maybe I should listen to an audio book of it. Dickens is tough to start but once about a third of the way through, it's great.

[@dianewalker9154]

Haha. I know what you mean about Portrait of a Lady! But I’m proud to say I finally got completely through the book this year!!

[@lucythereader]

Well done!! What did you think of it?

[@logann-mackenziefroste563]

I also can’t read Jane Austen books. I saw that Sense & Sensibility film with Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman is really good. I still haven’t read the book. I also can only get into books after I have seen the film or series.

[@karenbird6727]

I completely agree with you on the Emma Thomspon/Alan Rickman movie for Sense and Sensibility.

[@dianewalker9154]

What about trying audiobook versions of the ones that may be a challenge to you as a physical book?

[@the_bookish_took5348]

SAME. We need a Reader's Anonymous! Is there such a thing? (Also love yelling at a character and telling them not to do things 😂) Hi I'm the bookishtook and here's my confession: I've been having a hard time reading though I am enjoying what I do read. It's always my goal to try to read one book at a time...and somehow I'll end up in the middle of five or so, and not finish a series even though I really want to, and then there's still that other one that I started and always meant to get back to, only to drop everything else to fly through an entirely different book in a single day. Whew. What's your story?

[@theresas709]

On Goodreads, my currently reading is at 15. I start books and don't get them done and a new month comes with a whole new set of books and I leave the one I was reading and start new.

[@miti203]

Just a thought about why you leave the last episode ect. Maybe without being aware of it you are trying to prolong the enjoyment by delaying the end. If you finish it then you have to morn it’s end. I know I can relate to that reasoning! Btw I’m 85 pages into my first Brontë (Shirley!) because of your recommendation ❤️

[@terrysbookandbiblereviews]

I can relate I have started multiple books in 2024 and would love to finish them all but not sure where to start…😬

[@kristenp6547]

War and Peace is the book that I keep putting down. Having read Anna Karenina (after 3 tries) and loving it, I have high hopes for War and Peace. Generally I read one book at a time, but I'm trying to be kind to myself. I don't want reading to feel like a chore.

[@nickknight5373]

I'd recommend Juliet Stevenson's very thoughtful and sensitive reading of Middlemarch as possibly an easier way to get through the book. And poor Mr. Casaubon! No one wants him to get married - it's not his fault he's not a hunky Belgian action hero textiles manufacturer.

[@SimplyBeautiful516]

I understand your reluctance to keep reading Sense and Sensibility. I truly adore and admire almost all of Austen’s novels, but this is the one I really cannot tolerate. I’m not sure what happened to her during the writing of this book.

[@Scottlp2]

I also have ADHD and can relate eg not watching the last episode of TV series. For books, I’d say be kind to yourself eg ask yourself do I really enjoy a book? If not, don’t worry about finishing it. If you do really enjoy it, then try picking one such book and try not reading anything else till you finish it.

[@benyaminemami7170]

Fantastic

[@martinelanglois3158]

There are a few series of books that I started and really enjoyed but have not finished yet. Why? I think I loved them too much and didn't want the pleasure of reading them to end. I realize now that I can always start over and it will be never ending.

[@lucythereader]

Yes, I have that too! I always hate coming to the end of my favourite series - and I have such a tricky time re-reading them because I don't want to experience the feeling of grief at having to say goodbye to my favourite characters all over again. I can relate!

[@noteworthyfiction]

Middlemarch, the struggle is real. I have to be honest that's the one book that I've read recently that I've dnf'd 3 times. I majored in 18th century British Lit in college and have since read many Victorian novels including George Eliot. I'm not a fan of her writing style at all. I don't think it's you struggling to read her, I think she's a struggle to read. Just my opinion. Don't apologize for how you read. Just do you!

[@zubaerchaudhari8267]

Hello

[@Maddiexz]

It took me a month to read 100 pages of great expectations and I havint touched it since 🤦‍♀️ classics are a little harder for me to read lol

[@steveg3981]

Focus on Hardy and Dickens. You'll get more bang for your buck😀

[@kendenta2207]

What is fastenating with Henry James Portrait is that the lady in the beginning of the book is referenced as "her" "she" "the lady" or "the girl". Several pages in she's Isabelle and I thought a new character entered the room and much later on she's referred to Miss Archer. Ok. Who's that? There all the same person. Perhaps Mr. James deliberately wrote the text that way to get us involved in his story. Another point is the usage of the word CLEVER. A circle of ladies and men at times wonders if a certain girl is clever enough to marry or clever enough to speak properly or to be heard or understood. What I also enjoy reguarding 19th century classics is the majority of people seem to be bred from a sense of a polite society. Well mannered and calm. They speak of no ill will. Their agenda for drama within the story line breezes in just patiently enough to explain what a girl wants or needs. And those social gatherings or parties can be mind boggling. 5 to 10 people in a room. Who is who and how they are related. And addressing everyone in full names. I enjoy all aspects of that wonderful era. Ken

[@brielambley3466]

I didnt enjoy Sense and Sensibility I found Marianne too annoying! I liked Persuasion but I would rather watch one of the Austen adaptations than read the actual books. Maybe try Silas Marner by George Eliot its much shorter and quite a sweet story. And please try audiobooks for classics - most libraries have services where you can get audiobooks for free, or there is a free online library of public domain classic audiobooks called libravox that is very good.

[@mithunsharma1803]

You never replied my comment

[@freyabookishgamer]

I wouldn't take it personally. If you scroll through the comments on this video she hasn't replied to anyone. I believe she does read the comments but some creators don't reply for a number of reasons

[@lucythereader]

I do read them all - hello! - it's just very difficult for me to reply to them. I can barely keep up with replying to friends' private messages, and I can get overwhelmed quite easily. I'm going to have a day soon where I try to reply to as many as I can across both of my latest videos!

[@mithunsharma1803]

@@lucythereader nevermind sister