Earlier this spring I put up a list of shame, naming the books sitting unread on my shelf. No, I have not yet read a single one of those books, poor things. Instead, I am here to heap further shame on my head by now listing the books on my shelf that I had started but never finished.
Unfinished Tales—An appropriate title to begin with. I don’t remember what I’ve read and where I left off, it has been such a long time since I’ve picked this up. But I believe I stopped reading because I was discouraged by the stories being—as the title indicates—unfinished.
A man called Intrepid—a book about the legendary William Stephenson, written by another (unrelated) William Stevenson. The enigmatic ‘Intrepid’, his secret agent training camp hidden in the forests of Canada, and his role in fighting against the Axis, all sounds like a fascinating story. But I remember the writing being a tad dry, and I suppose I was too young for it at the time.
History of the Franks—Also another book I was probably too young for at the time. I had trouble figuring out what on earth was going on.
The Canterbury Tales—I feel pretty bad about this one. Not only is this a historical classic I feel I ought to read, but I’ve discovered that this is one of those travelling books I’m supposed to read and then pass on to someone else. Thing is, this version keeps all the Middle English. It’s a lot of work to try and figure out the translation on my own, only to flip to the guide at the back and find I’ve been reading it wrong. But it’s also incredibly cool, and truth be told, I’ve been putting off finishing it because I don’t want to give it away.
The Silmarillion—The book that inspired this post, if I remember right. I gave this one a valiant effort, taking it up three times… and putting it down three times. I was doubly shamed, not only to leave the book unfinished, but to find that I wasn’t as much of a Lord of the Rings nerd as I thought I was.
And yet, I am not entirely without redemption. Ussher’s Annals of the World is another book I’ve partway abandoned (especially since I lost the book mark, which was horrible). But (Lord willing) I will pick it up again in the next few days… starting from the beginning.
To be a Shennachie 
Don’t feel too bad about not finishing the Silmarillion haha. I love the story of LOTR, but I don’t think I could get through that one XD
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Thank you, I feel better knowing that I can still love LOTR without having to love every other thing related to it.
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That travelling copy of Canterbury Tales sounds so neat!
I also have way too many of this particular category on my List of Shame… I have read The Silmarillion, though! (I’m kind of proud of this, not gonna lie. XD) Do you remember what point you gave up at? My aunt gave up the first time she tried to read it, and I’m curious if it’s at the same place.
Annals of the World sounds REALLY interesting, especially since literally all I know about James Ussher is his calculation of the age of the earth and I imagine he wrote a lot of more interesting things, especially being a clergyman and all! I wish you luck!
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Perhaps it will find its way to you, one day… if I ever decide to read and release it.
(That is something worth boasting about, I think!) If I remember right, I stopped reading after somebody’s mother was killed by a poisoned spear. Dreadful as this sounds, at that dramatic scene I realised I didn’t care.
Annals of the World IS interesting! The whole calculations of calendars is a little too cerebral for me, but I love all the fascinating old histories. I don’t know about Ussher’s other works, though.
Thank you!
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