Day 18: A Book That Disappointed You

The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe

I read this because the main character in Jane Austens ‘Northanger Abbey’ was obessed with reading gothic horror novels and this one was her favorite. So I went in with high hopes because I like me some gothic horror but I did’t account for the different time periods that Catherine and I live in. What was riveting for her was boring and meandering and the much anticipated gothic horror only took up less than 30 pages of a reaaaaalllllly long book. Most of the book is more like a melancholic travel log with the main character being utterly passive for the most part.

It took me literal years to finish it because I could’t read more than 2 pages at the same time in this bible sized font of a 670 page book. I’m still proud of myself for soldiering on and finishing it, but it also taught me that if I don’t like something to just quit reading or watching it and not just keep suffering because of me being such a completist.

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    That reminds me of trying to read Les Miserables in high school. I still haven’t finished it. I did however plod through all of The Hunchback of Notre Dame just to find out that Disney lied to me about everything. 😂

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      Try Les Mis again – I actually really enjoyed it, which I was not expecting. (I may have skimmed a little over some of the Waterloo sections)

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    Well done on finishing. I gave up the struggle 😂

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