Catch 22 by Joseph Heller

Joseph Heller’s satirical novel is based around a group of airmen in WWII Italy grappling with red tape, and is deliberately absurd and nonsensical in style. Its comic depiction of bureaucratic madness sees fans herald it as exhilarating; life-changing, even. But not everyone can get their head around the use of humour, let alone the sometimes abrupt narrative, along with a dizzying cast of more than 50 characters. Time will tell whether George Clooney’s much-anticipated TV adaptation inspires a new generation of readers.

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The Casual Vacancy by J. K. Rowling

J.K. Rowling’s first foray into adult fiction sold over two million copies before it was even released. Based around rising tensions in a close-knit country community, the story is an obvious departure from the world of Hogwarts. Given Rowling’s peerless skills as a writer, a high drop-off rate is likely the result of readers who brought it on the author alone – in fruitless search of some Harry Potter magic.

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The Lord Of The Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien

J. R. R. Tolkien’s fantasy epic ranks among the top bestselling fiction of all time, having shifted over 150 million copies worldwide. But coming in at 576,459 words, devouring it is not a feat for the faint-hearted. Even fellow writers are divided when it comes to assessing the merits of this other-worldly fable of good vs evil. W. H. Auden described it as a “masterpiece” in a glowing assessment for the New York Times in 1956, while, writing the same year, American critic Edmund Wilson felt it was “balderdash”. Evidently, modern-day readers are similarly divided.

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Fifty Shades Of Grey by EL James

The bondage bonkbuster is the fastest selling paperback of all time, and made author EL James an overnight sensation – as well as one of the world’s most influential authors. But clearly, not all readers can stomach the full lowdown on Christian and Anastasia’s BDSM antics. Unfinished business here has the telltale signs of those who want to know what the excitement is about but then don’t last the 514 page count. But hey, at least their curiosity gave the book sales industry a much-needed boost.

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Ulysses by James Joyce

James Joyce’s most famous work is notoriously difficult to read. Surely no other book has quite so many articles dedicated to how to make your way through it – and yet is still considered a masterpiece. Written as a modern parallel to Homer’s Odyssey, Ulysses is stylistically florid, with dense streams of consciousness and throwbacks to Chaucerian English. The events of the book all take place around Dublin over the course of just one day; but it may take rather longer for you to digest them.

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The top 10 reads bookworms start but rarely finish, for those in need of a challenge