A Picky Reader

[Whosis]

I was wondering, does anyone else out there have points where they can't seem to find any good books to read?

This could manifest itself with age, for example, when children's literature no longer seems approachable. I found this out when I read A Wrinkle in Time in high school. I think for me, being able to write my own story or poem makes me pick apart what others have written, and I think the process of creation can be more fun than being drilled with what someone else has written, especially when one has an idea of how he would have written it.

I recently turned to poetry, thinking maybe it would be different, that the limited amount of lines would require writers to put more work into it. Alas, I find it difficult to read through a lot of it too. I've already read through a lot of the great modern literature like John Steinbeck's and Ernest Hemingway's greatest novels, so its measly pickings sometimes.

So I was wondering, how have you come to points where you've been frustrated with the quality of books you can find, and what have you done to find better reading--with or without success? And, are there any writers or writing you've been able to find who/that are consistently appealing?

[mal4mac]

How are you trying to find books?

With modern literature, I used to take newspaper reviews & prizes seriously. I foolishly thought that a good review in a broadsheet, or winning a prize, would mean that the novel must be good. Now I think it's, usually, old college chums giving each other prizes, however mediocre the old chum.

A good starting point for recommendations, I've found, is "The Top Ten" edited by J. Pedar Zane. This lists the top ten picks of 125 leading writers, and produces an ordered list of 544 books. I'm slowly working my way down the list and it hasn't really failed me yet. The only ones I've skipped are there for good reasons (I suppose...) and you'll know whether you want to skip them or not - Proust, Ulysses, The Bible...

Another approach I take is to borrow "likely candidates" from the library new shelf. This has resulted in some good finds, but I may be fortunate in having a librarian with good taste. That said, I also have to apply further filters - reading the first few pages, Google search for *all* reviews,... Even if they meet my stringent standards for borrowing many still fail the 50 page test!

I haven't found a modern writer who I find consistently appealing, in the way that Conrad, Hardy, and Dickens are consistently appealing. Does Steinbeck remain consistently appealing? I've read his "three best known works" and they are consistently great IMHO. I just borrowed "East of Eden" from that library new shelf... hope he keeps it up...

My favourite modern writer is Ishiguro, but I don't find him consistent. For me, he goes from unreadable (The Unconsoled), to good (Never Let Me Go), to so great I want to cry (An Artist of the Floating World).

[kev67]

In the past I have had trouble finding books I wanted to read. Mainly, I just found an author I liked and read all his or her books. Now there are so many books I would like to read if I had the time.

[luhsun]

I believe sometimes the right book will find you (figuratively speaking). I went through a phase reading everything i could get hold of in a rural secondary school library. Then got caught up with our equivalent of o and a level exams(science stream, so no time for literature). Then spent my preclinical years reading shaw, wilde ,keats, romance of the 3kingdoms etc. Then busy passing exams and earning a living. Now hopefully, can do a bit more reading before 'palsy shakes a few, sad, last gray hairs'.
Maybe those who make a living in the field of literature read nonstop.. others like me have spurts and dry seasons, and hopefully, if i can paraphrase emily:
Sweet Love of youth, forgive, if I forget thee,
While the world's tide is bearing me along;
Other desires and other hopes beset me,
Hopes which obscure, but cannot do thee wrong!

[Whosis]

I found East of Eden to be enjoyable the whole way through. The Winter of Our Discontent was not so good, so it interrupted my trust in an author I usually read. I often read a lot of the same books by an author I like. I'll have to try your list out, mal4mac, but I have done lists before, particularly the one that rates Ulysses, The Great Gatsby, A Portrait..., and then others.

[mal4mac]

Have you read all of Dickens? I would rate ten of his novels better than Grapes of Wrath, even though I find it difficult to find a better novel post-Dickens. What about Saul Bellow? After reading a few of his novels, I think he's up there with Steinbeck. I recently started a systematic read-through by devouring Bellow's first two novels, which I found first rate. The same goes for Philip Roth, but I'll be a bit more picky there (his experimental stuff sounds a bit iffy, e.g "The Breast...")

[Whosis]

Great Expectations is mainly what I've read by Dickens, which may not have lived up to my expectations. I'll have to look into Saul Bellow. Steinbeck has simply been a personal favorite of mine.

[mal4mac]

Great Expectations is mainly what I've read by Dickens, which may not have lived up to my expectations. I'll have to look into Saul Bellow. Steinbeck has simply been a personal favorite of mine.

I always give a novelist a second chance. What was it about Great Expectations that you didn't like? It isn't my favourite Dickens novel, in fact it's my 8th favourite. "David Copperfield" is my favourite.

[luhsun]

Great expectations is my favourite charles dickens book ever since i was a teenager. I somewhat admired biddy when i was Hwo Thumb's age, well, heck, i had a crush on her. Growing older, i liked jaggers and then estella. Now that i am old and cranky, i liked magwitch best. A tale of 2 cities comes a distant second. Yes, why do you dislike g.e.?

[cacian]

I am a picky reader I find many books to be very depressing. it is very rare these days to find a book I would get my teeth into,

[mal4mac]

Great expectations is my favourite charles dickens book ever since i was a teenager. I somewhat admired biddy when i was Hwo Thumb's age, well, heck, i had a crush on her. Growing older, i liked jaggers and then estella. Now that i am old and cranky, i liked magwitch best. A tale of 2 cities comes a distant second. Yes, why do you dislike g.e.?

I didn't say I disliked it, it's just a long way from being my favourite Dickens novel. I think you highlight the main problem with it - it is difficult to like any of the characters. But, that said, the characters are certainly memorable and interesting.

[luhsun]

Question directed to whosis. Sorry for the confusion

[Whosis]

Reading it for school during the school year doesn't necessarily help. Although I liked the two characters in The Last Five Years, the presence of only about three characters in the novel Great Expectations is disparaging. I also had a feeling that the main character had a hard time moving on from the girl in the book, which does not happen quite as severely for me. I think the old woman was too reprehensible or unnecessary for me. It seems like she should be there to function as some sort of symbol, but I'm not so sure of that. There's not much plot in the book. It also bothers me that the girl is somewhat of a flat character without her own aspirations, unlike the protagonist. She doesn't seem to want anything. This is particularly unforgivable if it's the protagonist. I think Dicken's style is difficult for me. The part of David Copperfield I read that I was assigned was a little interesting, but I still feel weighed down because his sentences are so long. I admit I had tried to emulate this style early as a writer, but it is difficult when every sentence is compound-complex. Does that answer your question? There are unfortunately a lot of reasons for me not to like it, but I think it's okay if you like it. Dickens is one of the greats.

[stlukesguild]

Great Expectations is mainly what I've read by Dickens, which may not have lived up to my expectations.

That quite likely may be your entire problem. You are approaching a work of art with certain expectations or preconceived notions about what they are or "should" be.

[Lykren]

It isn't possible to read a book without having preconceptions of some kind regarding it.

[Yaur]

I've long since passed the point where I could get anything like a good recomendation out of my social circle. My go to places for who to read next:
http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/
http://www.modernlibrary.com/top-100/100-best-novels/
http://thisrecording.com/today/2009/8/3/in-which-these-are-the-100-greatest-writers-of-all-time.html

I also follow up on influncers/authors mentioned by people I enjoy.

A friend from "book club" rescued a copy of 1001 books to read before you die from the trash and I flip through that if I get desperate.

Its certainly not 100% but I try to go into everything with an open mind and expectations tempered by the fact that I have really disliked books people are gaga over and enjoy some books that friends struggle to get through. It works well enough to keep me using this strategy, but am always looking for new inputs for the selection process. If anyone has a list they think is better, especially one that isn't weighted so heavily towards English + European classics I would love to see it.