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"The portrait of a lady" was a pretty pointless book for me. Whatever it was that the heroine realized at the end made no difference, as she chooses to act as if she didn't know any better, so... And it was so obnoxious too with all that complicated style and long sentences that never delivered anything worthwhile. A common story said in an awfully long and worded way.
If you haven't read The Metamorphosis, you must. It's Kafka at his best, and the best example of emotions physically manifesting.Quote:
Originally Posted by grotto
The Foreshadowing by Marcus Sedgwick - the synopsis was very interesting for my taste, but when I started reading it, I slowly began to dislike it. Through the beginning, I have speculated probable ideas in my mind of what the ending might be, then by the time near the climax, I just knew where it was going. I closed the book, hid it at the back of my shelf and never again let it see the light of day.
I was very disappointed. I even wished I haven't bought it. The story was a complete failure. It was predictable, the one you would label as typical. I want twists. Every book I read is expected to make me impressed and say, 'I didn't see that coming!' and 'wow!'. That book didn't even make me say anything at all! I haven't even discussed it with any of my friends and family. I won't recommend it to anyone.
Wagner the Werewolf, by Reynolds.
If you are even vaguely curious, if you see it in the discount bin, if you want to find out for yourself why the man defines "penny dreadful" and decide to read it...
Do yourself a favour and just don't. Trust me.
I am, unfortunately, afflicted with the common ailment of being a teenager. Thanks to well meaning, teachers, parents, friends, and librarians I have been subjected to reading books made for teenagers. My least favourites thus far have been "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" (a story in which half of the girls lose their virginity and nothing is accomplished) and the Twilight series (Buffy the Vampire episodes that not only steal their plot lines from great literature but even quote the books they steals from.) I've given up on reading books written for my age group and am sticking literary classics.
Probably Jeam M.Auel's Clan of the Cave Bear (Earth's Children) series. The first book was neat, just to learn about plant properties, but also incredibly improbable. The heroine, Ayla, could not possible have invented as much as she did, and also be single handedly responsible for the domestication of both wolves and horses. After the first book, every single other book is just caveman pornography... and repetetive caveman pornography, at that!
There just seems to be no greater point to the story. It's all empty description, and sex, and jealousy.
Nobody said The Old Man and the Sea. I,however, did enjoy it, but I'm not sure why.
What's the point of A Farewell to Arms? Is there one?! Curse you Hemingway!
I think you will agree that "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" should get full marks as an original title, but I am curious to know how you can claim that nothing is accomplished in the story when half of the girls loose their virginity.Quote:
Originally Posted by Reread
I think you can wring a point from any novel. Even if that point is to not have a point.
It is interesting that so many people have mentioned The Great Gatsby and Catcher in the Rye because these were the first two books that popped into my head when I started reading this thread. I'm not surprised by Hemingway being mentioned so much either (read one of his for the first time recently).
But I think the book that I felt most cheated by when I finished it and left me exclaming, "What?...Why?...Why?...I don't understand!!!" has to be Wuthering Heights.
The Old Man and the Sea. Title pretty much describes the story.
I don't get all the praise for Hemingway..
What's the most pointless book I've ever read? The Brothers Karamazov, which I re-read several years ago and completely failed to get any point or message out of it. This was a bit surprising to me because I have a BA in English Lit & read & liked a lot of Russian literature in college, but I guess it's easier for some of us to like literature that we're studying and not just reading on our own. Except for D.H. Lawrence that is, I had to read one of his crappy novels for some English course and totally hated it. I can't even remember which one it was, which is fine by me.
I'm also surprised to find out that not everyone loves The Great Gatsby and Catcher in the Rye as much as I do. Maybe I've been leading too sheltered a life these days. Anyways, The Great Gatsby certainly makes my "Top Ten American Novels" list.
:lol:Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian Bean
Factotum by Charles Bukowski...but a strange thing- after finishing that i thought that's it...i'm never gonna read any Bukowski again(factotum was my first by the way)...but now i miss Chinaski....i think i'm gonna read another pointless book by him soon...
and Tarantula by Bob Dylan....Although he is my favorite songwriter, that book was a torment...