Agreed. That being said i don't particularly enjoy any of Austen's novels. I actually gave up reading 'Sense and Sensibility' in preparation for university, but was forced to read it recently for a final year module.Originally Posted by lakeside_girl
I must admit that one book i always remember failing to finish was in fact 'Catch 22', and whilst i persevered and completed 'Moby Dick' i am definitely in agreement that it is a terribly trying read.
"If you prick us, do we not bleed?"
This was not my first time reading it, and I did not care for it the first time I read it. The second time I liked it even less. It just does not meet with my personal taste.
And I do not think we mean the same thing by "painful" it was painful for me to read becasue it was a drag and just went on and on about the same thing over and over. I got the point in the first parapgrah, it did not need to go on for a whole chapter.
The first time I read it my mind kept wandering, and I would just check back in every once in a while to see it was still talking about hell and sin, and than let my thoughts drift again.
Last edited by Dark Muse; 05-17-2008 at 07:53 PM.
Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before. ~ Edgar Allan Poe
Right now I am quite tempted to say A Portrait of the Artist as a Yong Man, becasue this is my second time reading it, having to read it now for school. And the frist time I read it I did not particuarly enjoy it becasue I really did not care about the character of Steven at all, and I was not drawn into the story.
And now I am currently trying to get through Chapter 3, which is just absolutely painful, becasue it is basicaly just an entire sermon written word for word, of a priest rambling on and on and on about the same thing for a ridiculous amount of pages, when really I got the point in the first couple of paragrahs.
Of course the argument could be made that art isn't merely about "getting the point". Certainly we could have "got the point" of War and Peace or In Search of Lost Time in far fewer words than were expended by the writers... but art isn't about "getting the point"... its not something that can be reduced to a definition or a mere menu.
Beware of the man with just one book. -Ovid
The man who doesn't read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them.- Mark Twain
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Yes that is true, but I just did not think it was nesscary to the story to have word for word an entire sermon. Particuarly when most of it was just repeating the same thing. So no new information was being imparted, it was the same idea and much of the same words just arranged in different ways for several pages.
Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before. ~ Edgar Allan Poe
Weekend In Paris - chick literature. I don't see how it's possible for any classic to be the worst book someone has read unless s/he has only read nothing but classics in his/her life.
Despite the snow,
Despite the falling snow.
Frankenstein by Shelley...
i couldn't even finish it.
Find your dream and stick with it...or your life will have slipped past in a whisper with you still on the bottom.
That is a surprising choice, I rather enjoyed it myself
Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before. ~ Edgar Allan Poe
I remember Nobel Laurette Wole Soyinka's "The Interpreters". It is a very difficult read. But they say it is a great work. Try it for yourself.
I have come back from my mission,
Across seven seas and seven deserts
Above mountains high above the clouds
Far from shores of Motherland
Bombs away - ordinance delivered,
Mission accomplished.
Severed limbs, smashed heads, torsos flying
Wailing, mothers searching, blinded
Children shrieking, groping
Fathers mourning, bitter, swearing, upwards pointing.
I have come back from my mission,
To the accolade of the Big Man,
To the gratitude of country.
Nightmares, cold sweat –
Who will calm the turmoil in my soul?
Mother! Mother! Who will calm the turmoil of my soul?
I have come back from my mission,
To the accolade of the Big Man,
To the gratitude of country.
??????
hmmm, am a big fan of frankenstein too...
Antiquarian: I agree, The Kite Runner was poorly written! It bothered me the entire time, but I made it through the book because it was a simple read, but also I found that for me, the story was strong/heavy enough to pull me to the end. It still had an impact on me, but was by no means fulfilling.
I've never gotten around to finding out for myself, but I wonder if this novel was originally written in English or not, or what Hosseini's background with the English language is? Perhaps something was lost in translation... does anyone have any info on that?
Also, I am curious about your adjective - "purple" prose! I've never heard that before but it seems to work! Why did you choose to describe it that way?
Last edited by ThousandthIsle; 05-19-2008 at 12:11 PM. Reason: typo!
Twilight by Stephanie Meyer, I don't see what the rave is about. It's poorly written and the characters just fantasize about each other. Oh also, Madame Bovary and The Awakening. Both books are dreadfully dull and pointless. I sense that I'm not liking a certain plot.
All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages.
~ William Shakespeare
I just began reading Madame Bovary, and though it is too soon for me to really judge. It is true that so far, nothing has really jumped out at me in the book
Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before. ~ Edgar Allan Poe
I definitely agree with you there. I can't remember the main character's name, but his courtship/marriage with his wife made me squeamish... It was definitely overly sentimental for a romance I could not care about. He was not a likable character, and I think his relationship with his wife made my stomach turn because I myself would have recoiled from someone like him. But she seemed to love him just the way he desired her to regardless.
Right now I like her, but I will see what happens as the story progressess as there has not been that much of her yet, as I just got to the part where he fianlly praposed.
Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before. ~ Edgar Allan Poe
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