My dad liked the book but it really didn't appeal to me, primarily because of the ridiculous way that that and the extract I read from Ulysses was written. If they count as great literature, I'm counting Mr Men along with them.Originally Posted by Inderjit Sanghe
Uncle Tom's Cabin.
Despite the snow,
Despite the falling snow.
The Scarlet Letter. Toilet paper is better than that piece of crap.
Singing Frog > World
are you serious about this? I don't think it's just a piece of crap or some kind of a toilet paper(even though this is not one my favorite classic, I just can't consider this as a toilet paper as you do).. I totaly disagree with this.
"The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function. One should, for example, be able to see that things are hopeless and yet be determined to make them otherwise."
-- F. Scott Fitzgerald
Even if the poster is serious, the criticism clearly is not.are you serious about this? I don't think it's just a piece of crap or some kind of a toilet paper(even though this is not one my favorite classic, I just can't consider this as a toilet paper as you do).. I totaly disagree with this.
Perhaps toilet paper was too harsh.
Let's just say I would rather read one of the modern best sellers than that book. And if all books were written like that one, I would completely give up reading.
On second thought, never mind, I did mean what I said. At least toilet paper has some use.
Singing Frog > World
Serious criticism about the book? sure.
That book felt like a daytime tv soap opera. At no point was I touched by anything in that book. It was not insightful, it was poorly written, the author would've done better to just write an essay. It had no artistic value, it was insufferably didactic, and soon after reading that book I dropped the class that had assigned that as a reading assignment.
The teacher actually tried to defend the book, and it really all came out absurdly funny, she even wore a damn scarlet letter t shirt, and after that, nobody really took the class seriously anymore.
As opposed to books that inspire people to become involved in literature, that book repels people away from it. Had I not read a good number of books that are worth something by that point, I probably would've not wanted anything to do with literature with the rest of my life.
I mean, really, can there be a shallower book with more pathos.
The book is not worth anything. I can't think of a good writer who was truly influenced by that book. I dismiss most of American Fiction. The ones I don't dismiss were written by American writers not influenced by that book. It is useless. It has no value (at least no positive value) to it.
And really, that's the only classic I would say that about. I dislike many other classics, but that book is really a waste of paper.
On second thought maybe it has some value. It could be shown to people so they wouldn't write or think like that.
Singing Frog > World
Keep in mind that all these are my opinions, very strong perhaps, but I did not look to to incite an argument, although the toilet paper comment might suggest otherwise. That was not an exaggeration, nor was there any purpose behind that statement. But after all these forums are for discussions, although from the looks of it I doubt either one of us will be convinced by each other. But, here goes nothing.
The Scarlet letter is pathos, it is extremely dramatic over nothing. Had I not read introduction/author's background I would've thought that the author indeed wrote this book to mock a similar type of work. But the author was serious. That pretty much explains the soap opera comparison.
Certainly all fiction are written with ideas behind them, but this book almost shoved them down your throat. Sentences were just shortcuts to get to the next idea. After finishing it one feels like it was an essay, and not a novel. The book almost has a holier-than-thou air, it was making itself seem more important than it really was, at every opportunity. Flipping through the pages you can sense an unbearable smugness.
It was poorly written in that, the characterizations were completely ludicrous. They are nothing more than symbols. The plot itself was outrageous, and the storytelling was, essentially, boring. The story was simply unreadable, and it was unreadable with no purpose. The ideas it tried so damn hard to express were shallow. It was not touching at any point. A play is less dramatic than this book. Nothing in it was profound, nothing in it was interesting. I almost laughed after finishing the book. I looked at is a joke.
Anyhow you probably will disagree with all of this, as I can see your Henry James sig, and from that have a good idea of what school of literature you're interested in studying.
And let's just say there's a small chance of me ever taking that type of writing seriously, and leave it at that.
And we could go back and forth about this, but I doubt you would want to. You would most likely dismiss me as an idiot after reading that post, perhaps be enraged by it or scoff at it, but, I still maintain that The Scarlet Letter is the worst classic, and perhaps the worst book I have ever read. I do not think that it should be considered literature, and its value to me is even lower than a best seller.
And now I have business to attend to, but I would revisit this page when I have time, if you do indeed want to continue this discussion, although I see little purpose in doing that.
Singing Frog > World
I have learned that my tastes have changed over the years. The first time I read Tess of the d'Urbervilles I hated it. I couldn't even finish it. That was in high school. I read it again in college, and I enjoyed it. The same with The Great Gatsby. Ulysses was probably my least favorite classic so far just because the footnotes that go with the book are about five inches thick. When you have to read a footnote for each line of prose, it's too tedious to enjoy.
Boy are you in the wrong place. I see your new to the forum so welcome. One of the fun aspects to this site are the best/worst, underrated/overrated arguments. What's to great is no matter what you pick, someone else is standiing 180 degrees the other direction. You'll also find (oh, wait, you already have) that stronger you insult the work, the stronger the reaction you'll get.
This exchange on The Scarlet Letter is highly entertaining. Just so I keep enjoying it, Frog, I believe you wanted to say something about Henry James? Go for it. Jamesian will bite.
No damn cat, no damn cradle - Newt Honniker
That is kind of self contradictory. If it was instantly forgettable you wouldn't remember that you disliked it either.
My mother is a fish.
Ah, well I am glad to get a strong reaction, come to think of it. Although I am quite new to this forum, I get a feeling it's quite scattered in that there is not one or two consistent discussion but instead a couple of dropped line spread out in many topics.Boy are you in the wrong place. I see your new to the forum so welcome. One of the fun aspects to this site are the best/worst, underrated/overrated arguments. What's to great is no matter what you pick, someone else is standiing 180 degrees the other direction. You'll also find (oh, wait, you already have) that stronger you insult the work, the stronger the reaction you'll get.
This exchange on The Scarlet Letter is highly entertaining. Just so I keep enjoying it, Frog, I believe you wanted to say something about Henry James? Go for it. Jamesian will bite.
And about Henry Jamesmaybe in another topic. His books aren't as bad as Hawthorne's, (you can say that almost about everybody) and isn't relevant to the topic because Scarlet letter takes that title by a lot.
Singing Frog > World
The Old Man and The Sea doesn't appear to have a story- it's just very boring.
the content, not the fact i had read it or whether i liked or disliked it
pedant
When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro
Then the book wasn't forgettable.the content, not the fact i had read it or whether i liked or disliked it
My mother is a fish.
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