Books you tried to finish but just can't

[BAMF]

Anyone who can read Chaucer deserves a medal. I've tried. . . and tried. . . and tried. I will not receive this year's Culture Medal.

Looks like I get a medal! I absolutely love The Canterbury Tales. Some of them are quite hilarious...then there are some others that are...eh....

[Judith]

There are a few authors I keep an eye out for their next work (Cussler, Asprin, Rowling, F Paul Wilson, a few others).

Wilson! Yeah! I've been reading his stuff since "The Keep" kept me up all night in the mid '80s. He's got a new Repairman Jack novel coming out soon. I get the "Gauntlet Press" newsletter by e-mail; they send out info on his forthcoming stuff, and you can get limited edition copies ordered in advance. Can't wait....

Barbara's post reminded me that I also couldn't finish even the first chapter of "The Satanic Verses". And Shakespeare is another one where the writing really bogs me down. I just can't make head nor tails out of what the heck they're saying. It's not "plain English" -- I have to translate it to myself, which makes the going really tough. So I give up.

Judith

[Barbara Branden]

I've always been a 'book nerd' (you should see my condo...).

when growing up I always had a book I was reading. . . I'd read in bed before going to sleep. I'd read on the bus going to school. I'd read in between classes and at lunch. Sometimes in class if class was borrying and I could get away with it.

Somerset Maugham, who was an obsessive reader, once said that a few times, when he was completely out of new material to read, he found himself carefully studying the instructions, etc., on the can of soup he ws preparing. I'll admit to doing the same thing -- and to this day I almost always have a book open on the bathroom counter beside me when I'm brushing my teeth. This may not be not a virtue; it may be a disease.

Barbara

[Barbara Branden]

I thought I knew how to use the quotation mechanism in my reply to Michael Brown, Clearly, I need to go back to the drawing board.

Barbara

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Barbara,

I fixed it. More instructions on the way later.

(You can see the difference by clicking on the "Edit" button of your post I fixed, then "Full Edit" when the menu opens. Essentially you deleted the end-code: )

Michael

[Judith]

I've always been a 'book nerd' (you should see my condo...).

when growing up I always had a book I was reading. . . I'd read in bed before going to sleep. I'd read on the bus going to school. I'd read in between classes and at lunch. Sometimes in class if class was borrying and I could get away with it.

Somerset Maugham, who was an obsessive reader, once said that a few times, when he was completely out of new material to read, he found himself carefully studying the instructions, etc., on the can of soup he ws preparing. I'll admit to doing the same thing -- and to this day I almost always have a book open on the bathroom counter beside me when I'm brushing my teeth. This may not be not a virtue; it may be a disease.

Barbara

Somebody at work has been leaving "Us" magazine in the bathroom. That's how I know that Paris Hilton is a person and not a hotel. I'll read a cereal box if nothing else is available.

Judith

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

I have this habit of automatically reading everything that comes across my field of vision. Sometimes this gets embarrassing when I go to someone's office because, without even realizing it, I catch myself glancing at the papers on his desk trying to read them—not because I am curious to know what he is doing, but simply because there are written words on them.

I used to have a girlfriend who was very jealous. More than once I would be driving down a street and...

KER-POWEEEE

... upside my head.

"What was that?" I would ask.

"I saw you gawking at that woman," she would yell.

"What woman?" I would yell back. "Are you nuts?"

Then I would look back at the billboard or store sign I had been reading without even realizing it and see that an attractive woman was nearby.

Michael

[PalePower]

I've always been a 'book nerd' (you should see my condo...).

when growing up I always had a book I was reading. . . I'd read in bed before going to sleep. I'd read on the bus going to school. I'd read in between classes and at lunch. Sometimes in class if class was borrying and I could get away with it.

Somerset Maugham, who was an obsessive reader, once said that a few times, when he was completely out of new material to read, he found himself carefully studying the instructions, etc., on the can of soup he ws preparing. I'll admit to doing the same thing -- and to this day I almost always have a book open on the bathroom counter beside me when I'm brushing my teeth. This may not be not a virtue; it may be a disease.

Barbara

I always read the directions and ingredients of the tooth paste roll, or the shampoo bottle, or the body wash - if I'm REALLY lucky there will be a Spanish translation of it on the bottle, to spice things up. Or if the translation is just in French (which I'm not familiar with), I try to figure out which words mean what and how you conjugate verbs and any other grammar rules. So far, my efforts at learning French from shampoo bottles have proven unsuccessful...BUT! I remain hopeful.

Or if I've just read the toothpaste simply TOO many times I'll try to count the threads in the towels or conduct an excruciating survey of all the details of my bathroom and try to remember it all later. Also somewhat disease-ish. I get MASSIVE guilt complexes if I ever think I'm wasting a frickin' second of my time or being non-productive.

I blame Objectivism.

[Brant Gaede]

Somerset Maugham, who was an obsessive reader, once said that a few times, when he was completely out of new material to read, he found himself carefully studying the instructions, etc., on the can of soup he ws preparing. I'll admit to doing the same thing -- and to this day I almost always have a book open on the bathroom counter beside me when I'm brushing my teeth. This may not be not a virtue; it may be a disease.

Barbara

I brush my teeth after I eat, not after I read.

--Brant

[Barbara Branden]

Somerset Maugham, who was an obsessive reader, once said that a few times, when he was completely out of new material to read, he found himself carefully studying the instructions, etc., on the can of soup he ws preparing. I'll admit to doing the same thing -- and to this day I almost always have a book open on the bathroom counter beside me when I'm brushing my teeth. This may not be not a virtue; it may be a disease.

Barbara

I brush my teeth after I eat, not after I read.

--Brant

But, Brant, for optimum dental health, you must also brush them while you read-- although this may cause you regularly to be thrown out of libraries.

Reading Judith and Michael and ENonemaker, I'm comforted ro know that I'm not alone in my obsession.

Michael, I have found myself, without in the least intending to do so, reading other people's mail; I did it because, like Everest, it was there.

Barbara

[Chris Grieb]

The Historian. I gave up reading it. It supposed to be a retelling of the Dacrula story.

[Rich Engle]

The label reading thing is insane...been going on way much longer than I care to admit. It's like having free chemistry class everytime you're in the bathroom. A guilty pleasure.

Edited March 15, 2007 by Rich Engle

[Ross Barlow]

The Historian. I gave up reading it. It supposed to be a retelling of the Dacrula story.

Sorry, Chris, I found *The Historian* by Elizabeth Kostova to be a book I could not put down until I finished it. This disrupted my life for a while since it is 700 pages long.

I liked it because I am a historian at heart and it featured historical research as detective work – with life and death consequences for the characters. Also, I am a bit of a sicko and love both Dracula stories and the real-life histories of Vlad the Impaler of 15th century Wallachia, the closest thing to an actual Transylvanian monster.

Chris, the fact that you did not like the book probably shows your fundamental sanity and good taste. I have that gothic weird side of my nature that must be fed fresh blood from time to time.

It is now after midnight here in Indochina. Excuse me, I must go out and prowl. <slurp>

-Ross Barlow.

[Brant Gaede]

The Brothers Karamazov. I got 2/3rds or more through it and suddenly realized I didn't care for or was interested in any of the characters or the story itself. Fortunately, I did read the speech of the Grand Inquisitor, the greatest speech in a novel ever. Dosty set it up with a flick of his literary wrist. Ayn Rand was obviously influenced by it when Toohey told Keating what was really what.

--Brant

[Chris Grieb]

Ross; I'm glad you liked The Historian. The only popular writer who I have swore off reading is Robert Ludlum. Each time I read a new book I thought it was the book I had read before.

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

The Brothers Karamazov. I got 2/3rds or more through it and suddenly realized I didn't care for or was interested in any of the characters or the story itself. Fortunately, I did read the speech of the Grand Inquisitor, the greatest speech in a novel ever. Dosty set it up with a flick of his literary wrist. Ayn Rand was obviously influenced by it when Toohey told Keating what was really what.

Brant,

I have started this one about 15 times and I just can't get around all those LONGGGGGGGGGGG paragraphs. I think I will have better going if I read it with a ruler following the lines.

I am interested in this book not only because because of the influence on Rand, but I also remember a friend of mine saying one of my favorite quips came from there: that a character ended up believing in God because he already met the devil. If you take this remark from the metaphysical level and put it on the ethical one, using God a s metaphor for the good and the devil as one for evil, it sums up the click in my mind needed to get out of addiction (and some other hell-raising scrapes I have gotten into over the years).

I want to find the original passage, but it takes a lot of stamina to find it. I haven't been up to the task so far.

Michael

[Kat]

I won't even say how many times I have started ITOE....

Kat

[Victor Pross]

I won't even say how many times I have started ITOE....

Kat

Kat,

What! That's a page turner! Come on. I was happy when the expanded version came out. But I have never been able to finish an Archie comic book though. Strange, huh?

-V-

[Chris Grieb]

Victor, Kat; I think it is safe to say ITOE is not intended as beach read. I must say when it came out in the Objectivist I looked forward to every issue.

[emb021]

There are a few authors I keep an eye out for their next work (Cussler, Asprin, Rowling, F Paul Wilson, a few others).

Wilson! Yeah! I've been reading his stuff since "The Keep" kept me up all night in the mid '80s. He's got a new Repairman Jack novel coming out soon. I get the "Gauntlet Press" newsletter by e-mail; they send out info on his forthcoming stuff, and you can get limited edition copies ordered in advance. Can't wait....

Repairman Jack is great! I had gotten his LaNague Chronicle works several years back (I keep an eye out for libertarian sf). I got into RJ due to the HPL connection, BION!

For me, I don't get into limited editions or HB, unless I can't avoid it. They cost too much. Less money to spend on more book!! So I wait for paperback. Which has been frustrating with RJ (and a couple of others!!), as they wait waaay too long to come out. It should be six month, a year TOPS when the PB should come out! Have to wait until August for the next paperback (Harbingers). (unless I happen to find a used HB, like I did with Gateways).

Uh, for those who don't know what the h*ll we're talking about, go here: http://www.repairmanjack.com

[Judith]

For me, I don't get into limited editions or HB, unless I can't avoid it. They cost too much. Less money to spend on more book!! So I wait for paperback. Which has been frustrating with RJ (and a couple of others!!), as they wait waaay too long to come out. It should be six month, a year TOPS when the PB should come out! Have to wait until August for the next paperback (Harbingers). (unless I happen to find a used HB, like I did with Gateways).

No wonder I'm feeling poor. Books and CDs and DVDs are areas where I've never been cost-conscious, even when I was a starving grad student. And now that there's the internet and I don't have to waste time browing through bookstores on foot, with their limited inventories, and can find out of print items.... I don't bother to get leather-bound numbered copies, but I also don't bother waiting for something when I can get it NOW.

Judith

Edited March 21, 2007 by Judith

[Chris Grieb]

I was looking at the original list and noted Satanic Verses. I wonder how many people brought this book but after an initial attempt to read have never picked it up again.

[Robert Jones]

I was looking at the original list and noted Satanic Verses. I wonder how many people brought this book but after an initial attempt to read have never picked it up again.

Well, I'm one of them.

I did, however, read "Shalimar the Clown." Good book.

[Ellen Stuttle]

Probably only a small percentage of those who bought The Satanic Verses in protest proceeded to read it cover to cover. Neither the story nor the style would have wide appeal. I, however, did read all of it, and loved it, and hope to read it again someday. I thought it was a brilliantly crafted interweave of whimsy, devastating mockery, and occasional highlights of breathtaking beauty. But, then, for one thing, I have a fondness for thick symbolism (I even actually enjoy Ulysses). For another, I had enough familiarity with the mythology being lampooned to get a lot of the joke. The fundamentalist Moslems, who would have understood all the references, including ones that went over my head, didn't find the joke amusing. The situation is sort of comparable to that of the Mark Twain Letters from Earth, which mock various Biblical myths. One might be entertained or incensed or incomprehending depending on one's knowledge of and attitudes toward the material being ridiculed.

--

Re the compulsive reading some have mentioned -- if nothing else is available, grab a cereal box: During the years when I was doing a lot of copyediting, I'd get so that when I finally headed home at night, I was still proofreading signs, theater adverstisements, subway maps...couldn't turn off the proofreader mode. I sometimes felt that I would go mad from the automatic mental correcting of every typo and grammatical error I saw. Do you have any idea how many typos and grammatical errors can be found amongst the reading material which plasters a major New York subway stop?

--

Elizabeth, a science fiction cum fantasy writer I'd recommend that you try if you haven't read any of her work yet is Ursula Le Guin. Her The Left Hand of Darkness is one of my all-time favorite novels. I like her work in general, with her crisply clear yet mythically evocative style, including her collections of short stories and her juvenile novels, especially the Earthsea trilogy.

Ellen

___

[Chris Grieb]

Ellen; I'm glad to hear you liked the book. I don't know about the myths of Islam so I suspect that it may go over my head.