Spoilers What Book Are You Reading?

[rhett7660]

Yes.

As a matter of fact, I have.

I am half way through the book and I have zero interest in finishing it. But there is a nagging feeling that I must. It is starting to become a chore to read it. So I have a feeling at this point I am going to put it down and start something else. This is the first time I have had this happen to me.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I am half way through the book and I have zero interest in finishing it. But there is a nagging feeling that I must. It is starting to become a chore to read it. So I have a feeling at this point I am going to put it down and start something else. This is the first time I have had this happen to me.

I used to plough through books - both the critically acclaimed, and the deplorably popular (yes, Dan Brown - my brother gave me that to read in bed, once, while I was ill) and now, forgive myself if I find I cannot stand them, or merely cannot face the struggle of trying to finish them.

The contrast with those amazing books you are so lost in that you really resent the interruption when someone calls you to a meal......or, as happened when I was reading Half Blood Prince, I had to put the book down as a family funeral (the mother of a partner of a cousin) required my presence. Pleading Harry Potter wasn't going to cut it.

 

[takao]

I am half way through the book and I have zero interest in finishing it. But there is a nagging feeling that I must. It is starting to become a chore to read it. So I have a feeling at this point I am going to put it down and start something else. This is the first time I have had this happen to me.

well there are different "stopped reading books": i remember reading a fantasy novel (book 1 out of a 4 book series) where the author would just drone on and on and literally explained every single revelation. And then explained it again. Me thinking:"I get it, don't explain it any further."
And another 5 pages of explanation. .. All while enormously inflated dialogue continues to no end. And characters telling some back story from their child hood. etc.
Then you look at the page number and you realize you are still at page 300 out of 900 of book 1 and reading all books would involved thousands of pages more of this and you simply stop. As you said it became a "chore" despite the OK setting.

Then there are the books which are tailored to a very specific target demographic ... and if you don't fit .. well there is no hope anymore. The example for me: "The Mists Of Avalon".. didn't know beforehand that the whole book was a look on the king arthur saga from the women of the story. I bailed after 1/3. I understand the importance of such a book from theoretical point of view but it actually isn't that well written ...

 

[0388631]

Have any of you ever started a book and said, yeah this is not for me? Even when there are lots of people who say it is good or the reviews say it should be good?

Yes, I have. I still keep them around, because I know that someone will eventually want to borrow it or take it. Let me guess, you began reading Pirsig's famous book, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, because his death sparked an outcry of wonderful commentary on how life changing his book is and you found it to be utterly boring and most definitely not for you?
[doublepost=1493164407][/doublepost]

(yes, Dan Brown - my brother gave me that to read in bed, once, while I was ill)

I can't tell whether your brother disliked you at that point and wanted to further your suffering or he meant well. I wouldn't give anyone a Dan Brown or a King book, especially if they were ill.

I suffered through reading The Martian. People praised it like it was the coming of a spiritual force that would bend all the laws of rationality and saneness. Utterly boring. I chugged along and found myself detesting the author and genre even more than I did before.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Yes, I have. I still keep them around, because I know that someone will eventually want to borrow it or take it. Let me guess, you began reading Pirsig's famous book, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, because his death sparked an outcry of wonderful commentary on how life changing his book is and you found it to be utterly boring and most definitely not for you?
[doublepost=1493164407][/doublepost]
I can't tell whether your brother disliked you at that point and wanted to further your suffering or he meant well. I wouldn't give anyone a Dan Brown or a King book, especially if they were ill.

Well, he knew that I liked (and had taught) Renaissance, Reformation and medieval history, and, as I was confined to bed with a bad chest & cold thingy, I think he thought I might find it distracting. In any case, we have differing view on the merits of popular best sellers.

Truth to tell, I loathed the book - poor plot, vapid and trite characters (that interminable and tedious cliché of the middle aged male partnered by a young female), atrocious history - I mean atrocious history - the kind that had me mute with rage (my poor brother was embarrassed, "I thought you might find it interesting"), banal, unimaginative and boring prose, oh, it was an offence to both history and literature.

Now, I have no quarrel with either historical fiction (if it is done well, it can be compelling), or historical fantasy (the same criteria applies) - the genre is not the problem with Dan Brown, just his execrable writing and appalling history.

And yes. I threw it out of the bed. And never finished it.

 

[0388631]

I've always found Brown's work to be of airport grade. A book to read while your flight is being readies. Whether you're with others in the public area or the private lounge of your chosen airline and enjoying food prepared by the on-site chef or bartender serving you drinks. I don't read historical fiction much, but I do understand it takes a lot of research to write it. The movies are ridiculous, too. The most I've seen of them is the first film's first 20 minutes before rolling my eyes and flipping to a DIY channel.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I've always found Brown's work to be of airport grade. A book to read while your flight is being readies. Whether you're with others in the public area or the private lounge of your chosen airline and enjoying food prepared by the on-site chef or bartender serving you drinks. I don't read historical fiction much, but I do understand it takes a lot of research to write it. The movies are ridiculous, too. The most I've seen of them is the first film's first 20 minutes before rolling my eyes and flipping to a DIY channel.

Actually, for that sort of reading, I really prefer good books. That is, real history (properly researched and well written), or some very good historical fiction.

(Ken Follett's "Pillars of the Earth" is an example of an excellent work of historical fiction, which was also a popular best seller; most of the rest of what Follett has written falls into the category of 'pot-boiler' - and, yes, tedious cliché - even the stuff he published subsequent to Pillars of the Earth". But, for that one book, improbably, he nailed it & he got it right - with very good characters, an extremely good story, and solid and well-researched history).

Dorothy Dunnett wrote some very good historical fiction, as did Ellis Peters (with Brother Cadfael) and, when writing under her real name (Edith Pargeter) she also wrote a stunning trilogy "The Heaven Tree Trilogy" which stands the test of time.

 

[ucfgrad93]

The First Man in Rome by Colleen McCullough was an excellent book.

https://www.amazon.com/First-Man-Ro...rd_wg=xs0Tt&psc=1&refRID=9ZJM74R6JRAAGYGCF3VJ

 

[Scepticalscribe]

The First Man in Rome by Colleen McCullough was an excellent book.

https://www.amazon.com/First-Man-Ro...rd_wg=xs0Tt&psc=1&refRID=9ZJM74R6JRAAGYGCF3VJ

Yes, I read that book ages ago - agreed - it is excellent (and very readable).

 

[rhett7660]

Yes, I have. I still keep them around, because I know that someone will eventually want to borrow it or take it. Let me guess, you began reading Pirsig's famous book, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, because his death sparked an outcry of wonderful commentary on how life changing his book is and you found it to be utterly boring and most definitely not for you?
[doublepost=1493164407][/doublepost]
I can't tell whether your brother disliked you at that point and wanted to further your suffering or he meant well. I wouldn't give anyone a Dan Brown or a King book, especially if they were ill.

I suffered through reading The Martian. People praised it like it was the coming of a spiritual force that would bend all the laws of rationality and saneness. Utterly boring. I chugged along and found myself detesting the author and genre even more than I did before.

Ha,,,, No, it isn't that book. But from your comment did make me laugh as I could hear the intense sarcasm in the comment regarding that book! Oh and the eye rolling! Could see the eyes rolling as you were typing this!

 

[ucfgrad93]

I suffered through reading The Martian. People praised it like it was the coming of a spiritual force that would bend all the laws of rationality and saneness. Utterly boring. I chugged along and found myself detesting the author and genre even more than I did before.

I really liked The Martian. You are the first one that I seen that didn't like it.

 

[AVBeatMan]

Not reading at the moment but just dug this out from under my desk. It's due a reread v soon. Excellent.

 

[cdcastillo]

Have any of you ever started a book and said, yeah this is not for me? Even when there are lots of people who say it is good or the reviews say it should be good?

Yes, case in point: The little prince. I found it boring and irritating.

 

[0388631]

Actually, for that sort of reading, I really prefer good books. That is, real history (properly researched and well written), or some very good historical fiction.

(Ken Follett's "Pillars of the Earth" is an example of an excellent work of historical fiction, which was also a popular best seller; most of the rest of what Follett has written falls into the category of 'pot-boiler' - and, yes, tedious cliché - even the stuff he published subsequent to Pillars of the Earth". But, for that one book, improbably, he nailed it & he got it right - with very good characters, an extremely good story, and solid and well-researched history).

Dorothy Dunnett wrote some very good historical fiction, as did Ellis Peters (with Brother Cadfael) and, when writing under her real name (Edith Pargeter) she also wrote a stunning trilogy "The Heaven Tree Trilogy" which stands the test of time.

You didn't like Eye of the Needle?

I really liked The Martian. You are the first one that I seen that didn't like it.

I'm not much of a science-fiction person. I gave it a try because everyone spoke so highly of it.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

You didn't like Eye of the Needle?



I'm not much of a science-fiction person. I gave it a try because everyone spoke so highly of it.

No. I didn't.

Actually, I don't like his WW2 stuff, as I found it very clichéd in that old fashioned, utterly predictable, male way (not unlike Jack Higgins, who - anyway - writes far better thrillers than Follett ever did); for better dialogue - some of it crackling, and some very good male characters - and better history, try Derek Robinson (but he couldn't really write women credibly - especially in his earlier works - to save his life).

Re Ken Follett, I think he is one of those writers who has written one beautifully executed book, where everything came together perfectly; it is not a coincidence that Pillars of the earth (long before any TV series) far outsold everything else he had ever written. However, the rest of his oeuvre are basically pot-boilers, some of them quite good, but nothing I would ever wish to return to.

 

[takao]

The important thing with Dan Brown novels is that one has to treat them them as historic fantasy stuff and then it's actually OK for a public transport read. I read Illuminati on a long train ride and was OK on being a, unintentionally funny, page turner thriller.

It's simply an action film in a book. To be more precise like the National Treasure movies featuring Nicolas Cage.
I think one of them involved breaking into the buckingham palace, the white house and then also kidnapping the US president within half an hour and also rubbing lemon juice on the back of the decleration of independence because of some invisible ink clue to find some hidden templar gold in the US.

Dan Brown's Illuminati features a hyper-speed jet(MACH 5+) and an antimatter bomb literally 10 pages in and also papacy by acclamation. Rigth from the start it obviously is scifi/fantasy.

I know a few people who studied history of arts or archeology and they love both (dan brown novels and nicolas cage's national treasure movies). Because it's pure comedy to them. They all also love Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider despite the obvious lack of professionalism in their work
One guy has a whole bookshelf to such mystery-history -fantasy novels which feature stuff like
-jesus artifacts,
-holy relics in all variants,
-murders in the vatican,
-grave robbing
-traps inside a secret temple
-inka amuletts with strange powers
-cursed digging sites, very likely deadly virus,
-unknown dangerous henchmen said hunting, relic,amulett, artifact or virus
-some conspiracy by a holy order
-all of the above
For him it's just like hacking scenes in movies are for me. Absolutly hilarious.


The problem is that a movie with such silly content is obviously pure fantasy/fiction because the viewers see actors doing things while in book form an awefull lot of people simply believe things because they are written.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

The important thing with Dan Brown novels is that one has to treat them them as historic fantasy stuff and then it's actually OK for a public transport read. I read Illuminati on a long train ride and was OK on being a, unintentionally funny, page turner thriller.

It's simply an action film in a book. To be more precise like the National Treasure movies featuring Nicolas Cage.
I think one of them involved breaking into the buckingham palace, the white house and then also kidnapping the US president within half an hour and also rubbing lemon juice on the back of the decleration of independence because of some invisible ink clue to find some hidden templar gold in the US.

Dan Brown's Illuminati features a hyper-speed jet(MACH 5+) and an antimatter bomb literally 10 pages in and also papacy by acclamation. Rigth from the start it obviously is scifi/fantasy.

I know a few people who studied history of arts or archeology and they love both (dan brown novels and nicolas cage's national treasure movies). Because it's pure comedy to them. They all also love Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider despite the obvious lack of professionalism in their work
One guy has a whole bookshelf to such mystery-history -fantasy novels which feature stuff like
-jesus artifacts,
-holy relics in all variants,
-murders in the vatican,
-grave robbing
-traps inside a secret temple
-inka amuletts with strange powers
-cursed digging sites, very likely deadly virus,
-unknown dangerous henchmen said hunting, relic,amulett, artifact or virus
-some conspiracy by a holy order
-all of the above
For him it's just like hacking scenes in movies are for me. Absolutly hilarious.


The problem is that a movie with such silly content is obviously pure fantasy/fiction because the viewers see actors doing things while in book form an awefull lot of people simply believe things because they are written.

But it is badly written fantasy - the women are bloody awful - and the history is so bad it is an embarrassment, not a comedy. And action movies without a proper story or characters bore me to tears. Bad history makes me murderous.

(Now, I don't mind mocking history - or treating history satirically - but to do that well implies knowing and understanding what you are making fun of; for an example of "history as hilarious" take a look at Monty Python - Holy Grail, Life of Brian - those movies are what I call hilarious, because they are brilliant, yet fully "get" the history: Dan Brown merely assassinates trees. Even as airport bookstore rubbish his material is execrable.)

Historical fantasy can be done brilliantly - try Guy Gabriel Kay, who writes brilliant stories (and it is clear that he has done serious research), has great characters (female as well as male) and an utterly credible (alternative) internally logical world; these are good, whereas Dan Brown is so bad it is risible.

 

[0388631]

No love for 'Needle. I don't think anyone takes Dan Brown seriously. He's not that bad, though. James Patterson is the worst offender of rubbish literature. I won't lie, though. I read his books. They're fast reads and provide enough action to satisfy this man here. On the flip side, if I want to read something serious, I'd read a serious author like Alan Furst. If I wanted to go even serious, I'd read an author like Mo Yan, whose novel, Garlic Ballads, is absolutely brilliant in execution. Or Abraham Verghese - I've got a signed book by him somewhere.

 

[ThisBougieLife]

Have any of you ever started a book and said, yeah this is not for me? Even when there are lots of people who say it is good or the reviews say it should be good?

I did that with James Joyce's Ulysses. But I think I will attempt it again later on. I think for now it's still a little over my head. Not even going to try to read Finnegans Wake...

 

[0388631]

I kept thinking about it and decided to give The Martian another try. Also, picked up the audiobook version through our Audible subscription. Maybe the second time around will make me like it. I don't see why it wouldn't. It's happened before.

Edit: There's also a new Martin Walker book coming out on May 3rd. Which means I have to start and finish the 9.5 novels before it. Yikes!
[doublepost=1493274232][/doublepost]

I was going through my book deals earlier and came across a special for a novel by Martin Walker. His main series caught my eye as well as his focus on the Perigord region on France in his novels. A region that's synonymous with good food. It was natural of me to order all his books.

Per this post, of course.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I did that with James Joyce's Ulysses. But I think I will attempt it again later on. I think for now it's still a little over my head. Not even going to try to read Finnegans Wake...

Ulysses is fine when you are in bed for a few days - it does have a plot, and the characters are well defined.

Forget Finnegan's Wake - pure self-indulgence on the part of the author. Never finished that one, myself, and I doubt now that I ever will.

However, for genuinely readable books by Joyce, try "Dubliners" (his collection of short stories - which is excellent, and the final story - "The Dead" - is superlative, an absolute classic), and "Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man".

Re Dan Brown - I suppose the matter is that I am personally (as I love history) and professionally (as I taught history) offended as a historian that his works are peddled as and sold as "history". They are nothing of the sort.

And, as a feminist, I suppose that I am outraged at the old double standard that best selling pure bilge by a male author does not get half the (richly deserved) fierce criticism that best selling pure bilge written by a woman (let us say, "Fifty Shades of Grey") does.

 

[ThisBougieLife]

However, for genuinely readable books by Joyce, try "Dubliners" (his collection of short stories - which is excellent, and the final story - "The Dead" - is superlative, an absolute classic), and "Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man".

Agree about Finnegans Wake. I find it more something to marvel at, not to read. But yes, I love Dubliners. That's what got me interested in Joyce in the first place. We read Dubliners (including "The Dead") in AP Lit, so I've been interested in Joyce ever since. But I think you're right that I should read Portrait of the Artist before Ulysses.

 

[0388631]

Speaking of Joyce, wasn't it women's fiction/drama author Nick Sparks who stated he was a better writer than Joyce and McCarthy combined? Nut job. At least when King blasted Meyers, he withdrew his commentary and sent her an apology. Authors who toot their own horn aren't bad. Those who both toot and attack other authors for not writing well or what they feel is great is pathetic.

On Finnegan's Wake. I determined a long time ago one must be in a drunken stupor to get through it without want to flick your eyeballs out with a fireplace poker.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Speaking of Joyce, wasn't it women's fiction/drama author Nick Sparks who stated he was a better writer than Joyce and McCarthy combined? Nut job. At least when King blasted Meyers, he withdrew his commentary and sent her an apology. Authors who toot their own horn aren't bad. Those who both toot and attack other authors for not writing well or what they feel is great is pathetic.

On Finnegan's Wake. I determined a long time ago one must be in a drunken stupor to get through it without want to flick your eyeballs out with a fireplace poker.

I can't remember the source the I came across this, but I seem to recall reading somewhere that Joyce had giggled and remarked that Finnegan's Wake was a kind of send up.

The thing with Joyce is to accept that - at his best - he was superlative - and, at his self-indulgent worst - could, and should, be dismissed and disregarded. Frankly, few authors are equally good in everything they publish (who adores the Silmarillion? - I yawned my way through it, thinking, yeah, yeah, yeah..)

 

[0388631]

Silmarillion? - I yawned my way through it, thinking, yeah, yeah, yeah..)

Had to look that one up. I think the problem most people face when reading new authors is they rely too much on the word of others. They feel as if they should like the book, and when they don't, they feel they're broken or not intelligent enough. I also question whether so many people like a certain author's work or they truly love that author's work. To reiterate, does the former consist of people who simply read to fit with the crowd of people who enjoy that author or not?

With the advent of the internet, you can read a sample of your intended purchase and see if it's for you. You can still do it in stores, but you save yourself from being bombarded by a green-behind-the-ears employee who's far too enthused to help you. Smaller, independent bookshops allow you to peruse without feeling the urge to strangle a stranger.