Enjoying a book, but can't get into it?

twowheels · 01-20-2012, 05:28 PM

I just finished reading Catch-22. Finally! Surprised by how long it took. Mostly because even though I was really enjoying it, and it made my laugh aloud more than once, I just couldn't get into it. It wasn't a page turner. It was far too easy to read a few screens and put it down.

Strange paradox... anybody else experience that with any other books?

xg4bx · 01-20-2012, 06:04 PM

often. some books just grab you and reading them becomes an addiction. many are good but i don't feel that "i've gotta see what happens!" compulsion. i can read a really good 700 page novel in half the time it takes to read a merely good 350 page one.

tdonline · 01-20-2012, 06:20 PM

That's happening with me right now with The Stranger's Child which I have had to borrow twice and I'm still about 140 pages from the finish. There are some parts I really enjoyed but I find some of the chapters to be far too long. One night, I just couldn't take it take anymore and stopped halfway through a chapter. I almost always try to stop at a chapter.

Still, I want to know the end and thus I'm sticking with it. I'm a little miffed about why it's gotten acclaim and am hoping the conclusion will fantastic...

Victoria · 01-20-2012, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twowheels

I just finished reading Catch-22. Finally! Surprised by how long it took. Mostly because even though I was really enjoying it, and it made my laugh aloud more than once, I just couldn't get into it. It wasn't a page turner. It was far too easy to read a few screens and put it down.

Strange paradox... anybody else experience that with any other books?

Not exactly for the same reason, but that's how i felt when i tried to read on my iPad. I become distracted and kept checking email, and MR etc. When I switched to a Kindle, I could became immersed in a book again. Anything different about your reading environment?

rjpawlak · 01-20-2012, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twowheels

I just finished reading Catch-22. Finally! Surprised by how long it took. Mostly because even though I was really enjoying it, and it made my laugh aloud more than once, I just couldn't get into it. It wasn't a page turner. It was far too easy to read a few screens and put it down.

Strange paradox... anybody else experience that with any other books?

I would say this is true of any Pynchon book I've ever read. They have flashes of brilliance, but can be quite a long slog.

pidgeon92 · 01-20-2012, 07:28 PM

Yep, this happens to me often.

I started The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake mid-December, and I'm still plowing through it. I have completed about ten other books during this time.

Apache · 01-20-2012, 09:46 PM

I had the same problem when I read Catch-22.
Apache

DuckieTigger · 01-20-2012, 10:33 PM

Catch-22 can be a little disturbing at times. You catch yourself laughing at things you know better than to laugh at, and some that are or might be against your beliefs. Add in the really funny and bad sarcasm in it. You just can't help it - at times it is written so badly that it makes it really enjoyable. I did have to read it in 11th grade in school, because some student suggest that we should, and the teacher not knowing anything about the book, allowed it. Boy did she have to stick her foot in her mouth afterwards. But we as the students got a good experience out of it.

If you liked Catch-22, try On the Road by Jack Kerouac - very disturbing and strange, but in a different way.

RainingLemur · 01-20-2012, 11:41 PM

I've had a couple books like that. The most recent one was "Deathbringer" by Bryan Smith. A friend recommended it, and so I picked it up.

God, I slogged through that one. When I got to the end, I enjoyed it a great deal more in retrospect. But, man, it was a trying process to get there.

theducks · 01-21-2012, 12:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twowheels

I just finished reading Catch-22. Finally! Surprised by how long it took. Mostly because even though I was really enjoying it, and it made my laugh aloud more than once, I just couldn't get into it. It wasn't a page turner. It was far too easy to read a few screens and put it down.

Strange paradox... anybody else experience that with any other books?

That one, I think my start to end time was a little over a year

Hawaii was another book that took many months.

Many books I read are finished in a day or 2. That should give you a scale

on my reading consumption.

DebbyS · 01-21-2012, 08:19 AM

At the moment I'm reading Gideon's Corpse, by Preston and Child. I'm about 40 pages from the end and I'm having trouble just sitting down and reading. Maybe I'm afraid I'll be disappointed (the hero will have more harrowing experiences that make me cringe) or maybe I'm afraid that it will end so well that I can hardly wait for the next one which will probably take a year to come out, and economically and geophysically I don't think we have a year... (watch out for March...).

But I better finish the ebook as the authors are appearing at our local library tonight. It's only 4 blocks away and there doesn't seem to be any good excuse (like bad weather) to keep me from going... Hmm, how do I explain that I don't have anything for them to sign? I usually get their books from the library's sale room, read them and give them back to resell, or recently I have downloaded ebooks. Oh, well, we'll save some ink

DuckieTigger · 01-21-2012, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DebbyS

Hmm, how do I explain that I don't have anything for them to sign? I usually get their books from the library's sale room, read them and give them back to resell, or recently I have downloaded ebooks. Oh, well, we'll save some ink

You should have bought an ereader that allows annotating with a stylus and have them write in your ebook.

NickyWithNook · 01-21-2012, 09:18 AM

I've been dealing with that with The Night Circus. Everybody told me how great it was so I paid the $12 or whatever it was, and it is good and all, but it isn't catching me and making me want to keep reading.

JDK1962 · 01-21-2012, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tdonline

That's happening with me right now with The Stranger's Child which I have had to borrow twice and I'm still about 140 pages from the finish. There are some parts I really enjoyed but I find some of the chapters to be far too long. One night, I just couldn't take it take anymore and stopped halfway through a chapter. I almost always try to stop at a chapter.

Still, I want to know the end and thus I'm sticking with it. I'm a little miffed about why it's gotten acclaim and am hoping the conclusion will fantastic...

I'm having EXACTLY the same experience with this book. Started on December 31, presently about a third of the way through. I can see why The Sense of an Ending beat this out for the Man Booker.

mr ploppy · 01-21-2012, 11:07 AM

For me, some books are send-you-to-sleep, some are keep-you-awake, most are somewhere inbetween. It isn't so much the plot, it's more down to the writing style and whether I can relate to any of the characters.

01-20-2012, 05:28 PM	#1
twowheels Wizard Posts: 1,853 Karma: 13432974 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Kobo Clara HD, iPad Pro 10", iPhone 15 Pro, Boox Note Max	Enjoying a book, but can't get into it? I just finished reading Catch-22. Finally! Surprised by how long it took. Mostly because even though I was really enjoying it, and it made my laugh aloud more than once, I just couldn't get into it. It wasn't a page turner. It was far too easy to read a few screens and put it down. Strange paradox... anybody else experience that with any other books?

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01-20-2012, 06:04 PM	#2
xg4bx Are you gonna eat that? Posts: 1,633 Karma: 23215128 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Phillipsburg, NJ Device: Kindle 3, Nook STG	often. some books just grab you and reading them becomes an addiction. many are good but i don't feel that "i've gotta see what happens!" compulsion. i can read a really good 700 page novel in half the time it takes to read a merely good 350 page one.

01-20-2012, 06:20 PM	#3
tdonline Addict Posts: 309 Karma: 2644486 Join Date: Dec 2011 Device: PW3, Nook Simple Touch	That's happening with me right now with The Stranger's Child which I have had to borrow twice and I'm still about 140 pages from the finish. There are some parts I really enjoyed but I find some of the chapters to be far too long. One night, I just couldn't take it take anymore and stopped halfway through a chapter. I almost always try to stop at a chapter. Still, I want to know the end and thus I'm sticking with it. I'm a little miffed about why it's gotten acclaim and am hoping the conclusion will fantastic...

01-20-2012, 07:28 PM	#6
pidgeon92 Wizard Posts: 3,144 Karma: 8426142 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Chicago, IL Device: Kindle PW2, Kindle Voyage, Kindle DXG, Boox M90, Kobo Aura HD	Yep, this happens to me often. I started The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake mid-December, and I'm still plowing through it. I have completed about ten other books during this time.

01-20-2012, 09:46 PM	#7
Apache Readaholic Posts: 5,253 Karma: 90000484 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: South Georgia Device: Surface Pro 6 / Galaxy Tab A 8"	I had the same problem when I read Catch-22. Apache

01-20-2012, 10:33 PM	#8
DuckieTigger Wizard Posts: 4,763 Karma: 246906703 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: USA Device: Oasis 3, Oasis 2, PW3, PW1, KT	Catch-22 can be a little disturbing at times. You catch yourself laughing at things you know better than to laugh at, and some that are or might be against your beliefs. Add in the really funny and bad sarcasm in it. You just can't help it - at times it is written so badly that it makes it really enjoyable. I did have to read it in 11th grade in school, because some student suggest that we should, and the teacher not knowing anything about the book, allowed it. Boy did she have to stick her foot in her mouth afterwards. But we as the students got a good experience out of it. If you liked Catch-22, try On the Road by Jack Kerouac - very disturbing and strange, but in a different way.

01-20-2012, 11:41 PM	#9
RainingLemur Spork Connoisseur Posts: 2,355 Karma: 16780603 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: Nook Color	I've had a couple books like that. The most recent one was "Deathbringer" by Bryan Smith. A friend recommended it, and so I picked it up. God, I slogged through that one. When I got to the end, I enjoyed it a great deal more in retrospect. But, man, it was a trying process to get there.

01-21-2012, 08:19 AM	#11
DebbyS Zealot Posts: 115 Karma: 1472692 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Albuquerque, NM Device: Jetbook Lite; Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0)	At the moment I'm reading Gideon's Corpse, by Preston and Child. I'm about 40 pages from the end and I'm having trouble just sitting down and reading. Maybe I'm afraid I'll be disappointed (the hero will have more harrowing experiences that make me cringe) or maybe I'm afraid that it will end so well that I can hardly wait for the next one which will probably take a year to come out, and economically and geophysically I don't think we have a year... (watch out for March...). But I better finish the ebook as the authors are appearing at our local library tonight. It's only 4 blocks away and there doesn't seem to be any good excuse (like bad weather) to keep me from going... Hmm, how do I explain that I don't have anything for them to sign? I usually get their books from the library's sale room, read them and give them back to resell, or recently I have downloaded ebooks. Oh, well, we'll save some ink

01-21-2012, 09:18 AM	#13
NickyWithNook Guru Posts: 750 Karma: 3942770 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: American living in Australia Device: Kobo Libra Colour, Kindle Fire, Kindle Pwhite (Don't use Nook anymore)	I've been dealing with that with The Night Circus. Everybody told me how great it was so I paid the $12 or whatever it was, and it is good and all, but it isn't catching me and making me want to keep reading.

01-21-2012, 11:07 AM	#15
mr ploppy Feral Underclass Posts: 3,622 Karma: 26821535 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Yorkshire, tha noz Device: 2nd hand paperback	For me, some books are send-you-to-sleep, some are keep-you-awake, most are somewhere inbetween. It isn't so much the plot, it's more down to the writing style and whether I can relate to any of the characters.

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