Books only lying poseurs could claim to like

[drofgnal]

I loved War and Peace, I've read it three times. Excellent book. The one I really didn't care too much for was Victor Hugo's Les Miserables. That was quite a slog to get through. The coincidences that occurred were also a bit unbelievable. A good work no doubt, I just found it tiring. I mean about 70 pages for the battle of Waterloo with just some tangential relevance to the story with the Thenardiers and Marius' father was a bit much. I actually pulled the rip cord there once, then a few years later went back and slogged through the whole book.

[Pajamaman]

Originally Posted by Victoria

These aren’t classics, and they’re very highly rated. However I found The Name of the Rose and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance tedious and pretentious, back when I read them. I always suspected that many of my friends, who absolutely idolized them, hadn’t actually read them.

I genuinely enjoyed them both, though Zen was a while back when I was more patient. Thought Rose did have a few pages where it went on. The movie was great, which I think shows it has a good story line. I tried Foucalt's Pendulum. Now that seriously went on...First chapter is great though. Quit after that.

Originally Posted by Victoria

A bit off topic, but I also don’t understand how anyone could like Thomas Hardy. Admire his writing, definitely, but to me, enjoying Hardy is like claiming to enjoy a toothache.

Yeah, don't like Hardy. Long-winded, like most of the stuff from that period.

[Pajamaman]

Originally Posted by rkomar

I got through the whole of Don Quixote, and although it was a slog in places, it left a lasting impression on me. It has two scenes that actually made me laugh out loud they were so funny, and I don't think any other book has got more than a chuckle out of me.

I think lengthy tomes, if you can stick with them, are more able to leave a lasting impression. I have gradually read Summer of Night by Dan Simmons over the last year or so. And now near the end, the characters have soaked into me. I won't forget them. I guess it's the same with King, if you can stick with it.

But those old classics are going to be tough to hang with. Particularly with all the long-winded sentences and description.

[Pajamaman]

Originally Posted by Victoria

I absolutely agree, Hardy was a master in many ways. I do appreciate his genius, but similar to Margaret Atwood’s, from a safe distance. I can’t see the pleasure, outside of a literature course, but they’re certainly not tedious, and I never found Hardy pretentious. So I was off topic.

I would not call Hardy pretentious for sure. I didn't pick that. But tedious...oh, yeah.

I found Tess particularly hard because Tess herself was a victim. I appreciate the point of her situation, and why it is a feminist classic. But as a story, I just wanted her to get a rifle and shoot someone. I found her passivity frustrating.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by drofgnal

The one I really didn't care too much for was Victor Hugo's Les Miserables. That was quite a slog to get through. The coincidences that occurred were also a bit unbelievable. A good work no doubt, I just found it tiring. I mean about 70 pages for the battle of Waterloo with just some tangential relevance to the story with the Thenardiers and Marius' father was a bit much. I actually pulled the rip cord there once, then a few years later went back and slogged through the whole book.

I have often wondered, when so many people tend to see a book as a slog, what kind of mind it takes to read it and think "This would make a great Broadway musical!" and be right!

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by ApK

I have often wondered, when so many people tend to see a book as a slog, what kind of mind it takes to read it and think "This would make a great Broadway musical!" and be right!

Yes,,,Jaws, the Musical!

Or better yet, Jude the Obscure! The hit title song, "Don't Leave me Hanging...."

:-)

Hitch

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by drofgnal

I loved War and Peace, I've read it three times. Excellent book. The one I really didn't care too much for was Victor Hugo's Les Miserables. That was quite a slog to get through. The coincidences that occurred were also a bit unbelievable. A good work no doubt, I just found it tiring. I mean about 70 pages for the battle of Waterloo with just some tangential relevance to the story with the Thenardiers and Marius' father was a bit much. I actually pulled the rip cord there once, then a few years later went back and slogged through the whole book.

Long ago I read an article where they talked about books where the abridged versions were better. Mainly the old serialized novels.

In particular, I remember the example of Les Miserables and the wish to cut out the section on the Parisian sewers among others.

I think The Count of Monte Cristo was another example.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Yes,,,Jaws, the Musical!

Carrie, King Kong and The Vampire Lestat all got musical adaptations. So be careful what you wish for.

[Victoria]

Originally Posted by Pajamaman

I genuinely enjoyed them both, though Zen was a while back when I was more patient. Thought Rose did have a few pages where it went on. The movie was great, which I think shows it has a good story line. I tried Foucalt's Pendulum. Now that seriously went on...First chapter is great though. Quit after that.

Thank you - you’ve jogged my memory, and I misspoke. Your post sent me looking at his book descriptions again. It was actually Pendulum that I tried and gave up on. It plodded on and on.

Originally Posted by Pajamaman

….I found Tess particularly hard because Tess herself was a victim. I appreciate the point of her situation, and why it is a feminist classic. But as a story, I just wanted her to get a rifle and shoot someone. I found her passivity frustrating.

I agree, you can sympathize with Tess, but her passivity is maddening.

[Pajamaman]

FWIW I thought name of the rose a great book. But everything after by Eco, nah... Its waffle.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Pajamaman

FWIW I thought name of the rose a great book. But everything after by Eco, nah... Its waffle.

I had seen the movie first, very unusual for me, and I think it tainted everything. Not sure how--it's been a looooooooooooooooong while since I read it/viewed.

Hitch

[Apache]

Originally Posted by Hitch

I had seen the movie first, very unusual for me, and I think it tainted everything. Not sure how--it's been a looooooooooooooooong while since I read it/viewed.

Hitch

I also saw the movie first.
Apache

[fum]

Originally Posted by Pajamaman

FWIW I thought name of the rose a great book. But everything after by Eco, nah... Its waffle.

That is how i feel about Eco as well. Name of the rose, I still read it from time to time. The other books? Boring.
And the movie. Sean Connery as William. Best casting ever?
My name is Baskerville..... William of Baskerville.

[the_callant]

I don't know if it counts as a classic, but the book where I had to admit defeat was Catch-22. I got a quarter to half way into it and ended up throwing it in the waste bin. I kept waiting for it to make sense, it never did, and frustration won out.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by the_callant

I don't know if it counts as a classic, but the book where I had to admit defeat was Catch-22. I got a quarter to half way into it and ended up throwing it in the waste bin. I kept waiting for it to make sense, it never did, and frustration won out.

If it had made sense by 25% in, there would be no need for the rest of the book.

Things that don't make sense that are firmly entrenched is the point of the book.

I read it when I was young, liked it a lot, and am not lying.