Am I bad at reading or what?

FinancialWar · 12-30-2011, 08:27 PM

I tried reading "Moby Dick", I found it extremely difficult to understand and three chapters into the book I gave up. The style is just too ancient for me.

Does anyone else have difficulty reading old classics?

DiapDealer · 12-30-2011, 08:41 PM

It can be difficult at times. But I find that if I slow down and give myself plenty of time to absorb the prose, I can adapt to most any writing style... and often end up enjoying it tremendously.

I don't remember Melville's writing being very ancient or archaic, though. Perhaps it was the nautical setting and language you had trouble with.

Blue Tyson · 12-30-2011, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FinancialWar

I tried reading "Moby Dick", I found it extremely difficult to understand and three chapters into the book I gave up. The style is just too ancient for me.

Does anyone else have difficulty reading old classics?

Not necessarily, that is one incredibly tedious book with infodumps out the wazoo.

That is, lots of people will find it really, really boring.

Nyssa · 12-30-2011, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blue Tyson

Not necessarily, that is one incredibly tedious book with infodumps out the wazoo.

That is, lots of people will find it really, really boring.

One of the reasons I never picked it up in the first place. My best friend, at the time, read it before I was going to, and thankfully saved me the trouble.

xg4bx · 12-31-2011, 12:52 AM

call me ignorant but i find most classics unreadable sleeping pills, i can't handle anything written before the 1920s and 30s (unless its hg wells). i read for fun, i don't want to have to work at or study something.

FinancialWar · 12-31-2011, 02:18 AM

lol, good it's not just me who find "Moby Dick" unbearable. lol

gwhite · 12-31-2011, 11:43 AM

It can't be any worse than "Last of the Mohicans" which was deadly tedious and wordy. Whoever did the screenwriting for the film was an absolute genius.

tecweston · 12-31-2011, 03:19 PM

I've tried twice to read it, once in 2006 and once in 2007. Both times I tapped out by a quarter of the way into it. I want to try again, and I have it on my Nook right now, because I feel like once I get into the meat of the story I'll enjoy it more. But it is very hard to follow sometimes and there's too much exposition.

HarryT · 12-31-2011, 03:28 PM

I read a lot of 18th and 19th century novels, as well as more modern stuff. The writing style of the late 18th and 19th centuries is completely different to the way modern writers write, and you need to make a definite mental adjustment to be able to enjoy it, I find.

When I first read Jane Austen, for example, I found it unbearably tedious. Why would anyone want to read this? Nothing HAPPENS! It's just people gossipping about each other and having tea parties and dances. But someone gave me a piece of useful advice: don't try to rush it and EXPECT things to happen. Just take it as it comes, and enjoy it. And you know what? It worked. 18th and 19th century novels were written to be slowly savoured, not gulped down. Relax. Take it slowly, and absorb the atmosphere. For me, at least, something "clicked" and I "got it".

Nyssa · 12-31-2011, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I read a lot of 18th and 19th century novels, as well as more modern stuff. The writing style of the late 18th and 19th centuries is completely different to the way modern writers write, and you need to make a definite mental adjustment to be able to enjoy it, I find.

When I first read Jane Austen, for example, I found it unbearably tedious. Why would anyone want to read this? Nothing HAPPENS! It's just people gossipping about each other and having tea parties and dances. But someone gave me a piece of useful advice: don't try to rush it and EXPECT things to happen. Just take it as it comes, and enjoy it. And you know what? It worked. 18th and 19th century novels were written to be slowly savoured, not gulped down. Relax. Take it slowly, and absorb the atmosphere. For me, at least, something "clicked" and I "got it".

I wonder if that was my problem with A Room with a View. I found it to be so...wordy, but with nothing much going on other than carping, complaining and/or judging.

HarryT · 12-31-2011, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nyssa

I wonder if that was my problem with A Room with a View. I found it to be so...wordy, but with nothing much going on other than carping, complaining and/or judging.

I have to confess that I do find Forster terribly heavy going myself. I haven't read "A Room with a View", but I struggled to make it through "A Passage to India". Not one of my favourite authors.

jtdolphins · 12-31-2011, 04:24 PM

I asked about reading it in college for a project. My English prof said no one should be made to read Moby Dick.

HarryT · 12-31-2011, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jtdolphins

I asked about reading it in college for a project. My English prof said no one should be made to read Moby Dick.

I think it's a wonderful book, personally. I wonder what he didn't like about it?

banjobama · 12-31-2011, 05:07 PM

All this discussion really made me want to see what the fuss is about.. just downloaded Moby Dick LRF from the MR library.

SeaBookGuy · 12-31-2011, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xg4bx

call me ignorant but i find most classics unreadable sleeping pills, i can't handle anything written before the 1920s and 30s (unless its hg wells). i read for fun, i don't want to have to work at or study something.

I used to think that, too, but I've since enjoyed many as audiobooks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nyssa

I wonder if that was my problem with A Room with a View. I found it to be so...wordy, but with nothing much going on other than carping, complaining and/or judging.

During the movie, I complained to my friend much of the time: "This is sooooo boring!"

12-30-2011, 08:27 PM	#1
FinancialWar Banned Posts: 397 Karma: 85500 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Sydney Device: Sony PRS350, Onyx M92, Onyx T68 (defective!)	Am I bad at reading or what? I tried reading "Moby Dick", I found it extremely difficult to understand and three chapters into the book I gave up. The style is just too ancient for me. Does anyone else have difficulty reading old classics? Last edited by FinancialWar; 12-30-2011 at 08:48 PM. Reason: spelling

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12-30-2011, 08:41 PM	#2
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 28,882 Karma: 207000000 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	It can be difficult at times. But I find that if I slow down and give myself plenty of time to absorb the prose, I can adapt to most any writing style... and often end up enjoying it tremendously. I don't remember Melville's writing being very ancient or archaic, though. Perhaps it was the nautical setting and language you had trouble with.

12-31-2011, 12:52 AM	#5
xg4bx Are you gonna eat that? Posts: 1,633 Karma: 23215128 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Phillipsburg, NJ Device: Kindle 3, Nook STG	call me ignorant but i find most classics unreadable sleeping pills, i can't handle anything written before the 1920s and 30s (unless its hg wells). i read for fun, i don't want to have to work at or study something.

12-31-2011, 02:18 AM	#6
FinancialWar Banned Posts: 397 Karma: 85500 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Sydney Device: Sony PRS350, Onyx M92, Onyx T68 (defective!)	lol, good it's not just me who find "Moby Dick" unbearable. lol

12-31-2011, 11:43 AM	#7
gwhite Connoisseur Posts: 69 Karma: 828088 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Fife Scotland Device: Kindle 3 Paperwhite	It can't be any worse than "Last of the Mohicans" which was deadly tedious and wordy. Whoever did the screenwriting for the film was an absolute genius.

12-31-2011, 03:19 PM	#8
tecweston Comic book artist Posts: 553 Karma: 1760679 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Detroit Device: Nook Glowlight, iPad, iPhone	I've tried twice to read it, once in 2006 and once in 2007. Both times I tapped out by a quarter of the way into it. I want to try again, and I have it on my Nook right now, because I feel like once I get into the meat of the story I'll enjoy it more. But it is very hard to follow sometimes and there's too much exposition.

12-31-2011, 03:28 PM	#9
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,560 Karma: 93980341 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	I read a lot of 18th and 19th century novels, as well as more modern stuff. The writing style of the late 18th and 19th centuries is completely different to the way modern writers write, and you need to make a definite mental adjustment to be able to enjoy it, I find. When I first read Jane Austen, for example, I found it unbearably tedious. Why would anyone want to read this? Nothing HAPPENS! It's just people gossipping about each other and having tea parties and dances. But someone gave me a piece of useful advice: don't try to rush it and EXPECT things to happen. Just take it as it comes, and enjoy it. And you know what? It worked. 18th and 19th century novels were written to be slowly savoured, not gulped down. Relax. Take it slowly, and absorb the atmosphere. For me, at least, something "clicked" and I "got it".

12-31-2011, 04:24 PM	#12
jtdolphins Zealot Posts: 142 Karma: 248484 Join Date: May 2011 Device: ipod touch, Kindle3	I asked about reading it in college for a project. My English prof said no one should be made to read Moby Dick.

12-31-2011, 05:07 PM	#14
banjobama Busy Read'n Posts: 980 Karma: 5039283 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Auburn, WA Device: Pocketbook Touch Lux 5	All this discussion really made me want to see what the fuss is about.. just downloaded Moby Dick LRF from the MR library.