Am I bad at reading or what? - Page 2

Nyssa · 12-31-2011, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeaBookGuy

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

I've never seen the movie. Not sure if I want to.

frostschutz · 12-31-2011, 08:51 PM

I felt about the same at first with Robinson Crusoe (1719, Penguin Classics edition), which I had to read for an English class once. The thing has 240 pages printed in a rather small font, and it takes ages to read the whole thing, but still, I'm glad I read it after all. Once you get used to the style, you can enjoy it like any other book.

jtdolphins · 12-31-2011, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

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

Its always bothered me that I never asked him. I wish I could. He LOVED Dickens. He encouraged me to read him instead, thus I discovered Tales of Two Cities. One of my favorite books, I think its due for a rereading this year.

xg4bx · 01-01-2012, 01:34 AM

i can't believe that i forgot to mention that the only way i can read any classic is if its a "mash-up" edition i.e. pride&prejudice&zombies.

SeaBookGuy · 01-01-2012, 03:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xg4bx

i can't believe that i forgot to mention that the only way i can read any classic is if its a "mash-up" edition i.e. pride&prejudice&zombies.

MANY years ago a friend and I saw the movie "A Clockwork Orange" together. Afterwards, we discovered that we'd each had our expectations set from reading the MAD magazine version!

HarryT · 01-01-2012, 03:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xg4bx

i can't believe that i forgot to mention that the only way i can read any classic is if its a "mash-up" edition i.e. pride&prejudice&zombies.

That is regrettable. The reason that classics are considered classics is that they are wonderful books.

vice-versa · 01-01-2012, 07:15 AM

As for french litterature, I love Zola's work or Maupassant's but can't take me to read Flaubert or even Stendhal, I find them terribly boring... (the same for Lamartine or Chateaubriand). As for Victor Hugo, I'll love reading "Notre Dame de Paris" or "Les misérables" but, you have to know he wrote it as a serial, selling it in newspapers, so, more long it was, more money he got... And it's really to long for me...

HarryT · 01-01-2012, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vice-versa

but, you have to know he wrote it as a serial, selling it in newspapers, so, more long it was, more money he got... And it's really to long for me...

That's the way that most 19th century authors published their books. All of Dickens's novels, for example, were published serially.

Guns4Hire · 01-01-2012, 09:15 AM

One of my all time favorites books is Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling that is definitely a classic, I've been told that is a tough read because of the slang. Never was for me though. There are plenty of old classics that are wonderful. For me Moby Dick isn't one of them. Its always been a chore to read. To each his own.

The Terminator · 01-01-2012, 07:51 PM

I find that a lot of the classics start out really really boring, like Monte Cristo or Frankenstein.

I'm reading Les Miserablés by Victor Hugo, I watched the Movie and the actors fit the parts perfectly (Geoffrey Rush was the PERFECT Javert) so I liked that so much that I started the book. If I hadn't watched the Movie I probably wouldn't have stuck with the book.

Minor spoiler possibility.

Spoiler:

Koobe · 01-01-2012, 08:06 PM

I like a bit of Dickens. I quite enjoyed reading Oliver Twist for my English Lit O'level back in the late middle ages (much better than than the Chaucer and Shakespeare stodge we were also given). And The Pickwick Papers is fun.

SeaBookGuy · 01-01-2012, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Terminator

I find that a lot of the classics start out really really boring, like Monte Cristo or Frankenstein.

I'm reading Les Miserablés by Victor Hugo, I watched the Movie and the actors fit the parts perfectly (Geoffrey Rush was the PERFECT Javert) so I liked that so much that I started the book. If I hadn't watched the Movie I probably wouldn't have stuck with the book.

That's exactly how I feel about Balzac's Cousin Bette, after having seen the terrific 1971 TV series on DVD recently.

hidari · 01-01-2012, 08:40 PM

I think Harry T. hit the nail.... you have to let the novel come to you...don't push it and then you can 'get it'.... Moby Dick is a brilliant book but you have to be in the mood for it. Granted almost anything written before 1900 is a slavish ordeal....but considering there was no tv, radio, internet or other forms of modern media as there is today....the writing style is more understandable.....The French...some I love..Zola, Balzac...etc...but in bits and slowly.....

taosaur · 01-02-2012, 03:29 AM

Moby Dick is pretty notoriously laborious--the story is much more popular than the text.

FinancialWar · 01-02-2012, 10:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taosaur

Moby Dick is pretty notoriously laborious--the story is much more popular than the text.

how am I going to get the story without reading the text?

01-01-2012, 07:51 PM	#25
The Terminator Retired Posts: 2,552 Karma: 37638420 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Vancouver Island Canada Device: Kobo Touch, Optimus One (2.3), Nexus 7 (4.2)	I find that a lot of the classics start out really really boring, like Monte Cristo or Frankenstein. I'm reading Les Miserablés by Victor Hugo, I watched the Movie and the actors fit the parts perfectly (Geoffrey Rush was the PERFECT Javert) so I liked that so much that I started the book. If I hadn't watched the Movie I probably wouldn't have stuck with the book. Minor spoiler possibility. Spoiler: 84 pages before Jean ValJean comes into the picture, basically just a ton of background on the Bishop that was really boring.

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12-31-2011, 08:51 PM	#17
frostschutz Linux User Posts: 2,282 Karma: 6123806 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Heidelberg, Germany Device: none	I felt about the same at first with Robinson Crusoe (1719, Penguin Classics edition), which I had to read for an English class once. The thing has 240 pages printed in a rather small font, and it takes ages to read the whole thing, but still, I'm glad I read it after all. Once you get used to the style, you can enjoy it like any other book.

01-01-2012, 01:34 AM	#19
xg4bx Are you gonna eat that? Posts: 1,633 Karma: 23215128 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Phillipsburg, NJ Device: Kindle 3, Nook STG	i can't believe that i forgot to mention that the only way i can read any classic is if its a "mash-up" edition i.e. pride&prejudice&zombies.

01-01-2012, 07:15 AM	#22
vice-versa whippet addict Posts: 391 Karma: 689884 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: France, Normandy, Gisors Device: Kobo Sage, Kobo Libra Colour	As for french litterature, I love Zola's work or Maupassant's but can't take me to read Flaubert or even Stendhal, I find them terribly boring... (the same for Lamartine or Chateaubriand). As for Victor Hugo, I'll love reading "Notre Dame de Paris" or "Les misérables" but, you have to know he wrote it as a serial, selling it in newspapers, so, more long it was, more money he got... And it's really to long for me...

01-01-2012, 09:15 AM	#24
Guns4Hire Reading...Since 1970 Posts: 610 Karma: 7819 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nova Air C, Nova Pro, LifebookMars, BoyueT62+ Glowlight, NST, PB360	One of my all time favorites books is Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling that is definitely a classic, I've been told that is a tough read because of the slang. Never was for me though. There are plenty of old classics that are wonderful. For me Moby Dick isn't one of them. Its always been a chore to read. To each his own.

01-01-2012, 08:06 PM	#26
Koobe Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 12 Join Date: Dec 2011 Device: Kindle	I like a bit of Dickens. I quite enjoyed reading Oliver Twist for my English Lit O'level back in the late middle ages (much better than than the Chaucer and Shakespeare stodge we were also given). And The Pickwick Papers is fun.

01-01-2012, 08:40 PM	#28
hidari MR Drone Posts: 1,613 Karma: 15612282 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: DRONEZONE Device: PB360+, Huawei MP5, Libra H20	I think Harry T. hit the nail.... you have to let the novel come to you...don't push it and then you can 'get it'.... Moby Dick is a brilliant book but you have to be in the mood for it. Granted almost anything written before 1900 is a slavish ordeal....but considering there was no tv, radio, internet or other forms of modern media as there is today....the writing style is more understandable.....The French...some I love..Zola, Balzac...etc...but in bits and slowly.....

01-02-2012, 03:29 AM	#29
taosaur intelligent posterior Posts: 1,562 Karma: 21295618 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Ohiopolis Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2, Samsung S8, Lenovo Tab 3 Pro	Moby Dick is pretty notoriously laborious--the story is much more popular than the text.

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