Have you ever been 'beaten' by a book?

[Ea]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Really? I find most of his work fascinating.

I just don't 'get' it. There are people in this thread who don't get Tolkien - something I dinf hard to believe

[Mobile Mason]

War and Peace...I get through the first five pages before moving on to something else.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Ea

I just don't 'get' it. There are people in this thread who don't get Tolkien - something I dinf hard to believe

I know. Funny isn't it how different things appeal to different people. It's a wonder we have and truly popular authors.

[Timoleon]

Originally Posted by Sparrow

Mervyn Peake's 'Titus Groan' - every few years I make a fresh attempt; but I never make it beyond the first hundred pages.

I beat you!! I got a third of the way through the third book, "Titus Alone", before I gave up! That book was absolutely bonkers.

[Loose_Appeal]

Ulysses, anyone?

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by camino real

I can't tell you how many times I've started Joyce's Ulysses. So many times that I know the first few words "Stately, plump Buck Mulligan came from the stairhead.." I get annoyed that the book defeats me. I've heard parts of it read out and it's wonderful. I might try an ebook version.

I think the key point to Joyce is that hearing was his primary sense. He was in part attempting to reproduce what he heard on his famous walks through Dublin. You might try reading it aloud and see if it helps.

There's a story, incidentally, about Joyce encountering an old friend on a walk shortly after Ulysses was published. Joyce asked what his friend thought, and the friend said he'd only read the book five times, and would have to read it five more times to have any opinion. "But man", Joyce exclaimed, "didn't you at least think it was funny?"
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Dennis

[MelC]

House of Leaves. Like the idea but keep getting bogged down around 120 pages in...

Mel

[DMcCunney]

The book I bounced off of was Sartre's "Being and Nothingness". It's possible I had a poor translation, but after trying several times, and realizing I was reading the same paragraphs three times in a row and having no idea what he was talking about, I gave up.
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Dennis

[Rumpelteazer]

Stephen King's Dark Tower series. I have read book 1 several times but I haven't been able to get past the first couple of chapters of book 2.

I love a lot of his other books, just finished Under the Dome, but I just can't get myself to finish the second book let alone the whole series.

[Katti's Cat]

Originally Posted by Rumpelteazer

... just finished Under the Dome, ...

How was it? It's on my wishlist. Good enough to buy now or wait till price drops?

No Spoilers please

[Katti's Cat]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

The book I bounced off of was Sartre's "Being and Nothingness". It's possible I had a poor translation, but after trying several times, and realizing I was reading the same paragraphs three times in a row and having no idea what he was talking about, I gave up.
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Dennis

Sounds like Sartre - I tried that book a couple of times too, including the original. Still have no idea what he's on about

[Katti's Cat]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

I think the key point to Joyce is that hearing was his primary sense. He was in part attempting to reproduce what he heard on his famous walks through Dublin. You might try reading it aloud and see if it helps.

There's a story, incidentally, about Joyce encountering an old friend on a walk shortly after Ulysses was published. Joyce asked what his friend thought, and the friend said he'd only read the book five times, and would have to read it five more times to have any opinion. "But man", Joyce exclaimed, "didn't you at least think it was funny?"
______
Dennis

That book is on my TBR list - will try to read it with the view that I will be reading a funny book . Maybe that helps

[Rumpelteazer]

Originally Posted by Katti's Cat

How was it? It's on my wishlist. Good enough to buy now or wait till price drops?

No Spoilers please

I liked it. Not as good as The Stand or It, my favorites, but close and certainly better than most of his recent works.

Just one tip:
Before the novel starts there's a list with some of the characters' names and what they do. Not all characters are included and it might be a good idea to keep a list of your own. There are a lot of characters and I sometimes couldn't remember who the minor characters were.

[MelC]

Originally Posted by Rumpelteazer

I liked it. Not as good as The Stand or It, my favorites, but close and certainly better than most of his recent works.

Just one tip:
Before the novel starts there's a list with some of the characters' names and what they do. Not all characters are included and it might be a good idea to keep a list of your own. There are a lot of characters and I sometimes couldn't remember who the minor characters were.

Sounds like a perfect opportunity to use the PRS600 highlighting and annotation features .

Mel

[FlorenceArt]

Wow, you guys are persistent! I tend to get angry at books that bore me or that I don't understand, and I rarely give them a second chance. Life is too short and there are too many books to read, I don't want to stay stuck with one I'm not enjoying