Books People Can't Finish

[Manabi]

Originally Posted by Dngrsone

You don't want to try Dune, then Manabi.

I've read the first book, but believe I stopped there. I did get tired of the universe and decided to read other stuff and haven't returned to it yet. But I liked the first book okay. Not my favorite novel by any means, but it wasn't horrible either.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Dngrsone

If I can find the books... don't know which kid is hiding them at the moment.

Have you been able to find them? I'd be very interested to have an example of the spelling and grammatical errors you mention. I've thoroughly re-read the first few pages of books 4 and 5 (which were the ones you mentioned) and can find none.

[DrNefario]

Originally Posted by Dngrsone

You don't want to try Dune, then Manabi.

Oh, that has just reminded me that I never successfully made it through Dune Messiah. I think I tried twice, but it just wasn't happening for me. It seemed to be soiling some of the great things about Dune, and not really going anywhere.

I have no intention of reading any of the follow-ups to Rendezvous with Rama. Sometimes sequels are just not called for.

[Ekaros]

I dropped the Mallorean at some point because the whole teen-boy thing, with angst and pure idiocy, became too unbearable for me (and I was teen then)...

There is also quite lot of stuff I don't even consider starting like Alastalon salissa.

[Dngrsone]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Have you been able to find them? I'd be very interested to have an example of the spelling and grammatical errors you mention. I've thoroughly re-read the first few pages of books 4 and 5 (which were the ones you mentioned) and can find none.

Not yet. Frankly, I've been preoccupied with work and other things to go looking.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Dngrsone

Not yet. Frankly, I've been preoccupied with work and other things to go looking.

OK. I'll wait .

[Manabi]

Originally Posted by DrNefario

I have no intention of reading any of the follow-ups to Rendezvous with Rama. Sometimes sequels are just not called for.

I had read all the bad reviews before I decided to try them, but thought "Well, maybe it's not really that bad." In a way I was correct, it was worse. You'll be much happier avoiding them.

[speakingtohe]

I find it much harder to read epic fantasy and saga type books then I did as a 10 year old. Maybe because I have more choice.

I was a big reader of literary and westerns as a child because that was what was around, And I enjoyed them both. I devoured Clavell and Michener and Uris in my teens and 20's as well as anything Science Fiction. (I switched from Shakespeare to SF because I had finished everything Shakespeare that was available to me)

I don't think you can force feed reading for those who are not inclined, and I also do not think that force feeding inhibits reading enjoyment in those that are inclined to read. If you like to read you will read anything if needs must and not be usually be overly unhappy you did.

Giving someone something that they will enjoy reading is a good thing. Telling them they have to read something is not necessarily a bad thing. I wasn't crazy about home economics in school, but I kind of like cookbooks now.

Helen

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by DrNefario

Oh, that has just reminded me that I never successfully made it through Dune Messiah. I think I tried twice, but it just wasn't happening for me. It seemed to be soiling some of the great things about Dune, and not really going anywhere.

I have no intention of reading any of the follow-ups to Rendezvous with Rama. Sometimes sequels are just not called for.

Lots of readers who thought that Dune was an action-adventure novel (The Hero's Journey, unsullied) die off, reading-wise, in DM. I was on the afd dune group for a bajillion years, and that was a large part of the endless argument--that whole "Paul Atreides as a hero" thing, rather than "Paul-as-monster" aspect. I honestly thought, after reading the entire set, more than a few times, that Chapterhouse may well have have been his masterpiece. GEoD is particularly hard to wade through, in a number of ways.

In all, if you'e obsessed with continuity, the Dune Chronicles (I speak solely of Frank's works, not the abortions put out by Brian) are not for you, as the "powers" of the "hero" change dramatically over the series, as if Frank couldn't be bothered. What he did write about pretty dramatically were the dangers of dependency (in SO many ways--water, oil, drugs...), oracular powers creating the future; he was quite prescient about the dangers of politics and religion "riding in the same cart," and he was spectacular about the dangers of overweight bureaucracies, social security and the like. Brilliant. If you haven't tried to read them in quite a while, you might re-read Dune and work your way out--Dune and its offspring read completely differently to adults than they do to teens. One of my favorite literary sci-fi novels of all time, taken as a whole (the Chronicles).

Hitch

[Ekaros]

Originally Posted by Manabi

I had read all the bad reviews before I decided to try them, but thought "Well, maybe it's not really that bad." In a way I was correct, it was worse. You'll be much happier avoiding them.

I read the second one, it was passable, but certainly not as good. Third one I dropped at half-way or so and read the plot synopsis for rest, I don't think I missed anything there... I don't think the other books really worked so well as the first one.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by HarryT

OK. I'll wait .

Harry:

I think I actually have the original Scholastic edition (purchased at a second-hand bookshop) that was the first publication. If you'd like, I could dig it up and plow through the first 5-10 pages, see if I can find anything?

Hitch

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Harry:

I think I actually have the original Scholastic edition (purchased at a second-hand bookshop) that was the first publication. If you'd like, I could dig it up and plow through the first 5-10 pages, see if I can find anything?

Hitch

That would be most appreciated. I've carefully read the first 10 pages of the UK editions, and can find no errors.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by HarryT

That would be most appreciated. I've carefully read the first 10 pages of the UK editions, and can find no errors.

You bet. I'll scrounge it up this weekend; I'm pretty sure it's on the actual shelves, not still in the legal moving boxes (ahem...from 5 years ago) that have never been unpacked due to lack of bookcase space. (Entire WALLS of 6-7' tall bookcases, and I still don't have enough. I can't believe it.) Anyway, it shouldn't take more than a few minutes to find and I'll peruse the first 10 pages. I'm looking for what, typos and "strolled" or something like that? Can anyone remind me what the phrasing was that was off-putting? (To save me having to re-read a huge chunk of this thread?????)

Hitch

[Yapyap]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Can anyone remind me what the phrasing was that was off-putting? (To save me having to re-read a huge chunk of this thread?????)

Hitch

Too many ("several dozen" in just the first book) occurrences of "stretched his legs" instead of walking, IIRC, if that's the one you meant.

[Prestidigitweeze]

Harry wasn't asking about our conversation. He was responding to the following complaint about Harry Potter books (which was made by Dngrsone, not Harold Bloom):

Originally Posted by Dngrsone
I get very irritated when I find a grammatical/spelling error within the first ten pages.