The agony and the ecstasy ..

[montsnmags]

Originally Posted by kezza

Good thought. I've done the reading aloud for Irvine Welsh and D.H. Lawrence. Helps immensely with passages written in phonetic brogue, at least until you get the hang of how it should sound in your head. Goodness, took me days to figure out that "gel" meant "girl."

You should try Roddy Doyle's 'Barrytown Trilogy' if you haven't already (you can get them together as one book). When you get the hang of it (which doesn't take long), the books almost sing to you.

For my mind, 'The Commitments', the first in the trilogy, is the weakest of the books, though still very good. 'The Snapper' and 'The Van', however, are of increasing goodness-to-excellence.

I've never actually seen any of the film adaptations, though I'm told 'The Snapper' is very good.

Cheers,
Marc

[astra]

Originally Posted by Penforhire

Okay, curiousity question. Did you ever read Tim Powers' "Last Call?" Did you like it? I ask because it felt a lot (to me) like American Gods.

Nope. I have not read him yet. I do plan to read Anubis Gates quite soon though.

The problem I had with American Gods was with Neil Gaiman, not the story itself. I didn't like his style. A few weeks ago me and my wife watched Stardust movie and really liked it! One of the best movies I have seen recently. So, my wife took the book from out bookshelf and started to read....she gave up after 80-100 pages. She said she doesn't like his style. At that moment I was about 1/3 through American Gods and I still hoped that it is going to improve...

[tompe]

Originally Posted by astra_lestat

The problem I had with American Gods was with Neil Gaiman, not the story itself. I didn't like his style. A few weeks ago me and my wife watched Stardust movie and really liked it! One of the best movies I have seen recently. So, my wife took the book from out bookshelf and started to read....she gave up after 80-100 pages. She said she doesn't like his style. At that moment I was about 1/3 through American Gods and I still hoped that it is going to improve...

I read Stardust just before watching the movie and the movie was kind of destroyed by that for every change they had done in the movie was a change to something that was not as good as in the book or in some cases was really bad (like the ending). I really like the book. But then I really liked American Gods also.

[aapezzuto]

I think that the book <=> food analogy is a good one. Most of the time you have a reason why you are eating something... Is it due to a craving, perhaps an area that is lacking in your current diet (I get major salad cravings... and the occasional need for another home repair book).

Some things you choose because deep down you think they are good for you. Other things you spend time experiencing so you have something in common with others to talk about. Some experiences we choose just to broaden our horizons. And sometimes, late at night, we pull our a guilty un redeemable pleasure... while no one is looking.


Some of my greatest regrets / time sinks have been when I have forgotten why I am doing something, and make a choice based on my current status. I have tried to read several Stephen King books for pleasure... and fought way to far into them out of a need for compleateness or fairness. Other times I have kept myself up all night reading about wood jointing , when all I needed to know what what to look for in a special type of saw for my shopping the next day...

There are so many wonderful variations in this world that your pleasure reading (and eating) should be pleasant. However sometimes you have to try something new 5-10 times before you gain an appreciation for them... and eventually enjoy them. (for me wine and biographies fit into this group)

[astrodad]

Originally Posted by tompe

I read Stardust just before watching the movie and the movie was kind of destroyed by that for every change they had done in the movie was a change to something that was not as good as in the book or in some cases was really bad (like the ending). I really like the book. But then I really liked American Gods also.

My wife and I had the same experience. We enjoyed the book but absolutely loathed the movie. We both also read "Neverwhere" by Neil Gaiman and we both seem to like his style.

[ProfJulie]

I've started War & Peace probably 5 times - the most likely chance of getting through the book was when my book club decided to read it. We all were a bit too optimistic....I don't think anyone finished it. Oh well, I've loaded War & Peace on my eBook reader and I'll try it again eventually.

I carried around Catch 22 for at least a year and never could make it to the end. Someone asked me once why I continued forcing myself to read a book I didn't enjoy....there are so many others out there to read...That observation changed my perspective somewhat so I don't feel so guilty about putting a book to the side.

One book I had a really hard time reading the first time I attempted it was Pilgrim at Tinker Creek....again another book club book. But several members were raving about it, so I thought I'd try it again. The second time I decided to read it, I really loved it and now it's one of my all time favorite books. I guess some of it boils down to where your head is at the time you pick a book up to read.

[Jorgen]

I often drop a book without finishing, even right at the beginning (eg. the two Dan Brown books I tried). Feeling of guilt? No, the author should feel guilty!

And, yes, badgoodDeb, I drop them faster now than in my young days, when I may try harder to like something I was recommended to read. Today I know better than to believe in recommendations, I suppose.

[recycledelectron]

I give up on most of the books that I start. Sometimes, I can not figure them out - even after restarting several times. Sometimes, they are boring. Often, I get half way through a book I'm reading for fun, and figure out that I have too much to do, so it goes in the half-finished pile until I need to clean up, then it ends up on my shelves.

Originally Posted by montsnmags

If you want depressing (but "essential reading"), try Primo Levi's 'If This Is A Man' (for some reason renamed 'Survival in Auschwitz' in the US I believe). It is a mighty brilliant darkness he presents, and it'll stay with you.

Primo Levi is definitely an author that everyone should read. I found his book "If Not Now, When" to be uplifting, until I realized it was his only fictional holocaust book. I had really gotten a lift from the people fighting back.

Andy

[Zevs]

...well I do buy more books than I ever can read, this has always been the case. My physical library bookshelf is full of wonderful books, most of which I haven't gotten to yet

I guess I'm repeating myself with e-books, buying too many! I probably have bought more than 150 books from Connect... and reading and reading to get ahead. Very seldom buying regular books anymore, the Reader really converted me, and I don't have space for more bookshelf at home anyhow

Zevs

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by Zevs

...well I do buy more books than I ever can read, this has always been the case. My physical library bookshelf is full of wonderful books, most of which I haven't gotten to yet

I just concluded that buying books and reading them were two separate and distinct pleasures, so I wouldn't feel guilty about buying six and having time to read two. (Yes, it's a sophistry, but it works for me...)

I guess I'm repeating myself with e-books, buying too many! I probably have bought more than 150 books from Connect... and reading and reading to get ahead. Very seldom buying regular books anymore, the Reader really converted me, and I don't have space for more bookshelf at home anyhow

I have about 3,500 ebooks on my device, none purchased. There is far more freely available in the public domain or under a Creative Commons license that I want to read than I have time for.

The nice thing about unread ebooks is that you won't need to call the paramedics if the unread stack falls over on me...
______
Dennis

[Zevs]

Thanks Dennis.. it feels good to know there are more fanatics out there

Zevs

[astra]

Originally Posted by Zevs

Thanks Dennis.. it feels good to know there are more fanatics out there

Zevs

The same here, or used to be.
I managed to restrain myself. Saved money allows me to buy a new generation eInk reader instead of using old version

[Catire]

I usually read at least a quarter or halfway into a book before i give up on it, if the story doesnt interest me i put it down and never look back on it. I gave Stephen R Donaldson's Thomas Covenant Chronicles untill its second book before i gave up on it, i gave up on Saga of the Seven Suns series halfway through the third book.

I loved George RR Martin's A song of ice and fire enough to reread the whole series 3 times, and Robert Jordan's WOT books twice( i was saddened when he passed away last year ).

Originally Posted by Zevs

Thanks Dennis.. it feels good to know there are more fanatics out there

I used to do that untill i moved out of the us and the books i like, scifi and fantasy, became a little harder to find for me, for some reason not many people like to read those genres here (venezuela) and when i do find a book i would be interested in its a translation from a foreign language (usually english to spanish), wich is something that i dont like.

[eumesmo]

The only book I feel ashamed of not being able to finish reading is the Gulag Archipelago, hopefully I'll try again, but not really a literary priority. I also had a very hard time finishing War and Peace, the only thing that kept me going was the effort already spent, I didn't resonate at all with the book, it was very interesting to me felling nothing or very little for such highly acclaimed title. Some books are by nature hard to get into, like Faulkner's "Absalom!, Absalom!" I must have pushed through 150 pages, but wow, what a masterpiece, certainly worth your time of a 100 easy reads. Like Socrates ventured, pain and pleasure are very, or too closely related, just it would be pleasure to suffer the agony if you knew ecstasy was imminent, but with books that's hardly certain.

[Jer]

Books are like everything else in the world, that being if we all had the same taste it would be a very boring place indeed. For books I've had the world's worst time reading, I'd have to say the absolute worst book I've ever read was Watership Down. I could not stand that book. I do have to admit that my novel taste has gotten lighter in recent years. Instead of great classics, I much prefer an easy to read thriller or fantasy novel. Dean Koontz is probably my favorite author at the moment, though Christie Golden comes close with her new Final Dance series. As for older and more respected authors? I must admit that Alexander Dumas is my favorite.