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Post by Nutty on Jun 14, 2023 14:48:18 GMT 1
There are only a handful of books that I just couldn't get into.
The most recent was "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini - a Xmas gift from a friend in the England. She was fulsome in its praise - but I ground to a halt inside 20 pages. Tried to kick start it again but no joy.
Another was Tolkien's "The Hobbit".. I think I pulled the plug at the bottom of page 1. I tried "The Lord of the Rings" - same thing.
Then there was a Terry Pratchett novel - no idea where that went but I couldn't read it.
Apologies to all Tolkien, Pratchett and Hosseini fans.
Nutty
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Post by amandaj on Jun 14, 2023 15:24:27 GMT 1
Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall - started it but just couldn't carry on (very unusual for me) the critics etc seem to love it but not me.
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Post by ForumUser2 on Jun 14, 2023 15:25:17 GMT 1
Finnegan's Wake or Ulysses.
I felt it only patriotic to try.
Anyone who claims to have read both is either lying or on drugs.
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Post by traveller on Jun 14, 2023 15:53:26 GMT 1
I read loads of books chosen mainly at random, I don’t bother with favourite authors, although I do have some, at the moment I’m on holiday and struggling through a Lee Child book I found there called Better off Dead which is the worst book I’ve come across for a long time. I did try to read Huckleberry Finn recently and had to discard that, along with the biography of Sean from The Chase, which was disappointingly very boring. I love Thomas Hardy enough to have visited his birthplace. I’ll stop now otherwise this post could get very long and boring just like Sean.
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Post by lapourtaider on Jun 14, 2023 16:01:34 GMT 1
Most biographies. Inevitably they're my, I, me, etc. Tried a couple, haven't bothered since, though I am going to make an effort with Captain Tom's.
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Nifty
Member
Posts: 5,359
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Post by Nifty on Jun 14, 2023 17:35:10 GMT 1
I tried to read a book about four or five years ago. It was rubbish and I don’t think I made it past chapter 1. I think it was written by an American who tried to write about his world travels on a motorcycle. Unsurprisingly, or not, I have forgotten both his name and the book tile. It was not one of these overlandmag.com/product-category/books/I found The Glass Bead Game very hard work but was determined to read it. Not sure if I should have bothered.
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Post by lapourtaider on Jun 14, 2023 17:53:51 GMT 1
There are only a handful of books that I just couldn't get into. Another was Tolkien's "The Hobbit".. I think I pulled the plug at the bottom of page 1. I tried "The Lord of the Rings" - same thing. Apologies to all Tolkien fans. No apology needed, though I should warn you I am currently reading LOTR for the umpteenth time (probably more than 20, maybe less than 30).
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Post by jackie on Jun 14, 2023 18:27:46 GMT 1
Crime novels are a turn-off for me especially those that feature sadistic murders of women.
Loved The Hobbit but found LOTRs a bit long-winded but appreciate the breadth and scale of Tolkein’s imagination and writing.
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Nifty
Member
Posts: 5,359
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Post by Nifty on Jun 14, 2023 18:40:32 GMT 1
Most biographies. Inevitably they're my, I, me, etc. Tried a couple, haven't bothered since, though I am going to make an effort with Captain Tom's. Perhaps try Peter Cook : A Biography or No Room for Secrets (2005)
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Post by lapourtaider on Jun 16, 2024 19:07:49 GMT 1
Most biographies. Inevitably they're my, I, me, etc. Tried a couple, haven't bothered since, though I am going to make an effort with Captain Tom's. Finally got round to reading CTs. Very well written very interesting. First time I've ever enjoyed an autobiography.
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Post by jardiniere on Jun 17, 2024 9:56:22 GMT 1
Another was Tolkien's "The Hobbit". ... I tried "The Lord of the Rings" - same thing. Same for me. I longed to appreciate them as much as my son did.
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Post by jeliecrack on Jun 17, 2024 10:15:18 GMT 1
lord of the rings, absolute crap never got past the third chapter
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Post by cernunnos on Jun 17, 2024 15:31:13 GMT 1
Read it many times and then the hobbit too, starting when I was 14, it was amazing to me ! Classics .
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Post by woolybanana on Jun 17, 2024 17:10:29 GMT 1
Had to force myself to read much of the stiff that was forced on me for my English Degree? Stuff I enjoyed was not really studied.
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Post by iolar on Jun 18, 2024 8:04:19 GMT 1
I tried to read a book about four or five years ago. It was rubbish and I don’t think I made it past chapter 1. I think it was written by an American. Unsurprisingly, or not, I have forgotten both his name and the book tile. It was not one of these overlandmag.com/product-category/books/I found The Glass Bead Game very hard work but was determined to read it. Not sure if I should have bothered. That was Herman Hesse taking the piss out of 'intellectuals' he knew they wouldn't see it and to prove the point they gave him the Nobel prize And then there's - Narziss und Goldmund which, within a few pages Hesse peels away the present day and takes you straight into medieval Germany, it felt like really living in that time. I've actually visited that part of southern Germany, it still has that feeling, a fabulous book. He wrote a book of short stories - Strange News From Another Star - I re-read it every few years. No wonder he was a favourite of the young in the 60s'.
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