tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post6842557139775620066..comments2024-02-10T19:58:20.327+00:00Comments on Stuck in a Book: I feel like a leopard...StuckInABookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10017836017530130716noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-84284791584107502442011-03-31T09:04:21.896+01:002011-03-31T09:04:21.896+01:00Screams of outrage no doubt when I write this. I l...Screams of outrage no doubt when I write this. I love the Brontes but would rather have needles stuck in my eyes than read Wuthering Heights again.<br /><br />At the urging of many friends, but very much against my inclination, I read the first Stig Larsson book. I loathed every single minute of it and, for the first time in my blogging life, wrote a stinging review and was very pleased to receive lots of comments from relieved readers who felt the same way I do. Not only was it badly written, but seemed to me for somebody who was so against violence toward women, the author seemed to be thoroughly enjoying writing about it. I thought it was a VILE book.<br /><br />Phew, sorry for letting off steamElainehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17739410242766153431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-40577005667358666552011-03-27T14:10:57.966+01:002011-03-27T14:10:57.966+01:00So sorry to hear you didn't like this one, Sim...So sorry to hear you didn't like this one, Simon. Thanks for linking to my review.<br /><br />Jennifer Johnston comes from a theatrical family -- her father was a playwright and her mother an actor -- and those influences carry through into her novels. Stylistically, she moves most of her stories forward by dialogue, which would explain the (stilted) piece of conversation you quote in your post. I actually think she's a master of the technique, but I can understand why she might not be everyone's cup of tea.<br /><br />She's also written quite a few plays and had her novels turned into films, too.kimbofohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01160466897342054963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-75761046549623628842011-03-26T18:12:24.999+00:002011-03-26T18:12:24.999+00:00Treasure Island, and I feel bad for saying that. B...Treasure Island, and I feel bad for saying that. But it's probably meant for 12 year-old boys.<br /><br />I would say Dan Brown, but I think that's straying more into 'dislike' than 'meh' territory... Although to be fair he can write a page-turner - just one that you end up not caring about.<br /><br />I also felt similarly about the Time Traveller's Wife and The Kite Runner - I enjoyed both of these books above average, but not as much as I'd expected to - and I think it's cos the main characters were annoying and lost my sympathy.Melhttp://melisageek.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-88193342746781997392011-03-26T15:56:44.236+00:002011-03-26T15:56:44.236+00:00Like Pursewarden and others, I tend to feel that w...Like Pursewarden and others, I tend to feel that way about more modern novels. I slogged my way through Mrs. Dalloway (I'm starting to think you either love V. Woolf or you hate her, and I'm not falling into the 'love' camp), but I had to quit reading Same Sweet Girls by Cassandra King last month (she is the wife of Pat Conroy). I just couldn't make myself care about the very predictable story line. Unlike you, Simon, instead of trying her again, I took her other book that was on the TBR shelf and put it in the trash at the same time. I find it hard to give authors a second chance when there's so much good literature out there to read.Susan in TXhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09550766549670690646noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-61795024115631488852011-03-26T02:25:10.849+00:002011-03-26T02:25:10.849+00:00This reminds me of a book club I was in many years...This reminds me of a book club I was in many years ago. The assigned book was The Prince of Tides by Conroy. Some ladies came to the meeting with it clutched to their bosoms at the meaningfulness of it all. The rest of us took turns quoting the absolutely worst passages, in terms of writing, from the novel. That passage you quoted sounds to me just like Conroy Ugh! To this day I cringe when a customer asks for a Conroy book in the bookshop. And, by the way, I am a Heathcliff hater as well. Odd because Jane Eyre is my favorite book of all time. I guess that's part of what keeps the Bronte girls in business!EllenBnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-66115520104958435332011-03-25T21:56:33.884+00:002011-03-25T21:56:33.884+00:00Two books that left me absolutely indifferent:
Ho...Two books that left me absolutely indifferent: <br />House of Sand and Fog and The Time Traveller's Wife. I finished each one -- both of which had come highly recommended -- and it was like I had never bothered to read them all, I cared so little. It just took me several minutes of googling to even remember House of Sand and Fog's title.Bixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10708475709612256751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-54337377373321657092011-03-25T19:11:19.810+00:002011-03-25T19:11:19.810+00:00I agree with pursewarden on this. I do sometimes r...I agree with pursewarden on this. I do sometimes read newer books, but prefer things which have had a chance to settle for a bit. I like the escapism of much older books as well.Desperate Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15708411387912078122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-44252653548768033192011-03-25T18:06:11.802+00:002011-03-25T18:06:11.802+00:00I have an example from the opposite perspective, I...I have an example from the opposite perspective, I loved Wicked by Gregory Maguire. I lent it to about 5 different people, none of whom could be bothered to finish it! I daren't read it again in case I am influenced by their lack of enthusiasm.Joannehttp://www.seagreenreader.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-15162696130519861282011-03-25T17:26:26.912+00:002011-03-25T17:26:26.912+00:00Ouch Simon - not sure I'll give you my book to...Ouch Simon - not sure I'll give you my book to read - it definitely won't pass the test!!<br />I'm with you on Wuthering Heights and I'm with Dark Puss on Virginia Woolf.<br />I have, however, thoroughly enjoyed Tracey Chevalier's book about Mary Anning - perhaps that places me on the culture scale!ovwnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-89398108542244316942011-03-25T13:54:28.174+00:002011-03-25T13:54:28.174+00:00I agree completely with Pursewarden -- so many mod...I agree completely with Pursewarden -- so many modern "literary" novels seem so self-consciously written these days, like they're catering to book groups (or do publishers assume all book groups want to read the same type of book over and over?) I'm far more interested in dead authors these days.<br /><br />I hated, hated, hated The Memory Keeper's Daughter which was all the rage a few years ago, and I was underwhelmed by Water for Elephants. <br /><br />And I'm with you regarding Wuthering Heights, which has some of the most hateful characters in literature. Heathcliff is awful and I'd like to push Cathy off a cliff. They absolutely deserve each other.Karen K.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13483190930383406559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-81416793671079664992011-03-25T12:31:47.960+00:002011-03-25T12:31:47.960+00:00So nice to finally find someone who despises Heath...So nice to finally find someone who despises Heathcliff as much as I do. To me the book is about two of the most banal, self-involved asses in literature. Frankly, I believe Emily Bronte wrote them just to try to get people to dislike them. Imagine her surprise when they were so beloved. Of course, I could be wrong about Ms. Bronte's intentions, but I hope not; wouldn't want my regard for her to drop clean out of sight. Wuthering Heights is well written. I've just never worked up any feeling for her characters other than a mix of loathing and boredom.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02960634164118203746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-77733938904276329472011-03-25T12:20:32.043+00:002011-03-25T12:20:32.043+00:00Such an empty feeling to turn the last page of a b...Such an empty feeling to turn the last page of a book and not give it another thought or even worse be glad that it's over! I was disappointed in The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. So many people love it and on the surface it should have been right up my street but I was 'meh' about it.Darlenehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07415316482631852565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-65253391265833226422011-03-25T11:34:40.408+00:002011-03-25T11:34:40.408+00:00Oh yes! Here's an example of one. The first of...Oh yes! Here's an example of one. The first of the Cornflower Book Group reads was Virginia Woolf's <i>All Passion Spent</i>. I didn't think much of it and that certainly went against the prevailing view. You can <a href="http://cornflower.typepad.com/domestic_arts_blog/2007/12/all-passion-spe.html" rel="nofollow">read the comments</a> for yourselves; I appear in those far-off days as "Peter the Flautist".Dark Pusshttp://morganas-cat.tumblr.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-69774522391979692342011-03-25T10:41:22.844+00:002011-03-25T10:41:22.844+00:00...I just noticed I used "seems" and &qu......I just noticed I used "seems" and "seemingly" in the same post. Drat.Dannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-76453136108553540582011-03-25T10:39:51.291+00:002011-03-25T10:39:51.291+00:00Last year, I read Khaled Hosseini's The Kite R...Last year, I read Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner. As nearly blasphemous as it feels to say, and as much as it seems to disappoint seemingly everyone I've ever met who's read it, I really disliked it. Quite a lot. I just couldn't understand the enthusiasm for it! I also feel the same about most of Mitch Albom's body of work: an author who is loved by many dear friends, but one I really can't bear to read.Dannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-56798919173865293072011-03-25T10:35:23.470+00:002011-03-25T10:35:23.470+00:00Simon, I thought this was such an interesting post...Simon, I thought this was such an interesting post, and not at all underwhelming.<br /><br />For me, the book I would nominate is Josephine Tey's Daughter of Time. I've seen so many positive reviews of this book, and yet I felt appalled as I read it, because the theories it put forward were so tenuous and unsupported. I thought it was dreadful.Karynhttp://apenguinaweek.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-67632818702868133772011-03-25T10:06:56.535+00:002011-03-25T10:06:56.535+00:00Going with Meh novels, The world according to Garp...Going with Meh novels, The world according to Garp and Hertzog are two that spring to mind with me. I have never written about either of them and its not because I disliked them exactly but because I just didnt care. I think I dod that quite alot.<br /><br />Am I missing out on some kind of cultural phenomena with this coach trip?Jessicahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08861424110678889637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-25594095676941538682011-03-25T06:59:27.494+00:002011-03-25T06:59:27.494+00:00I was struck by your comments, because they summed...I was struck by your comments, because they summed up how I feel about a lot of modern novels. It may be a coincidence, but just about everything on my reading list right now was written before I was born (and I'm quite a lot older than you!).Pursewardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08093084051459231677noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-74037555055391525172011-03-25T02:30:51.413+00:002011-03-25T02:30:51.413+00:00I love Coach Trip so much - trashy daytime TV at i...I love Coach Trip so much - trashy daytime TV at it's best! The tour guide man has me in stitches every time!<br /><br />I am often in the same boat with modern novels - style over substance a lot of the time. Especially prizewinners - I don't get the hype over most of them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-78434324407647858982011-03-25T01:48:32.308+00:002011-03-25T01:48:32.308+00:00Sometimes you just don't have a good feeling f...Sometimes you just don't have a good feeling for a book.<br />Thanks for the review.<br />AnnAnn Summervillehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13300190648788509096noreply@blogger.com