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Josh
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« on: May 05, 2004, 01:47:01 PM » |
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Ever read a celebrated, acclaimed, and highly regarded novel and think, "Man... what's the big deal?"
A few selections that have left me with that feeling:
The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway. Depressing, extremely slow, close to plotless, and with characters that are almost interchangeable. What a yawner.
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, by James Joyce. Literary critics practically wet themselves over this one. And I confess that, indeed, this book has a lot going for it... but, in order to attain it, I think Joyce sacrificed good storytelling, which is ultimately the most important thing in a novel, isn't it?
Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens. Dickens is good at characterization. I can see why some would like this book. I, however, found it to be arguably the most boring book I've ever read.
More to come...
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dgp11776
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« Reply #1 on: May 05, 2004, 01:55:43 PM » |
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Practically too many to list for me.
Zen and the Art of Motorcyle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig
I remember the back said, "The most important book of the 20th century." I could hardly contain the laughter. I found it a total bore-fest.
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
Ditto on Portrait by Joyce
The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy
Basically every book I read in College English.
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RokrantheGreat
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« Reply #2 on: May 05, 2004, 02:40:02 PM » |
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Lord of the Flies [_[
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\"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the former.\" - Albert Einstein
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Aaron
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« Reply #3 on: May 05, 2004, 06:41:09 PM » |
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I can't stand any of Ernest Hemingway's works.
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iota
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« Reply #4 on: May 05, 2004, 07:16:52 PM » |
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I'd agree with the Hemingway sentiment expressed thus far.
A few others not mentioned yet that left me indifferent and wondering what the fuss was all about: Great Gatsby and Camus' The Stranger.
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Aaron
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« Reply #5 on: May 05, 2004, 07:20:39 PM » |
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I actually enjoyed The Great Gatsby, even after beating it do death in AP English, senior year of high school.
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DvChWi
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« Reply #6 on: May 05, 2004, 07:52:03 PM » |
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I didn't really hate it, but John Steinback's Grapes of Wrath felt like a giant pamphlet for organized labor rather than a fully developed novel.
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Fun facts about Chuck Norris:
Newton's Third Law is wrong: Although it states that for each action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, there is no force equal in reaction to a Chuck Norris roundhouse kick.
Chuck Norris can divide by zero.
Chuck Norris CAN believe it's not butter.
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Josh
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« Reply #7 on: May 05, 2004, 07:54:51 PM » |
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I thought Lord of the Flies and Great Gatsby were both EXCELLENT, actually, albeit rather dark. But the craftsmanship, storytelling skills, and insightfullness on display in both works made them both rich and enjoyable books, in my opinion.
And a hearty yes to all the Hemingway haters, although I must confess that Old Man and the Sea was alright.
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ThePurplePerson
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« Reply #8 on: May 05, 2004, 08:02:21 PM » |
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« Last Edit: May 05, 2004, 08:02:31 PM by ThePurplePerson »
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-ruth ann
it's like God himself is coming home to say:
"I, I can do anything, if you want me here.
and I can fix anything, if you'll let me near.
where are those secrets now (that you're just scared to tell)?
I'll whisper them all aloud so you can hear yourself."
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Vlad!
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« Reply #9 on: May 05, 2004, 08:03:00 PM » |
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The Great Gastsby was OK. Lord of the Flies wasn't too hot, but it wasn't bad and once I saw the allegory and heard the reason he wrote it I 'got' it a lot more. And I liked Old Man and the Sea.
And a big thank you to all you Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man haters.
One book that I haven't seen here but don't like too much is Ethan Frome. Yeah, not a big fan of that one.
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If you don’t have freedom as a principle, you can never see a reason not to make an exception. There are constantly going to be times when for one reason or another there’s some practical convenience in making an exception.
rms
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Josh
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« Reply #10 on: May 05, 2004, 08:10:25 PM » |
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I loved Ethan Frome, but I know I'm in the vast minority on that one. It's depressing, sure, so it's not something I'd read over and over again, but I still like it.
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linds
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« Reply #11 on: May 06, 2004, 02:55:28 PM » |
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i don't understand why people hate james joyce. firstly, he did not sacrifice great storytelling (which, i assume, josh meant to mean plot). 'portrait' is a complicated yet compelling story of the journey of stephen dedalus from boy to man. joyce understands the beauty of language, the subtleties of dialogue, and the mysteries of the passage from childhood to adulthood. if you want more, i could go on. but i'll quit with that. maybe we need a joyce thread, so i can elaborate and back up my statements. honestly, i don't understand how people can disregard this novel; i truly consider it a work of genius. as for something that i actually agree with you all about: hemingway is a bit overrated. however, i actually enjoyed "the sun also rises,' because i thought that the characters were well developed, and the ending was beautifully sad. however, i've attempted to read a couple other works by hemingway, and i've never ever been hooked. also, i absolutely loved 'jane eyre.' it's always been one of my favorites. i might agree that it could be a bit shorter, but it's fairly easy to just skip over the irrelevant passages. so maybe what i mean is that i absolutely loved most of jane eyre. anyway, joyce-haters, attack me if you will...  |
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\"I saved Latin. What did you ever do?\"
--Rushmore
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oneafroboy
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« Reply #12 on: May 06, 2004, 04:15:37 PM » |
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I thought Joyce's Portait was fine, personally...
I honestly cannot stand Herman Melville. I never could get through Moby Dick, and Billy Budd was simply unbearable.
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\"Living your life like you're trapped in a bad rap video is just not that appealing.\"
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Vlad!
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« Reply #13 on: May 06, 2004, 04:22:46 PM » |
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I don't think any of us 'disregarded' Joyce; give us credit for some sense. Books that I have to read for school never get my totally unbiased opinion, but now that I look back from a couple years' distance, I can more accurately decide which ones I gave the short end of the stick to and which ones actually deserved my disapprobation. Lord of the Flies, for instance, was far from my favorite book when we had to read it. Now, I think that it's a decent story with a good point. Portrait of the Artist, however, still makes me wince. I read it, and I understood the plot, how it was organized, and the sort of thing it was conveying. And I didn't like it. My impression is that those who do like it look down on those who don't as being too literarily uncultured to appreciate its genius whereas those who don't look down on those who do like it as jumping on the intellectual bandwagon and deluding themselves into thinking it's a good book.
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If you don’t have freedom as a principle, you can never see a reason not to make an exception. There are constantly going to be times when for one reason or another there’s some practical convenience in making an exception.
rms
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bethany
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« Reply #14 on: May 06, 2004, 04:44:22 PM » |
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The only Hemingway I've read is The Old Man and the Sea, and I thought it was great.
I hate all the Dickens I've read (A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations, Oliver Twist). I hate Walden by Thoreau.
I love The Great Gatsby.
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Vlad!
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« Reply #15 on: May 06, 2004, 06:04:10 PM » |
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If you don’t have freedom as a principle, you can never see a reason not to make an exception. There are constantly going to be times when for one reason or another there’s some practical convenience in making an exception.
rms
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bethany
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« Reply #16 on: May 06, 2004, 06:58:18 PM » |
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I'm not saying Walden doesn't make for some good quotes, but reading the damn thing is a serious act of endurance. Thoreau likes to talk a lot, and he repeats himself often. I just find it really painstaking to trudge through. (Back me up here, Linds--I know you're a fellow Walden-hater)
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enemy anemone
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« Reply #17 on: May 06, 2004, 07:26:57 PM » |
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I haven't read Walden but like some of the quotes you posted, Vlad!
I hated The Sun Also Rises and felt the pointlessness of the story just went along with the pointlessness of the characters' lives.
for school I'm supposed to read Double Indemnity, The Maltese Falcon, and Farewell My Lovely. boring boring boring. not exactly great classics but classic pulp fiction I guess.
I didn't like Oliver Twist or Great Expectations.
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« Last Edit: May 06, 2004, 07:29:27 PM by schilleriana »
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Josh
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« Reply #18 on: May 06, 2004, 08:10:13 PM » |
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Oh oh oh! Another wretched reading experience: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. The only interesting part of the whole book is the author's name.
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bethany
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« Reply #19 on: May 06, 2004, 08:21:35 PM » |
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I haven't read The Maltese Falcon, but it's by Dashiell Hammett, and he's cool. Have you read either of those three books yet, Schil, or are you just assuming you'll be bored by them?
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enemy anemone
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« Reply #20 on: May 06, 2004, 11:57:53 PM » |
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I read most of Double Indemnity after watching the film. it was all right because I was wondering how they'd carry out their plan. currently trying to read The Maltese Falcon but can't get into it. I have a slang dictionary to help me through Farewell My Lovely so we'll see how that goes. I just don't care for the genre I guess. the stock characters of film noir and pulp fiction (femme fatale, man who falls for femme fatale and goes to his doom etc...) annoy me. the class is one on American popular culture and I'm sure pulp fiction and film noir play a role in its development but we are spending way too much time and emphasis on them.
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bethany
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« Reply #21 on: May 07, 2004, 10:52:48 AM » |
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That reminds me: I hate The Scarlett Letter also.
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Vlad!
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« Reply #22 on: May 07, 2004, 11:08:38 AM » |
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Of Mice and Men was OK, but not great, IMO. Scarlet Letter...hm...didn't get into it at the time, but looking back, I don't think it was that bad. Hawthorne is almost single-handedly responsible for giving the Puritans a bad name, though.
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If you don’t have freedom as a principle, you can never see a reason not to make an exception. There are constantly going to be times when for one reason or another there’s some practical convenience in making an exception.
rms
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Guest
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« Reply #23 on: May 07, 2004, 12:19:20 PM » |
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I rather liked "Of Mice and Men" and the only Hemingway novel I've read, "A Farewell to Arms", was very good as well.
I couldn't get into "Ethan Frome"
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ash
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« Reply #24 on: May 08, 2004, 11:42:48 PM » |
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I didn't think Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe was a boring book. I thought most of the names and many of the terms were extremely confusing - making the book a mess. But, if you change the names and ignore the unimportant terms then it's all good. I won't be reading it again any time soon - though, I'm glad I read it.
I'm nearly done with Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway, and I like it so far. I think it's a good book but I sometimes get confused with the fishing terms - big surprise. G'night all; enjoy the books you read and have to read - it makes life much easier.
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« Last Edit: May 08, 2004, 11:43:04 PM by ash »
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\"God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.\" -- C.S. Lewis (The Problem of Pain)
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Josh
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« Reply #25 on: May 10, 2004, 09:56:51 AM » |
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Call me crazy-- and I know that any credibility I ever had as a literary critic will be shot by this statement-- but I didn't care much for Willy Shaker's Midsummer Night's Dream. And, truth be told, I thought Romeo and Juliet was merely alright. Macbeth is wicked-cool, however, so don't think I'm dissing the Bard.  |
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Vlad!
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« Reply #26 on: May 10, 2004, 11:29:17 AM » |
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Me and Shakespeare:
I have read:
Henry V
Macbeth
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Romeo and Juliet
I have seen:
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Romeo and Juliet
As You Like It
The Taming of the Shrew
Macbeth
I would like to read:
Hamlet
The Tempest
I liked most of what I read and saw.
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If you don’t have freedom as a principle, you can never see a reason not to make an exception. There are constantly going to be times when for one reason or another there’s some practical convenience in making an exception.
rms
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DvChWi
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« Reply #27 on: May 10, 2004, 11:37:03 AM » |
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My copycat reply:
I have read:
A Midsummer's Night Dream
As You Like It
The Merchant of Venice
King Lear
I Have Seen:
The Merchant of Venice
Henry V
If we want an active discussion on the Lit board, we should start a Merchant of Venice thread. Probably the most controversial thing I have ever read, apart from the Bible.
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« Last Edit: May 10, 2004, 11:37:26 AM by DvChWi »
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Fun facts about Chuck Norris:
Newton's Third Law is wrong: Although it states that for each action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, there is no force equal in reaction to a Chuck Norris roundhouse kick.
Chuck Norris can divide by zero.
Chuck Norris CAN believe it's not butter.
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Vlad!
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« Reply #28 on: May 10, 2004, 01:29:18 PM » |
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If we want an active discussion on the Lit board, we should start a Merchant of Venice thread. Probably the most controversial thing I have ever read, apart from the Bible. I downloaded it from gutenberg.org, and maybe I'll read it over the break. I need something to do at work instead of, you know, working  |
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If you don’t have freedom as a principle, you can never see a reason not to make an exception. There are constantly going to be times when for one reason or another there’s some practical convenience in making an exception.
rms
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ThePurplePerson
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« Reply #29 on: May 10, 2004, 01:32:42 PM » |
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-ruth ann
it's like God himself is coming home to say:
"I, I can do anything, if you want me here.
and I can fix anything, if you'll let me near.
where are those secrets now (that you're just scared to tell)?
I'll whisper them all aloud so you can hear yourself."
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THEONEWHOGURGLESCROCKPOTS
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« Reply #30 on: May 10, 2004, 04:18:08 PM » |
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For all those Hemingway readers go out and read the complete short stories of Hemingway and tell me what you think. I love Hemingway.
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Vlad!
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« Reply #31 on: May 10, 2004, 06:50:51 PM » |
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Anyone read some Robert Louis Steveson? Treasure Island is great and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is worth a reading, but I couldn't struggle all the way through Kidnapped or The Body Snatcher.
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If you don’t have freedom as a principle, you can never see a reason not to make an exception. There are constantly going to be times when for one reason or another there’s some practical convenience in making an exception.
rms
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Josh
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« Reply #32 on: May 10, 2004, 07:44:04 PM » |
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Anyone read some Robert Louis Steveson? Treasure Island is great and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is worth a reading, but I couldn't struggle all the way through Kidnapped or The Body Snatcher. I love Treasure Island. One of the all-time great adventure books. The Muppet version ain't bad, either... |
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Vlad!
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« Reply #33 on: May 10, 2004, 07:47:16 PM » |
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Maybe it's our very own...Jim Hawkins! If I had the map my friends and I wouldn't be here serving you rum, Mr. Bones OK, sorry  |
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If you don’t have freedom as a principle, you can never see a reason not to make an exception. There are constantly going to be times when for one reason or another there’s some practical convenience in making an exception.
rms
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Josh
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« Reply #34 on: May 10, 2004, 08:08:44 PM » |
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Old Tom... here!...Really Old Tom... here!... Dead Tom...
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glatisant
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« Reply #35 on: May 27, 2004, 08:35:29 PM » |
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« Last Edit: May 27, 2004, 08:38:25 PM by glatisant »
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Wildcatblue7
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« Reply #36 on: June 01, 2004, 08:34:09 AM » |
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I love The Great Gatsby as well as all the Dickens books I've read. On the other hand, I had to read Hemingway's Old Man and the Sea for lit this year and HATED it. Dang, that book is pathetic. Ugh, it gives me the shivers just thinking about it. AWFUL.
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glatisant
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« Reply #37 on: June 03, 2004, 11:49:58 PM » |
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I think I tried to read The Old Man and the Sea when I was in fifth grade, and made it through four-fifths of it before losing interest (I mean, just get rid of the dang fish already! or have the old man capsize, or something) and losing the book somewhere. I'd probably like it better today, I think.
Another one I thought of: Wuthering Heights, for high school senior English class. Way too many coincidences, and I spent the entire time fighting the urge to leap into the book to slap the Tragic Doomed Romantic couple silly. How can anyone like someone who hangs his neighbors' dogs out of revenge??
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« Last Edit: June 04, 2004, 08:51:10 AM by glatisant »
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Vlad!
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« Reply #38 on: June 04, 2004, 07:22:26 AM » |
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How can anyone like someone who hangs his neighbors' dogs out of revenge?? I've been tempted to hang our neighbor's golden retrievers if they don't stop with the barkbarkbarkbark all day long  I think The Old Man and the Sea is a book that you have to get into in order to enjoy, and it can be hard to get into. I didn't like it as much when I read it as I do now looking back on it. Actually, I guess the same could be said for a lot of classics. |
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If you don’t have freedom as a principle, you can never see a reason not to make an exception. There are constantly going to be times when for one reason or another there’s some practical convenience in making an exception.
rms
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oneafroboy
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« Reply #39 on: June 04, 2004, 07:30:25 AM » |
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It's not a classic unless it's boring and hard to read. |
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\"Living your life like you're trapped in a bad rap video is just not that appealing.\"
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