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Post by lindasahandir on May 20, 2007 15:48:35 GMT
I read Lord of the Rings when I was in my late teens/early twenties, and loved it. I read it more than once, in fact, plus any other Tolkien I could get my hands on. A couple of years ago I tried to read it again, but just couldn't get into it - I just don't "get" it any more. In fact, I've tried to read other fantasy-type novels in recent years, and given up. Help, does this mean I've gone and grown up??
Nuala, was it Skallagrigg, by William Horwood, that you tried to read? If so, I'm with your colleague on this one - I found it utterly absorbing and devastating. I read it before I had children, and I think if I read it now it would have an even stronger effect on me. But there you go, different people appreciate different books!
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Post by Conrad Grills on May 20, 2007 16:33:31 GMT
Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha by Roddy Doyle.........................it's just pure mince.
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Post by shemlock on May 20, 2007 20:37:06 GMT
I read Lord of the Rings when I was in my late teens/early twenties, and loved it. I read it more than once, in fact, plus any other Tolkien I could get my hands on. A couple of years ago I tried to read it again, but just couldn't get into it - I just don't "get" it any more. In fact, I've tried to read other fantasy-type novels in recent years, and given up. Help, does this mean I've gone and grown up??
N. But there you go, different people appreciate different books! I tried to read Lord of the Rings, in my teens and twenties, and couldn't get past the first twenty pages. I started them again, in my fifties, and couldn't put them down. What a good thing we are all different and have different tastes, or it would be a very boring world.
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Post by Peek on May 21, 2007 10:15:09 GMT
What a good thing we are all different and have different tastes, or it would be a very boring world. How right you are Shemlock, tastes change and evolve over time, I reckon, and it so wonderful that we are all able to have the choice available to us to be able to read what we like, and when.
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Post by idiotmittens on May 21, 2007 15:18:28 GMT
What books were a total let-down? Human Remains by Sebastian Foulkes - the most plotless, tedious book I have read in ages. Sebastian has obviously spent a lot of time researching psychiatry and is determined to bore the @rse off his readers with the knowledge. Avoid!!!
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Stewpidd
TOG
I know where I am but I can't remember why.
Posts: 542
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Post by Stewpidd on May 22, 2007 22:32:31 GMT
Captain Corelli's Mandolin three times I got about a third in --- have never finished it! Please try again.
It took me many attempts to get into it, and when I did..... I finished it with tears rolling down my face.
Forget the film!
Please try again!
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Stewpidd
TOG
I know where I am but I can't remember why.
Posts: 542
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Post by Stewpidd on May 22, 2007 22:37:42 GMT
Catch 22. Loved the film but, despite several attempts because of PMN's encouragement, have never got past page 3. Thats interesting as I enjoyed the book but not the film. Perhaps our view is determined by the order in which we do things? I agree, I've read the book twice and don't lke the film.
Laughed the first time I read it and got very angry the second!
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Post by smoggie on May 23, 2007 10:02:13 GMT
<"Dare I say it? Anything by Shakespeare. I just can't hack it! That said I've seen a couple of 'plays' and find it much easier.>"
Shakespeare should never be read 'dry' - these are plays and were meant to be done on their feet, and it's a real problem that schools cover them like books - no wonder we grow up not understanding them!
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Post by lindasahandir on May 23, 2007 10:18:46 GMT
Shakespeare should never be read 'dry' - these are plays and were meant to be done on their feet, and it's a real problem that schools cover them like books - no wonder we grow up not understanding them! I couldn't agree more! I was lucky - my school managed to arrange theatre trips to see some of the plays - although I think that was in the sixth form. I'll never forget seeing Julius Caesar at the Chichester Festival Theatre.
For anyone who lives in the East Dorset/West Hampshire area - if you'd like to see Shakespeare plays performed in the open air, I can recommend the Bournemouth Shakespeare Players, who do a production every July in the Christchurch Priory House Garden. Go here and click on "New Shows".
The summer production on Brownsea Island is also a must-see for any Shakepeare fan.
Btw, if anyone does go to the Christchurch one, and gets to speak to Kevin (da boss man) afterwards, just tell him that Elizabeth Bennet sent you!
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Misty Meena
TOG
I'm still hot - it just comes in flushes now!
Posts: 813
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Post by Misty Meena on Jun 14, 2007 8:48:11 GMT
Terminally boring?
Dune (never got far into it, despite several tries).
I also hated The Tin Drum by Gunther Grass, though that one I had to finish as it was a set book on one of my courses in my first year at uni, dunnamany years ago.
It's rare for me not to finish a book even if I don't think it's brilliant, but there are the occasional ones that I really care so little about what happens to the characters or how the story works out that the book gets donated to the local charity shop before I finish it.
And you can add anything by Thomas Hardy to the list too! *ducks*
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Post by smiglet on Jun 14, 2007 11:24:35 GMT
Thomas Hardy can be hard work.
I had to read Jude the obscure for a course I was on - my one word summary of that was 'dismal'
quite right about Shakespeare - it is written to be performed and not read like a book - if you haven't done so go and see a play at the Globe in London it is great fun.
I'll read just about anything but I have one book at home that I've been trying to read for eight years - can't remember the title but it was written by my sons' English teacher - a vanity publishing job - and I bought a copy out of politeness at the school Christmas fair even an insomniac would put it down.
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Post by Tigger on Jun 14, 2007 15:33:07 GMT
Brother Of Tigger rates Umberto Echo. I gave a couple of his books a try - never again, they were incomprehensible and very snore-worthy.
Another rubbish sleeping inducing book is 'This book will change your life' by AM Holmes - absolute rubbish.
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Post by ivy noidea on Jun 14, 2007 16:55:56 GMT
Brother Of Tigger rates Umberto Echo. I gave a couple of his books a try - never again, they were incomprehensible and very snore-worthy. Another rubbish sleeping inducing book is 'This book will change your life' by AM Holmes - absolute rubbish. How weird Tigger. I had not heard of AM Holmes until yesterday when I read about her in Red Magazine - she has brought out a new book about finding her real parents (I have to admit I didn't like her much after reading the article). And here are you mentioning her again.
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St. O
TOG
"Are we nearly there yet?"
Posts: 404
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Post by St. O on Jun 14, 2007 18:18:50 GMT
I absolutely hated 'DaVinci Code', but loved Brown's other efforts, especially 'Digital Fortress'.
Equally I could not get on with Lynne Truss' 'Eats, Shoots and Leaves' but found 'Talk to the Hand' by same person ok-ish.
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Post by revcounter on Jun 15, 2007 14:55:41 GMT
Having gone to school in Dorchester, (Casterbridge), where we were force fed Hardy, I simply can't face any of his mealy mouthed, wrist slashingly-turgid prose.
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Misty Meena
TOG
I'm still hot - it just comes in flushes now!
Posts: 813
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Post by Misty Meena on Jun 15, 2007 16:40:39 GMT
Having gone to school in Dorchester, (Casterbridge), where we were force fed Hardy, I simply can't face any of his mealy mouthed, wrist slashingly-turgid prose. My English teacher at school told us that he had once read Jude the Obscure. He said the only reason he finished it was that he kept thinking "It can't get any more depressing" but (he said) it did!
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Post by lenityg on Jul 10, 2007 22:23:07 GMT
Sorry probably about to be booed off in a minute but I was bored stiff by Lord of the flies had to read it at school tried it again as an adult and still hated it. And I do try to read books I don't like at least twice I learnt from disliking a stephen fry book reading it again and loving it cos I got it but this one I just couldn't. Is ita boys book?
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Post by Jim Possible on Jul 11, 2007 20:20:33 GMT
I have tried and failed several times to read LOTR all the way through (I have them all in one volume) although I did get as far as the half way point in Return of the King once. I find reading Tolkiens prose like wading through treacle. The books have several cul de sacs which the films cleverly avoid i.e. the whole Tom Bombardil sequence in The Fellowship which in the film is explained by Strider saying "Here's some swords" or something similar.
What interests me in LOTR is the parallels of the storyline to those of the real world around the time the books were written even though Tolkien always denied any reflection of real life events in his works.
The story itself is great, it's just the langauge I have failed to overcome again and again.
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Post by poppycorn on Jul 14, 2007 8:27:49 GMT
I too hated The Time Traveller's Wife, it was recommended on the Richard & Judy Show. I also disliked The Da Vinci Code, it started off ok but went downhill and the ending was a big let-down.
Wilt in Nowhere was a disappointment, as I loved the other Wilt books, and find most Tom Sharpe books very funny.
I found For Whom The Bell Tolls hard going too.
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