Books I've tried to read but couldn't
Submitted by sunburst on Tue, 02/20/2001 - 10:04
Tags:
- Finnegans Wake by James Joyce
- Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov
- Hitchiker's guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
- The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon
- Mason & Dixon by Thomas Pynchon
- Slaughterhouse five by Kurt Vonnegut
Author Comments:
I know a lot of people who like these books, but for one reason or another, I found trying to read them more trouble than it was worth. I HATE dropping a book before I've finished it, and enjoy many of the above authors other works, but these just don't do much for me. I'm sure it's a defficency on my part, not theirs.
Did you get through Ulysses?
Gravity's Rainbow by Pynchon was the most difficult book I ever read. Kind of like a dentist appointment. I hated it every minute I was doing it, but felt it was good for me once it was over. I have not tried another Pynchon novel since.
I would recommend you try Slaughterhouse again.
I totally agree with you on Gravity's Rainbow. It had a couple of amazing moments, but generally it was way over my head. Like a dentist appointment, huh? Well I thought it was more like classical medieval torture. Unfortunately, unlike you I don't feel as if I gained anything by reading that novel. On the other hand, Slaughterhouse 5 is one of my favorite books. If you had trouble with that I recommend you start reading Sirens of Titan by Vonnegut.
now is there really a whole lot of difference between medievil torture and the Dentist?
Or Cat's Cradle.
As for Gravity's Rainbow, I had a high school English teacher dare us to read it. I bought a copy, read a tiny bit, and put it down. 6 years later a friend semi-bribed me to read it. I did manage to finish it, but can't stay I entirely enjoyed it.