I just couldn't get into it!

**Lynn** · 1st-July-2004, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Divissima

Does anyone fancy a Forum book club at all?

I'd go for this idea too.

Also - anyone had any books they really couldn't get into and didn't read much past the first 30 pages? I have had two - Ulysses (OK, didn't try too hard on that one) and Don Quixote (English translation).

jivecat · 1st-July-2004, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Also - anyone had any books they really couldn't get into and didn't read much past the first 30 pages?

Yes, too many to list. And I'm rather lazy and give up quickly. That's why it's good for me to have the discipline of participating in a reading group, otherwise I wouldn't get much beyond the back of the cereal packet in my literary forays.

**philsmove** · 1st-July-2004, 08:53 PM

Quote:

anyone had any books they really couldn't get into and didn't read much past the first 30 pages

?

Yes War and Peace

Although I have read most of Iain Banks (Crow Road is in my Top 10)

I cannot get into anything by Iain M Banks

**Emma** · 2nd-July-2004, 09:55 AM

My list of books I couldn't finish is very long...I quite often start books and abandon them thinking I may go back to them again. Currently in that department we have:

What I loved - Siri Hustvedt
Life of Pi - Yan Martel (my mum says if I get through the first chapter I'll like it!)
The Wind Up Bird Chronicle - Haruki Murakami (though I *loved* Sputnik Sweetheart)
Unless - Carol Shields
The Gift of Stones - Jim Crace
Dead Air - Iain Banks

The last three are authors I usually really like. Funny how that happens.

I have never managed to get through the third book of The Lord of The Rings (and have managed to miss the third film in an act of blatant stubbornness too).

I think I managed two chapters of Thomas Covenant.....

I managed to read 'The English Patient' (now one of my favourite books) by skipping the first chapter.

**philsmove** · 2nd-July-2004, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Life of Pi - Yan Martel (my mum says if I get through the first chapter I'll like it!)

Needles to say your mum is right

Itâ€™s a great book

You need to be on Holiday with nothing to distract you to get into Lord of the rings

**Stuart M** · 2nd-July-2004, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lynn

I'd go for this idea too.

Also - anyone had any books they really couldn't get into and didn't read much past the first 30 pages? I have had two - Ulysses (OK, didn't try too hard on that one) and Don Quixote (English translation).

Apparently the trick with Ulysses is to read it aloud. It's more of a prose piece than a novel. You can get the entire thing now as an audio book (which runs to 22 CDs!)

Stuff that's defeated me includes How the Dead Live (Will Self) , and a few of the 'classics' - Rob Roy, War and Peace, Dickens etc.

**Dreadful Scathe** · 2nd-July-2004, 01:53 PM

I really struggled with 'Crime and Punishment' - still not finished it

.

I mostly stick to sci-fi/fantasy/crime and the occasional classic - oliver twist etc..

Anyone ever read any Colin Forbes ? he's a Tom Clancy wannabe but I read one of his books and it was utterly dire - cardboard cutout people living in a world of nonsense.

Just read Lord of the Rings again for the 7th ? time. Get a PDA..most usefl thing ever - Im never without a book in my pocket (only Â£40 for a brand new decent one)

DangerousCurves · 2nd-July-2004, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuart M

Stuff that's defeated me includes How the Dead Live (Will Self)

I have real problems with Will Self! I find him very funny on tv, in interviews, and even in his restaurant reviews.... but find his novels inpenetrable! He seems to be too keen to show off how clever he is, and how big his vocabularly is....yawn

It just becomes tediously distancing for the reader.....

**Lynn** · 2nd-July-2004, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuart M

Apparently the trick with Ulysses is to read it aloud. It's more of a prose piece than a novel. You can get the entire thing now as an audio book (which runs to 22 CDs!)

I didn't try too hard with it, it was more I felt I should try but I think I only tried once. It was Bloomsday recently and they were interviewing some people in Dublin who have read it loads of times.

Another book it took me ages to read was Wuthering Heights. I was surprised as I had read Jane Eyre when I was about 13 and loved it.

Foofs · 4th-July-2004, 09:39 PM

A recent book I found interesting was "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime". Especially good if you like pictures in grown-ups' books!

*Andy McGregor* · 4th-July-2004, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emma

My list of books I couldn't finish is very long...

Funnily enough, the most recent book I couldn't get into was called Emma. To me it seemed like the ramblings of an adolescent girl walking into the village - maybe it got better later.

**Emma** · 4th-July-2004, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy McGregor

Funnily enough, the most recent book I couldn't get into was called Emma.

Handsome, clever and rich...

I never got any further than that!

*Andy McGregor* · 4th-July-2004, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emma

Handsome, clever and rich...

I never got any further than that!

And why would you need to

**Emma** · 4th-July-2004, 11:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy McGregor

And why would you need to

Well, quite...

2nd-July-2004, 09:55 AM	#4 (permalink)
Emma Omnipotent Moderatrix (LMC) Join Date: May 2002 Location: Sarf East London Posts: 1,602 Rep Power: 4 Reputation Total: 99	Re: I just couldn't get into it! My list of books I couldn't finish is very long...I quite often start books and abandon them thinking I may go back to them again. Currently in that department we have: What I loved - Siri Hustvedt Life of Pi - Yan Martel (my mum says if I get through the first chapter I'll like it!) The Wind Up Bird Chronicle - Haruki Murakami (though I loved Sputnik Sweetheart) Unless - Carol Shields The Gift of Stones - Jim Crace Dead Air - Iain Banks The last three are authors I usually really like. Funny how that happens. I have never managed to get through the third book of The Lord of The Rings (and have managed to miss the third film in an act of blatant stubbornness too). I think I managed two chapters of Thomas Covenant..... I managed to read 'The English Patient' (now one of my favourite books) by skipping the first chapter. __________________ It's only dancing - but I like it

2nd-July-2004, 01:53 PM	#7 (permalink)
Dreadful Scathe Papa Smurf Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Planet Scathe Posts: 9,788 Rep Power: 7 Reputation Total: 2273	Re: Reading group crisis- Help! I really struggled with 'Crime and Punishment' - still not finished it . I mostly stick to sci-fi/fantasy/crime and the occasional classic - oliver twist etc.. Anyone ever read any Colin Forbes ? he's a Tom Clancy wannabe but I read one of his books and it was utterly dire - cardboard cutout people living in a world of nonsense. Just read Lord of the Rings again for the 7th ? time. Get a PDA..most usefl thing ever - Im never without a book in my pocket (only Â£40 for a brand new decent one) __________________ "defiantly a pork soared" -fletch "This is a discussion forum, not some sort of hippy poetry-reading commune" - TAFKADJ

4th-July-2004, 09:39 PM	#10 (permalink)
Foofs Registered User Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Bishopton Posts: 43 Rep Power: 3 Reputation Total: 10	Re: I just couldn't get into it! A recent book I found interesting was "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime". Especially good if you like pictures in grown-ups' books!

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