LORD MARTIN OF THE MARCHES Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 The Stand!! It was a waste of my time and it pissed me off that I spent time reading it. I thought going in that I was in for a really good read from all I've heard about it. But it didn't do anything for me. My first post. WOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collaroy Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 The Stand!! It was a waste of my time and it pissed me off that I spent time reading it. I thought going in that I was in for a really good read from all I've heard about it. But it didn't do anything for me. My first post. WOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! Well, first off, (from one newbie to another) welcome. As for The Stand, it disappointed me big time with the ending, but I really liked the story development. It's the same with most Stephen Kings- good story development ("Needful Things" being my favourite) and crappy ending. I mean, seriously, if it's not an atomic bomb exploding in the baddies' camp it's a lightning from God above defeating satan... boo! Gormenghast! Really? Why?It's on my Amazon wish list- if I need to avoid it please tell me! Opinions wanted! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MinDonner Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 Gormenghast. (shudders). Pages and pages of pretentious purpleness. Trying to get through it is like wading through thigh-deep lukewarm slurry. I almost started to enjoy it by the end of the second book, then it all got too weird and I gave up. Still, a lot of people like it, you might be one of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Not another Stark Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 She's basically just a fixture and a shallow excuse for Werther's juvenile feelings of emo. Well, it's Sturm und Drang, what did you expect? Philosophical discussion of the comparative values of Kant and Hobbes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prince Lotor Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 I would add another vote for "Gatsby" but since I *had* to read it I won't. Among books that I read voluntarily, I'd cast a vote for "Interview with the Vampire". Ye gods, what a whiny bunch of pussies they are in that book. I've also tried to read "Atlas Shrugged" and found it god-awful. Didn't finish it as I decided it would be a much more valuable use of my time to practice breaking wind at different pitches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashara Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 Inspired by the movie adaptation: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Bakker looks like whirlwind ride in comparison to that utterly boring, miserly read! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gildor Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 Titus Groan I found to be quite weak, and consequently I was put off from reading Gormenghast for quite a while. However, when I went back to reading the second book after about two years, it was just orgasmic prose in places. The books are not your normal fantasy books however, the main character is Castle Gormenghast itself, and its very very descriptive throughout, though I believe brilliantly so, and you've also got a cast of bizzare characters, Prunesquallor, Steerpike, The Twins etc as a complement. The Books will split opinion, whether you find it turgid or beautiful is really up to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldBen Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 Wuthering Heights and Sense and sensibility. Wuthering heights was just depressing. A whole friggin tragedy about two people in love yet they let differences in social class fuck them over. They break up, get mad, then yearn for each other through the whole story until you guessed it both die tragic deaths. (Or at least Heathcliff does) Sense and sensibility's only high point was it showed how stupid both men and women can be while pursuing the wrong "partners" in relationships. It's a good representation on how frivolous,shallow,and self destructive we can be. Other then that I hated the whole aristocratic drawn out vibe I got from it. I was forced to endure both of these in High School because apparently many people consider them "classics" and high literature. I'm not saying they are awful books with no redeeming qualities. But they definetly don't jive with my tastes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Not another Stark Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 I've also tried to read "Atlas Shrugged" and found it god-awful. Didn't finish it as I decided it would be a much more valuable use of my time to practice breaking wind at different pitches. Well, if you want to include Ayn Rand in the list of allegedly good authors, then I may as well include Ron Hubbard; I mean both spawned lunatics' cult. Beside, just reading the summary of Fountainhead made me want to barf, so badly conceived and utterly ridiculous the whole thing is - and that's just the plot and concepts, without looking into the prose and style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldBen Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 I wanted to read Atlas shrugged if just to see WHY objectivists are such assholes in general. I know Fountain head is loosely about an "under-apreciated" architect that blows up a building to make a point and even kills an innocent guard who I believe at the time was un-armed and simply refused to open a door for the protaganist. From that info gathering alone it turned me off to the whole pursuit. Rebel: Boo-hoo noone appreciates me! I hate society! I want to make my own world that revolves around me! Random guy: I disagree with you, no offense. Rebel: Die bastard die! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collaroy Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 Wuthering Heights and Sense and sensibility. Wuthering heights was just depressing. A whole friggin tragedy about two people in love yet they let differences in social class fuck them over. They break up, get mad, then yearn for each other through the whole story until you guessed it both die tragic deaths. (Or at least Heathcliff does) Right. Wuthering Heights. Baaad. My mother gave it to me ("it's a must-read!"), I plowed my way through its first half and decided that lying to her that I'd finished it wasn't that bad an idea. Heathcliff dies? Boy am I glad I didn't finish it. I don't see the point in reading a book that bores me when I know that there are hundreds if not thousands of books out there that'll enjoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nous Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 Old Ben, As the resident lunatic cultist asshole I think I should correct you: The architect doesn't kill the guard, or anyone else. He specifically sees to it that the guard is not harmed by the explosion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldBen Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 That's a new one on me Nous. I remember he kills someone over something trivial and I read the Fountain-head page on none other then an objectivist forum. Alas knowing everything and reading things 100% accuratelly is not a gift I was endowed with upon my stupid hairless monkey birth. lol. I'm sure there are even cool of objectivists out there. I recall meeting maybe two that were reasonable. But that is out of hundreds of bellirgerent self important assholes. I'm not surprised you didn't finish wuthering heights Colaroy. I sorta had to . Sheer torture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datepalm Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 Altered Carbon and The Darkness that Comes before, both were massively hyped on the board, and both turned out to be very dissapointing. Carbon was just...dull. (which is really disspointing, since I thought Market Forces was incredible and seven kinds of brilliant) Darkness was both dull and annoying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrainFireBob Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 Okay, fine, it's not Old English, but Shakespeare is difficult to understand! At least it is for me. Read it aloud, it becomes comprehensible. My vote ever and always is Ethan Frome. Followed by anything by Hardy and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Neither man could terminate a sentence, and both were impressed by their own knowledge of English. Bleck. Then again, it could be my own distaste for the kind of stories they told. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beniowa Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 Read it aloud, it becomes comprehensible. Don't want to and you can't make me. We'll just have to agree to disagree on Shakespeare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhoenixFlame Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 Pride and Prejudice! I hated this book with a passion. I think my hatred stemmed for how most of the class, including the teacher, fangirled it to death. I didn't like Lizzie-- she can talk her way though any problem whatsoever. The one mistep in her judgement is Wickham and even then, Wickham isn't evil, just slimy. I don't understand the love for Darcy. He is an ass for most of the book until BAM, the letter of plot device is read. The only character I found interesting was Lydia, because she's such a pretentious brat that it's funny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artas Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 Hey, Gormenghast is great! :mad: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyanna Stark Posted January 26, 2007 Share Posted January 26, 2007 Let me guess- they made you read those at school? Most of the really bad books I've read were at school- Werther's yet another good example. I have always LOVED to read (and I even like some of the classics), but I hated most of the stuff they gave us to read in literature class. I really have no idea why teachers all over the world choose books like that- no wonder kids don't read any more. Speaking of which- "The Scarlet Letter" by Hawthorne, there's another one for you. God, our teachers must've hated us. Actually, I was only made to read "Young Werther" and normally I liked reading the books assigned to us (I have had a weak spot for classics since my dad introduced me to Jules Verne ages ago ). Some of them I didn't appreciate much, but I could at least see the literary merit, but "Young Werther" I just despised. It's the whole emo, omg I hate myself theme and the justification for suicide that make me upset and horrified. In my eyes, it attempts to justify suicide and that appals me. As for "Great Gatsby", I had it recommended as one of the greatest work of literature ever. I plodded on and on.....and just hated it more and more. I guess my hatred for that one was more my huge disappointment really. I have not read "The Scarlet Letter" but now I am almost tempted to start it, just to shock myself with sucky literature. Re Wutherin Heights: I also never understood the fascination with this book. It's overwrought and not at all clever (which is the reason I LOVE "Pride & Prejudice": the clever snark!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collaroy Posted January 28, 2007 Share Posted January 28, 2007 Actually, I was only made to read "Young Werther" and normally I liked reading the books assigned to us (I have had a weak spot for classics since my dad introduced me to Jules Verne ages ago ). Some of them I didn't appreciate much, but I could at least see the literary merit, but "Young Werther" I just despised. It's the whole emo, omg I hate myself theme and the justification for suicide that make me upset and horrified. In my eyes, it attempts to justify suicide and that appals me. As for "Great Gatsby", I had it recommended as one of the greatest work of literature ever. I plodded on and on.....and just hated it more and more. I guess my hatred for that one was more my huge disappointment really. I have not read "The Scarlet Letter" but now I am almost tempted to start it, just to shock myself with sucky literature. Re Wutherin Heights: I also never understood the fascination with this book. It's overwrought and not at all clever (which is the reason I LOVE "Pride & Prejudice": the clever snark!). I don't dislike classics because they are classics- I love everything Jane Austen, enjoyed Thackeray's 'Vanity Fair' very much, Shakespeare is pure genius (I'm not a native English speaker, but I didn't find his English too difficult to follow), and Jules Verne wrote really exciting books- but some of these classics just suck from my (modern?) POV. The writers/books I like must have been pretty unusual back then (you mentioned Austen's snark- I guess it was very unusual for a woman to write about clever if not perfect female characters in her day)... but then again, it's said that 'The Scarlet Letter' was revolutionary as well because for the first time it broaches the cruelty and narrowmindedness of the puritans- and yet it bored me so much it brought tears to my eyes. But suit yourself and read it... but don't come whining that nobody warned you! Another contribution to overrated books: Charles Dickens. Sorry, but IMO they're always the same (poor kid growing up without love in a cruel world) and always boring. Oh, and Günther Grass- he has won a nobel prize and all, but I can't stand him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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