UK Book Club discussion
Your Reading Experience
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Your most challenging read
message 51:
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Will
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Nov 21, 2012 10:04AM
Hmmm, well, there's plenty in both. I think in The Hobbit the story was more compelling, a less bloated read, and the songs were less jarring in tone. Just my opinion dude lol, it has been a few years since I tried to read Lotr's. Maybe another try is in order? As I say, love the films and the story.
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But thanks James, we're on the same page! The films are compelling and make the adventure more intense by cutting it down to the core. The books just seem so detailed. Which isn't a bad thing for some people, but for me - with the films in my head - was quite frustrating. It's an accomplished work no matter what, so I'm no hater! Just not my cup of tea I think!
I'm a big LotR fan - love the books but also felt they did a remarkably good job with the movies. There is a certain amount of "bloat" that doesn't belong in a movie and that is fair to cut. What you are happy to read (or not happy in your case, Will) is not necessarily what you want to see on screen. This leads me to my confusion about the coming Hobbit movies - I just do not see it stretching to three movies without padding the story and or slowing it down. That is when I get wary about movies when those adapting the story think they can "do a better job" than the original and change or add their own story-lines. I sincerely hope I am mistaken as that would be a sad departure for Peter Jackson but I do worry that bean counters somewhere have had influence. It seems to be a trend at the moment - make a single book into a series of movies, make a trilogy into 4 or more movies, stretch everything to keep the money coming in. Oh dear I'm getting cynical.....
Jennifer wrote: "I'm a big LotR fan - love the books but also felt they did a remarkably good job with the movies. There is a certain amount of "bloat" that doesn't belong in a movie and that is fair to cut. What ..."That's true – on the surface it appears to be a very cynical cash grab.
But since Jackson did such a great job on the trilogy, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt on The Hobbit.
But if he messes it up, there's certainly going to be a huge fanboy/girl revolt on the interwebs.
@James - am awaiting the movies and the potential fallout with bated breath! Like you, I want to give Jackson the benefit of the doubt but the presence of certain LotR actors in the cast list does start me twitching a little!
I'm also worried about The Hobbit films, as it's quite a condensed story. I'm not sure how they're going to pull it off. With Jackson's recent films being disappointing, it's quite worrying! Has he still got the magic touch? I guess we'll see. I'm hopeful as the world he created in Lotr's was so rich, real and alive that another visit to it is so exciting! And I wouldn't want anyone else at the helm. But three films out of one average sized book? Only time will tell if he can pull it off...
I'm trying to be optimistic and I hope its really, really good. I am looking forward to it and the trailer looks great. I do however think it will be too drawn out over three movies, but I hope I am wrong and its not a money making thing ! That will be very, very disappointing !
Lynne - The Book Squirrel wrote: "Fall of Giants by Ken Follett which I loved but took ages to read and have the next in the series to read now!"I've just started Fall of the Giants. I read the second one first as I got it for 20p on Amazon and enjoyed it so much I got the first one out of the library, it's just such a big book!!
Gone with the Wind - it was such a long book and the edition I had had such small print. It was very hard going, but I kept on with it and actually enjoyed it in the end!
I found The Windup Girl particularly frustrating - it was too long and nothing happened in it. But I refuse to leave a book unfinished and grudgingly read it to the end. Seriously unimpressed. I also struggled with Catch-22. Other than that, I think I've been faily lucky with my book selection and I've always enjoyed the rest.
I felt inspired to read les miserables after watching the trailer, but the only copy I could find was an older penguin one - the words are small with minimal spacing between the lines. It was almost 1,300 pages long ! I decided not to put myself through that - It would have been very challenging. A new edition comes out mid- dec, which is hopefully a more readable copy.
Jennifer wrote: "@James - am awaiting the movies and the potential fallout with bated breath! Like you, I want to give Jackson the benefit of the doubt but the presence of certain LotR actors in the cast list does..."You think it will be worse due to having some of the same actors? I would think that would better – adds continuity, no?
@James - sorry wasn't clear in my comment it was more a case of seeing the actors names and wondering what their characters were doing in the Hobbit, e.g. Frodo and Galadriel
i managed to read about two thirds of Karl Marx capital volume 1, i was young, angry and determined ;)
2666 by Roberto Bolaño - Over 1100 pages, made up of 5 books, not all of them great to read. The liberal violence against and murders of women was depressing and left me mentally exhausted. I was really relieved when I finally finished reading after a 3 week slog!
Paul wrote: "i managed to read about two thirds of Karl Marx capital volume 1, i was young, angry and determined ;)"Fine qualities!
Stuart wrote: "Paul wrote: "i managed to read about two thirds of Karl Marx capital volume 1, i was young, angry and determined ;)"Fine qualities!"
I'm reading Ulysses at the moment and it certainly is challenging - better than that, it's given me confidence that my books can get a little weirder yet!
If a book is hard to read I don't bother, there are so many books and so little time. For that reason I avoided Fifty Shades - a quick skim in the bookshop was enough for me. I struggled with the opening chapters of Girl With The Dragon Tatoo, all that international business stuff was tedious, but my brother urged me to persevere, and he was right; Larsson wrote a great trio of books. I love Hilary Mantel, and Wolf Hall - Bring Up The Bodies is next on my list, but I do have some knowledge of history so it's in no way strange to me. I try to challenge myself by reading stuff by new writers, different genres, and re-reading the classics and books I haven't read for a long time, but if a book is just bad or not to my taste at all, I won't bother. Reading is a pleasure not a penance.
i think for me it would the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was very challenging, but i loved it so much because it was absolutely gripping and rather remarkable. i can't wait to start another book, which is the autobiography of Craig Revel Horwood - the judge of strictly come dancing.
Mod
It's very rare that I don't finish a book, but I attempted to read Machiavelli's The Prince. It's not a long book, but my eyes glazed over like never before!
I've read Lord of the Rings twice, I love it, but I whole-heartedly agree; it really sags during The Two Towers - interminable walking and indistinguishable battles. (I also agree, the film really helped here - the defence of Helm's Deep was breath-taking.)
Liz, I felt the same about 'crime and punishment'. I actually didn't finish it !!! My bookmark is still in it and I will probably pick it back up one day. Another in this category for me was 'confederacy of dunces'. I am actually about half way through both. I wouldn't say I didn't enjoy them, they just didn't hold my interest at the time.
Does anyone still read Iris Murdoch? I met her once, before she became ill. The house was full of books, especially the staircase which was almost UN-navigable!She was a very dedicated writer.
Patrick wrote: "Does anyone still read Iris Murdoch?..."YES, I do, though I don't really class her as challenging, and I'm not sure I could single out a single favourite (which reminds me: it's probably time to read another). I've read 11 since I joined Good Reads (http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/...).
Patrick wrote: "...I met her once, before she became ill. The house was full of books, especially the staircase which was almost UN-navigable!She was a very dedicated writer."
What a privilege.
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I find the opposite Ian, couldn't cope with anything challenging when younger but have a lot more stamina now!
I think i agree with Ian. I find its time and focus for me. Years ago I could pretty much read anything, especially as I was undisturbed and was under the impression i'd live forever ! lol But now I get many interruptions so a challenging read is even more so ! Plus I want to enjoy what I'm spending my time doing. I still might read les mis though :)
My most challenging is Moby-Dick at the moment. I'm really struggling with it and it doesn't seem to move on, never ending. Although I'm determind to finish it. I just wish it wasn't such a chore. I do have Les Misérables to start. It's practically a door stop. I can't wait to read it but I want to be in the right frame of mind.. haha x
I was eager prior to starting David Mitchell's “Cloud Atlas” and unfortunately gave up half way through, which I don't like to do, but I remember finding it difficult to get fully into the characters and style of writing. The other book I found challenging was “The Other Hand” by Chris Cleave, which I did finish though it was a struggle as I could hear the author more than feel the characters. Oh yeah, “A Passage to India” failed to inspire me, and whilst being a classic made me really work to reach the end.
Mod
Finnegans Wake by James JoyceI started this book when I was 19 years old. I'm now 60 years old and haven't come anywhere close to finishin it or understanding it."
LOL! From all that I've heard of the book, I think it will never make it onto my to read list (and I am willing to try most things book-wise)
My most challenging reads so far have to be Vellum, and Baudolino both of which took my about 3 years to read (on and off). Vellum was lent to me by my nephew who couldn't get on with it either. Once I had finally finished the book (with a certain sense of achievement, I have to say) I tried to give it back to him but he wouldn't take it! The story just went way over my head. The trouble was, when I got to the end of the book, I nearly went out and bought Ink just to see if it shed some light on the story. I managed to stop myself though. I don't know why I found Baudolino such a struggle, it was in German which doesn't usually stop me but again, it was such a far-fetched story and I'm not over-keen on fantasy.
Jayesskay wrote: "My most challenging reads so far have to be Vellum, and Baudolino both of which took my about 3 years to read (on and off). Vellum was lent to me by my nephew who couldn't get on with it either. O..."A wise choice Ink just makes it more confusing!!!
I would like to read The Windup Girl but I have read Middlemarch and found it slow going.
Fiona wrote: "The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky. I read his Crime and Punishment as well, but found that less challenging - I think it was just a better story with better characters.I'd like to read more Dostoevs..."
And all the names can get confusing !
Tami wrote: "I was eager prior to starting David Mitchell's “Cloud Atlas” and unfortunately gave up half way through, which I don't like to do, but I remember finding it difficult to get fully into the characte..."I found Cloud Atlas quite challenging, but it turned out to be one of the endearing things about the book and I absolutely loved it.
You mentioned The Other Hand too (called Little Bee where I live), I have it but have been told its very sad. That would make it a challenge for me.
Smelleykins wrote: "My most challenging is Moby-Dick at the moment. I'm really struggling with it and it doesn't seem to move on, never ending. Although I'm determind to finish it. I just wish it wasn't such a chore. ..."Les Mis is on my tbr list. I am going to the theatre production in 4 months time so would like to read it before them. I'm not sure thats enough time to finish it though ! lol
Nikks....Little Bee or The Other Hand as its also known is sad, but it's certainly worth reading....I've started Cloud Atlas once but couldn't get into it....I've loved every one of his other books that I've read, so intend to try again soon.
Susan wrote: "Nikks....Little Bee or The Other Hand as its also known is sad, but it's certainly worth reading....I've started Cloud Atlas once but couldn't get into it....I've loved every one of his other book..."
There are two books I can recall which I found very emotional so I guess challenging, Charlotte Gray and Sarah's Key. I boo-hoo'd quite a lot in both of those. In fact, couldn't read a book for almost a year after Charlotte Gray - thats how traumatised I was ! So I just dont know if I can do it to myself with Little Bee. I have heard its pretty emotional.
Good luck with Cloud Atlas. Definitely not the easiest book to read, you have to pay attention to the time, characters, pace and the language changes. But I absolutely LOVED it. Probably one of my favourite ever reads. Good luck - hope you enjoy it Susan.
Susan wrote: "...I've started Cloud Atlas once but couldn't get into it....I've loved every one of his other book..."Bear in mind that it's six very different stories, each written in a very different style, so even if you struggle with the first one, you may find the next one much more to your taste.
Thank you Nikks and Cecily....I'll keep your advice in mind....
Moby Dick for me. Melville was an incredible writer and I love his descriptions but it really was hard work at times.
Smelleykins wrote: "My most challenging is Moby-Dick at the moment. I'm really struggling with it and it doesn't seem to move on, never ending. Although I'm determind to finish it. I just wish it wasn't such a chore. ..."Ditto, I agree with you about Moby Dick.
My most challenging read was A Clergyman's Daughter by George Orwell. It didn't help that I read it when I was 16 but I'd lost the will to live by the time I got to the end.
I read James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man for A Level and it put me off reading for years :-/
It's amazing the effect books can have on us - positive and negative.
I guess it's all coded works: Joyce's Ulysses and Finnegans Way, and Gravity's Rainmbow..any other similar books? Great!
Mod
lol
Hello all, This maybe a silly question but how are we defining most challenging read? do we mean a book we struggled to pick up and read to the end or a book that we found the storyline challenging? or all of the above? x
Mod
Probably any or all of the above! ;)
For a long time I was put off reading The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot because I read somewhere that he thought that only his fellow poet, Ezra Pound, would understand it. Now it is one of my favourite poems, as I feel I understand the spiritual state in which it was written. Ulysses by James Joyce was certainly challenging to read. It seemed to me to be written with no consideration for the reader, especially those who would not understand all the literary allusions and references to Irish history, and who appreciate the use of punctuation. The famous final words of Molly Bloom fill the last pages without a comma, full stop or capital letter, for example. I enjoyed reading the novel, however, once I saw it as the tale of a middle aged couple, Leopold and Molly Bloom, who were very much alive, but had to deal with the sadness and pain of growing older, like everyone else. In that way, I found it a moving story. After enjoying reading Ulysses, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and Dubliners by James Joyce, I thought I would read what has been called his most experimental work, Finnegans Wake. I was very surprised after reading it when I read a review of it to learn that it was actually about something, at least in the reviewer's eyes. To me it was, at times, a comical prose poem, which was certainly a challenge to read, and a relief to finish. Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne was also a challenge to read, but well worth it, for it was one of the funniest books I've ever read.
When I think of struggling with a book, I always think of struggling because it's hard going or confusing rather than finding the subject matter difficult but for this discussion we have examples of both.
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Books mentioned in this topic
Gravity’s Rainbow (other topics)Tropic of Cancer (other topics)
The Windup Girl (other topics)
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (other topics)
Excession (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
James Herbert (other topics)Edward Rutherfurd (other topics)
Ken Follett (other topics)
Gabriel García Márquez (other topics)
