let's help each other decide whether to finish these books

[Shannon]

I am struggling with Ursula, Under I am half way through and finding it very verbose. Has anyone read this and is it worth it to stick with it?

[Carol]

Shannon wrote: "I am struggling with Ursula, Under I am half way through and finding it very verbose. Has anyone read this and is it worth it to stick with it?"

Shannon, have you read the reviews regarding Ursula, Under? I just now have read some. Different people have different opinions, and each point of view helped me to shape a picture of the contents of the book, but of course, without actually reading the book myself (and I don't right now have it in my possession) I can't tell you if it is too verbose or not. It might not be for me, but after reading the reviews I might be tempted to give it a try, although when I first heard/read the premise it did seem a little dry for a story-line...until the reviewers fleshed it out for me. Now I'm thinking it might be rather uplifting.

[Shannon]

I have read a number of the reviews and one of them actually was more accurate: over-written. That's what I should have said rather than verbose. A few others found the details, the tidbits etc "mind-numbing". That is the part that i am struggling with. I will keep going as I am about half way through and will cross my fingers that it is worth the read. (will keep you posted).

[Cece]

i have been done reading this book for a couple months now, but still bothers me to all hell that i have no idea how it ended! i just could not finish it! SO I was wondering if anyone here would be able to tell me (if anyone has read it or knows about it) lullaby by claire seeber.. what happens to the baby! whered he go! AHH its just driving me crazy!

[Hannah]

I loved the girl with the dragon tattoo and the girl who played with fire. On the other hand I found The girl who kicked the hornets nest so boring. I have yet to make it to the end of it. Should I stick it out?

[Susan]

I read Ursula, Under several years ago, and I think it worth finishing. Actually I came across it not too long ago when looking for books to donate to a charity sale. I found I couldn't put it in the donation pile, and decided to keep it for a reread. So, deep down, I must have liked it

[Cheryl]

From the reviews, it looks like lots of people gave up on Lullaby. Sorry I don't know anyone who would want to read it and then could report back for us. :(

[Carol]

Sorry, I couldn't pick up any clues from the other reviews, and am not willing to waste...I mean, spend time on it myself...

[Lisa]

Two I have recently given up on are Blackout and Year of Wonders.

Blackout was not necessarily a bad read, but it was a recommendation from another group and I thought I would give it a shot. It was so out of my usual genre that I just could not get into it.

I know many people liked Year of Wonders. It just moved so slowly for me, it put me to sleep.

[Chrissie]

Lisa, I hated Year of Wonders!!!!!! People of the Book by the same author was marvelous. Yay, for quitting Year of Wonders. Oh, and the end was REALLY terrible. Even those who like it say the end sucks! Somewhere in this thread I have even out my reviews of the book - explaining in detail why I hated it. You NEVER laugh or even once smile when yoyu read that book. A difficult situation need not be devoid of a smidgeon of happiness.

[Lisa]

Chrissie, I am off to read your review of Year of Wonders. I think what you said about being devoid of happiness is part of my issue as well. Even when she thinks back to past experiences, she doesn't seem to have much joy. I am also going to check out People of the Book. Thanks!

[Chrissie]

Lisa, here is my review of Year of Wonders:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

And here is the one for People of the Book: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Something must have happened to part of the review....the middle section is gone. Oh well, I gave one book one star and the other five! So, the author is capable of writing. Few writers can produce excellent books one after the other.

[Alexis]

Brenda wrote: "I finally forced myself to finish The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and for me it wasn't worth it."

I read this book and I actually enjoyed it despite the fact that I don't really read many books like it, but you have to be in the mood to spend a lot of time on it and don't expect too much action :) What kind of books do you like? I may have some suggestions.

[Susan]

I had a lot of trouble getting into The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo at the beginning. I heard such great things about it that I tried again and finished it. I enjoyed it, but I do not see what all the hoopla is about. It gets three stars from me, and I don't think I'll bother with the other two.

[Lisa]

Everyone I talked to about The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo said it didn't get good until 2/3 of the way through the book. Not sure I want to spend that much of my time reading in order to get to the "good
part(s).

[NBB]

what do you all think about Love Monkeyby Kyle Smith? I've been reading this book for 3 months now!! I just can't get past Tom's drawn out, boring life. I would like to know if its worth it to keep going...I've got caught up in 3 different books b/c I keep finding things more worthwhile.

[Lisa]

Can anyone advise me The Passage? I am on chapter 4, and in some ways it is pretty good since the author has multiple stories that (hopefully) will eventually collide. But it is moving kind of slow and I am having a very hard time getting past the almost-run-on-sentence style of writing. Does it get better? Is it worth slogging through the many pages? I see that it gets so-so reviews, even through it seems to be one of THE books of 2010.

[Nancy]

Lisa wrote: "Everyone I talked to about The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo said it didn't get good until 2/3 of the way through the book. Not sure I want to spend that much of my time reading in order to get to th..."
I hear you I did stick with it but man what a slowwwwwwwwww start.it did get a lot better.My daughter got the next one and she said it was much better so I may read it.

[Genevieve]

The one I'm having trouble with right now is
The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York

It's good and right up my alley as far as subject matter but I feel like it's a bit jumpy. You meet certain historical figures and then a whole slew of others without any real transition. It's a little annoying but I can't give up on it!!

[Genevieve]

Nancy wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Everyone I talked to about The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo said it didn't get good until 2/3 of the way through the book. Not sure I want to spend that much of my time reading in order..."

I agree with you Nancy! I would also recommend getting it as a book on tape - for some reason it helps me keep track of all the characters and gets you through the slow parts. It's definitely worth the investment if you are into crime drama!

[Cheryl]

I wouldn't even be willing to try Love Monkey or The Passage, so, sorry, but I've no recommendation on either of them. :(

[Ginni]

Lisa wrote: "Everyone I talked to about The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo said it didn't get good until 2/3 of the way through the book. Not sure I want to spend that much of my time reading in order to get to th..."

Susan wrote: "I had a lot of trouble getting into The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo at the beginning. I heard such great things about it that I tried again and finished it. I enjoyed it, but I do not see what al..."

Lisa wrote: "Everyone I talked to about The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo said it didn't get good until 2/3 of the way through the book. Not sure I want to spend that much of my time reading in order to get to th..."

I loved the series. I think it is worth it to keep going to get to the next two books which I thought were better. But I think you have to have time to stay with the books. I don't think they are the type that you can read for 15-20 minutes at a time. I think the books are worth it because of the main character. She is fascinating. But I can see these books aren't for everyone. You could always watch the movies, too. The first two are on DVD. Good luck!

[Tara]

I enjoyed Wicked, mostly because the character Elphaba was such an intriguing mixture of good and evil. The book and the play are barely recognizably linked. I guess a happy ending is important on Broadway. Unfortunately the rest of the series left me cold - Son of a Witch was depressing, difficult to follow and left me feeling unresolved. The lion book was one of the worst I've read - all back story and no plot. I didn't finish it so maybe things got more interesting in the second half but I sincerely doubt it.

[Pyxis]

Carol wrote: "Going back to Dune...I have thought from time to time about reading the book as I did like the original movie with Kyle McLaughlan, Linda Hunt, Max Von Syddow (can't remember who played the other m..."

Jo wrote: "Glad to hear you didn't hate it! It's not one of my favourites but worth reading."

I've read all of the Dune series and saw the movie. I loved them. Frank Herbert was one of a kind author with the worlds, time and space he invented. I never found it a rough read. When the original film was being made, Frank Herbert was a technical advisor to David Lynch but he died before it was complete. However, he assisted on a great deal of the film personally, so I feel it was as close to what he wrote as anything could get. I own all of the books and the original film. I never bothered with the made for tv version. I recommend watching the original film to be able to properly pronounce his "language" and give it another try.

And if you are a Rocky Horror fan, look for Richard O'Brian in the original film. ;)

[Susan]

Re Dune and Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. I tried to read Dune once, and could not get into it. My husband and I slept through the miniseries of it a long time ago. I'd wake up every once in a while, think: What a fantastic headdress, an go back to sleep.

I am used to authors reworking the books of previous authors, but since I grew up with the Oz books, having them read to me by my father, I was offended by the use of Oz in this manner. I thought it was going to be a clever look at Dorothy & crew by the inhabitants of Oz, but it was weird and pointless. If McGuire wanted to write a weird book, why didn't he make up his own world, rather than picking on L. Frank Baum's world. P.S. I finished it; it was a book club pick.

[Carol]

Pyxiz wrote "And if you are a Rocky Horror fan, look for Richard O'Brian in the original film. ;)"

This I did not know! What part did he play??

[Pyxis]

Carol wrote: "Pyxiz wrote "And if you are a Rocky Horror fan, look for Richard O'Brian in the original film. ;)"

This I did not know! What part did he play??"

He is one of the guys who accompanies the Guild Navigator when it meets with the Emperor. He is bald and wearing a long black robe. It's very early in the film.

:D

[Carol]

LOL, I will have to look for him...RHPS is one of my all-time favorites...too bad they don't have a book, or better yet, a Graphic Novel, depicting that show...

[Annalie]

Brenda wrote: "Had to give up on At Swim, Two Boys - didn't get the history. I am now reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and not enjoying it at all - should I give up on this one?"
Brenda, I didn't read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo because I'd already seen the movie (which is really good). Then I read the next 2 books in the Millennium Trilogy and enjoyed them - real page-turners for me! I think you either love or hate those, so if you don't find them engaging, it may be better to give up & just see the movies. They're actually quite forgettable books, anyway.

[Pyxis]

Carol wrote: "LOL, I will have to look for him...RHPS is one of my all-time favorites...too bad they don't have a book, or better yet, a Graphic Novel, depicting that show..."

I watched the movie Christmas Day for the first time in about ten years. My daughters gave me a strange look when they came over and saw it in the DVD player. I didn't think it was a bad choice for the day....lol

[Savannah]

Hi I'm new to GR and this group... but I wanted to chime in on the Wicked posts.

I grew up with Oz... and I am well on my way to getting all of the extended series (I already have Baum's and Ruth Plumly Thompson's).

I have to say that I enjoyed Wicked. For me, it was well written and was a good "point of view" book. It did, however, somewhat sully my view of the original.

I would say, it's worth reading... but only if you don't mind the original story being tainted in your mind.

[khi]

Lisa wrote: "Can anyone advise me The Passage? I am on chapter 4, and in some ways it is pretty good since the author has multiple stories that (hopefully) will eventually collide. But it is movi..."

Lisa, I found The Passage to be a compelling read. Some sections were a bit slower than others, but overall, I was interested in seeing what would happen to different characters, whether the stories would or would not come together, how the book would end, etc. However, I don't remember what happens in Chapter Four and if I, too, thought it to be slower paced.

A lot of my interest in the novel seems to stem from reading about how people and society deal with wide ranging adversity. In fact, I very much am looking forward to reading the second book in his trilogy.

Lastly, I recommended it to a friend who has become a reader only in the past few years, and my friend found it hard to put down.
Hope that helps!

[Alison]

I found some bits of teh passage - teh old diary excerpts a bit tedious but overall I really enjoyed it - Im a sucker for a post apocolyptic zombie virus

[Kipahni]

Try Dune in Audio- It makes a lot more sense though it is uber long.
I think why it is considered great is because of the world the author created.

My question is I have tried reading Anna Karenina at least 20 different times, and only get to about pg 100. I read at least 10 books at one time so I think that is part of my problem, but should I give it another shot?

[Alison]

Kipahni wrote: "Try Dune in Audio- It makes a lot more sense though it is uber long.
I think why it is considered great is because of the world the author created.

My question is I have tried reading [book:Ann..."

Well there's no happy ending. It's all a bit miserable so why bother - no good can come of Anna and her wanton longings!

[Kipahni]

alison- hahaha. I have seen 2 movies of Anna and I just want to know what was going through her head. I don't think I will like it though because I can't stand a wishy washy woman

[Lori]

Cheryl in CC NV wrote: "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. I believe I finished it. I remember not liking it. I think I remember that it was confusing, with allusions to other stor..."

Not sure if differences of opinion are called for here. But I have to say that

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West was a book that I enjoyed very much and I do recommend it to many. It is not for everyone, however. I am not a reader of fantasy or science fiction AT ALL. But for some reason I've read the original The Wonderful Wizard of Oz 2 times in my life: once as a young adult and again to my children as a read aloud story. I think the familiarity of the original book helps in the understanding of Wicked. I think the rule should be: If you've read and enjoyed the original Oz book, try Wicked.

[Lori]

Kipahni wrote: "Try Dune in Audio- It makes a lot more sense though it is uber long.
I think why it is considered great is because of the world the author created.

My question is I have tried reading Ann..."</i>

Your experience reminds me so much of my own with the Russian novel,

[book:Doctor Zhivago. I don't know your age, but I first attempted Dr Z back in the 60s when the movie first came out. I picked up the novel again about 15 times before finally starting it again and completing it when I was in my 40s or 50s. I think you have to gain experience before making it through the Russians. Now many will gain that experience with help from teachers, family members or self study. I think my help was just dumb obstinance! Anna K is the next that I would like to try so I may finish it when I'm 90!

[Kipahni]

Thanks lori! I tried reading it first when I was 19 ish.
I haven't tried it again since I was 25. I may try it again soon. The winter seems like a good time to try a heavy novel

[Lori]

Normally I'd recommend winter for a good, long, heavier read. But Dr Z is a book that makes you cold. I can remember going to see the movie in the height of summer where the air conditioning was going full blast in the theatre. We all came out shivering! Just beware & make sure you have some good snuggly blankets or throws sitting close to you.

[Jkmays]

I am about 20% into The Jew Store and do not like it at all. Has anyone read it that can tell me I should keep on going? if not, I am done with it.