The Historian
discussion
There's No Worse Thief than a Bad Book
Nichole wrote: "Ok people, last I checked 1800s to now is over 200 years, not 40 years. Translated books leave a lot of room for the translator to "take an educated guess," which fails to make a lot of things trul..."Ugh. This is one of the reasons people of older generations think those of us under 30 are total idiots. I blame Stephanie Meyer. Try taking an English Literature class (REAL English, none of that American drivel) and a History class as well. When you actually know about the themes of the time period, an "old" book can become very interesting, and for future reference, a book written around 1800 would be fairly modern--for actually old books try the classics (as in Greek and Latin, not just something old and highly revered) such as Homer or Sophocles. Some (easy) titles to get you started:
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
The Monk by Matthew Lewis (a total guilty pleasure but too good to leave off)
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Julie wrote: "This is one the best vampire books I've read in a long time. This book has a real creep factor. It is also intelligent!!! That's hard to do sometimes when dealing with this subject matter. Intended..."I agree with you so much on the creep factor! The whole time I was reading it, I was very easily startled, even in broad daylight. If I had been in a library I probably would have had to leave due to being freaked out.
Kristen wrote: "Nichole wrote: "Ok people, last I checked 1800s to now is over 200 years, not 40 years. Translated books leave a lot of room for the translator to "take an educated guess," which fails to make a lo..."Krsten could not agree more - that´s why people my age - 33 - are thought of as simpering idiots - just because of these random comments that have no actual references.
The really old books almost no one can read them as they are written in Aramaic, Latin, classic Greek, the old english, whicdh is not this one, etc I am not english and i deard of these crazy people that say such things urgh
I loved the Historian too. I don't really get all the negativity. I mean, I get that people wouldn't like it, despite the creepiness, the extended mood, the romanticism, the stretch of time, the mystery and slow build-up of tension. Despite all that, I get why people wouldn't like it, but not why they would feel the need to tear it down in a public forum. What is the point of that?
I can't recall hating any books. There are some books I dislike, some I don't bother finishing, and many that disappoint me, but none, I don't think, that I hate or despise or would warn anyone away from without the caveat that, "well, you may like it, but I don't."
I didn't like The Davinci Code for its shallow characters and terrible quality of writing, but even it had some decent qualities such as plotting and intrigue. I was disappointed by Catcher in the Rye due to its whiny, unlikable MC and ultimate lack of direction, but it was far from terrible. I never finished Catch 22 because it started to bore me, but for a little while it was funny and engaging.
I dunno. I don't focus on books I don't like, I prefer to remember the ones I loved, The Historian included (and also City & the City, Oryx and Crake, The Great Gatsby, The Dragon Waiting, Time Traveler's Wife, Gormenghast...)
I liked the book fairly, especially the part about the description of the libraries and the churces and the landscapes, the thing is that it was not a book that I couldn´t stop reading. It took me longer than I expected, even though I´m inlove with paleography and antique documents and buildings... but the thing is that too many pages passed by and all the characters did was run from one place to another, I think some parts could´ve been less descriptive and with a little bit more action. Not my favorite, despite I heard many good comments from friends.
hey, quite a few of the posts on this here thread made me think of today's quote of the day! so here's to hoping that a few of you good posters see this and perhaps have a good laugh at yourselves (as we ALL need to do from time to time)!:D“What I mean by an educated taste is someone who has the same tastes that I have.” - edward albee
Samira wrote: "I liked the book fairly, especially the part about the description of the libraries and the churces and the landscapes, the thing is that it was not a book that I couldn´t stop reading. It took m..."Great quote... gonna post it in my facebook!!!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I appreciated the rich description, the history, compelling story and the creepiness. While I can see how it might not appeal to some, I can't see calling it a "bad book". It was intelligent and well-written. My husband loves to read Civil War non-fiction. I find it as appealing as a trip to the dentist. That doesn't mean the books are bad, they just don't hold any interest for me.
BTW, I must be a living contradiction to some posters on this thread, because I also enjoyed Twilight. But I recognized it for what it is: entertaining young adult pop fiction and not a literary masterpiece. It's okay to read books just for fun - really. ;)
Chuckell, if you thought the book The Virgin Suicide was bad you should see the movie. I was actually rooting for the car in the last scene!
I believe the Historian took 10 years to write. It's a work of art in my view, and there aren't many vampire books you can say that about! Beautiful writing, fabulous settings, one gets a growing sense of unease while reading it. An intelligent, literary page-turner. One of the few books I would read for a second time. Sadly Kosteva's next book The Swan Thieves is not in the same league.
Kami wrote: "I'm sorry to disagree with so many of you. However, with a master's degree in reading and almost ten years of teaching writing experience, I must say that Kostova has one of the most engaging writ..."I agree with you. I couldn't stop reading this book!
Atonement by Ian McEwan!! thats 3 days I'll never get back!! so painful!! as for the historian, although long and sometimes torturous I didn't hate it, It wasn't the best book I ever read but it was no way near the worst!
I quite liked the Historian but I can understand why people didn't. It is very long winded and tedious. To the point of your discussion, I don't finish books I don't like for this reason. The most recent case of me finishing a story and hating it in the end would be Twilight (sorry to bring that book up, not trying to make this a discussion about that) or the Lovely Bones.
Ugh. This is one of the reasons people of older generations think those of us under 30 are total idiots. I blame Stephanie Meyer. Try taking an English Literature class (REAL English, none of that American drivel) and a History class as well"LOL....very true....
I like this Historian book.
The book I despised was "cell" by stephen king - I threw it across the room!!!
I find it amusing that almost every title mentioned here I have tried to read and couldn't finish. I'll add the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo to the list, though. I finished the free e-book sample of about 80 pages. I thought I could see where it was going at that point and lost interest.
I also hated The Historian. It was a waste of time, but I finished it.
Curtiss wrote: "There is a reason books earn the sobriquet "classic", and it isn't just by being 'old'.I recently read "A Tale of Two Cities" for the first time, only some 35 years after High school, and found i..."
OH! A Tale of Two Cities - what all books should be: exquisitely written, perfectly paced, emotionally characterized, educational, I read it aloud to each of my children when they hit high school. One of the most brilliant characters ever drawn Sidney Carton.
Linda wrote: "I also hated The Historian. It was a waste of time, but I finished it."I have to agree. What was odd for me was that I kept reading. Even after I was annoyed, it was as though I was struggling for some...any...redemptive quality to justify my time.
My problem with The Historian was that all the characters sounded the same. Whether it was a Romanian monk or a young modern girl, the dialogue was far too similar. There was no hint in Kostova's word choices of the age, background or geographic placement of her characters. That oversight, added to the endless Fodor's Guide to Romania middle chapters and the beyond silly conclusion, yes, I thought it was a waste of time. I have no desire at all to read The Swan Thieves.
Regarding "The Historian", I thought it was very original and an interesting page turner. Fortunately, I can usually be selective in what I read, an avoid starting books which I suspect will not interest me. Of course I read this prior to knowing of "Goodreads", and wasn't taking notes.
I once decided to pick up a Danielle Steel book when on holidays for a quick read...Oh god give me strength it was the worst drivel I have read. I really didn't House of sand and Fog either that was a nasty horrible book. I quite liked the Historian it was a different take on Drac that I reallt liked.
Kami wrote: "I'm sorry to disagree with so many of you. However, with a master's degree in reading and almost ten years of teaching writing experience, I must say that Kostova has one of the most engaging writ..."I could not agree with you more. Definitely one of my favourite books of all time and I was devastated when I finished it. I'm yet to read The Swan Thieves, I've always been put off by the poor reviews. Although it is quite obvious from these posts that I shouldn't decide whether to read a book based on other's reviews. Have you read it yet?
The Historian is one of the few books that I have read that I wish I liked more than I did. There are parts that I really enjoy, mainly the fathers journey but somewhere after the half way point I just seem to lose interest and have not yet worked out why - especially as it has happened in a different place each time!The thing I do like about this book though is the fact that the ending, when you read it is so "OMG I should have seen that coming", but it is also forgettable so you can re-read this book and get the same feeling over and over.
It is one of the better vampire books out there (specially compared to a lot of the modern rubbish that has been published in the last few years). The plot is interesting and for the most part engaging. I think it must be the writing style that gets me but I cannot be sure. I definiyely took a lot more out of the book the second time I read it so in a few years when I forget the ending again I will perhaps enjoy it more.
Tamela wrote: "Always form your own opinion about a book. Then, if you wish, you can throw it across the room.Personally, I found the Historian a very interesting read. I thought it was clever and mysterious. ..."
I really enjoyed it as well. The pacing was quirky, which I like (I also liked House of Leaves) and I'm a sucker for Historical Fiction because I'm a real history nerd.
Kathryn wrote: "Tamela wrote: "Always form your own opinion about a book. Then, if you wish, you can throw it across the room.Personally, I found the Historian a very interesting read. I thought it was clever an..."
I was about the same. and really liked the way she blended everything - mystery, history, travel, and romance.
I read The Historian a couple of months ago on recommendations from other people, but I'm sorry to say I was very disappointed. I'm a history addict, so I really wanted to like it, but it just didn't happen for me. I kept waiting for the interest to kick in, but no, nothing doing. I did finish it though!
Kami wrote: "I'm sorry to disagree with so many of you. However, with a master's degree in reading and almost ten years of teaching writing experience, I must say that Kostova has one of the most engaging writ..."well, actually I sort of like 'the historian'... but half way through it seems it goes no where, so I've put it aside. It has been months and I don't seem able to pick it up again....
one of these days.
Anything written by a Bronte. Cell by Stephen King. Worst effort on his part-ever. And I am a huge fan!
I'm now intrigued about The Historian, though.
I loved this book, very interesting and entertaining.
Claudia wrote: "I have to stick up for the Historian - I LOVED the way I learned so much about the history of the Ottoman Empire, and (what's now known as) Hungary and Romania. I am a hopeless history nerd, and I ..."I loved this book, as well...and for pretty much the same reasons. I thought it was a fantastic book.
Tamela wrote: "Always form your own opinion about a book. Then, if you wish, you can throw it across the room.Personally, I found the Historian a very interesting read. I thought it was clever and mysterious. ..."
I liked it as well. I was traveling when I read it and felt drawn into the book. By the end I felt you could almost believe what had been written. I agree, form your own opinion. I've read books people have raved about and couldn't get through them and I've read books people hated and loved them....to each his own
This book made me feel the same way. For me, it was one of those books where you keep reading it because it must get better, no book could possibly be this bad and still get published right? Then you get to the end and realise, actually, it was that bad. I'm glad I'm not the only one who felt this way although reading some of these reviews, it seems this book is definitely marmite. You either love it or hate it.
I really enjoyed the book. When I first saw what it's about I thought: not another vampire story. But once I started reading it, I realized I misunderstood it. I recommend this book to almost everyone, and my best friend didn't like it. But it's ok, maybe I enjoyed it so much because I am a history student and I love history. And this book was a way to learn about the history of the Balkan (and I live here) and the urban legends that are going around.
I think that the letters structure was done to mirror Dracula by Bram Stoker. Many of the structural "flaws" could be contributed to the homage and echoes paid to the original vampire story. I think the book was trying to retell the vampire myth in a modern way but with a huge nod to the original. However, I had just finished reading the original before starting the Historian and that may have affected how I read it.
For my part, a book too bad to finish was Foucault's Pendulum. I tried. Believe me, I tried! I just couldn't do it, though, and I started it 3 times (as Claudia did w/ WH). I thoroughly enjoyed both The Historianand A Confederacy of Dunces
The Historian was a good vampire tale in the "old school" tradition: none of this shimmering nonsense. I loved all of the detail with the walk up to the castle and the way the sense of doom pervaded everything.
In A Confederacy of Dunces, the very fact that we end up hating Ignatius and wanting to kick his tail from one end of Canal St. all the way to the river then push him in just shows that Toole did his job as an author. It has been, and will remain, one of my favorite books for 30 years.
Laura wrote: "I didn't HATE The Historian but remember feeling like my time had indeed been wasted. And to the person who mentioned their master's degree and years of teaching experience as, I assume, a way to m..."Jay wrote: "everyone's felt that, i want to finish but its too damn slow!"
Jane wrote: "For my part, a book too bad to finish was Foucault's Pendulum. I tried. Believe me, I tried! I just couldn't do it, though, and I started it 3 times (as Claudia did w/ WH). I thoroughly enjoyed bot..."
Pam wrote: "I hated it too. It might compare favorably to other vampire fiction, but that's damning with faint praise IMHO.
The book was full of improbabilities and unbelievable coincidences. The characters..."
Have to agree w/ Kami: the writing is amazing!
A Northern Light is my least favorite book ever.
Jane Eyre...I tried to like it...but...I just couldn't.
I absolutely cannot STAND Romeo and Juliet.
Jane Eyre...I tried to like it...but...I just couldn't.
I absolutely cannot STAND Romeo and Juliet.
I disliked The Road (different genre) more than the Historian. The Historian was well written and so I did, unlike others, finish it. However, the story was the problem - totally inane. Twilight was another story - inane AND badly written. I don't think it is because I'm not into vampires (which I'm not); I rather like some fantasy authors so long as the story is well researched in mythology and the writing is good.
I liked The Road, but can see how it was difficult to read and get into. I teach excerpts from that book to my juniors (Gothic/Survival Lit) and it meets with mixed reviews.I finished The Historian, but just couldn't get into the book. I wouldn't call it a waste of my time... that would be Water for Elephants.
I actually enjoyed the Historian. I thought it was both fun and interesting. It did drag a little here and there and I can understand if people didn't like it, but it worked for me. I even liked the overly-detailed letters. They reminded me of the overly-detailed letters and journal entries that are the entire basis of the original Dracula, which is what I think the author was going for.In any case, to each his own.
I don't know if there is a book I would consider a complete waste of time. If I got through it, then I found something there I enjoyed. If I think a book is a complete waste, I'll stop reading and find something else. That doesn't happen very often.
Gave up halfway through, which is a shame, as I thought it had real potential. It's probably been pointed out already, but did anybody notice how they were able to motor through Communist Europe as though they were driving across America? It wouldn't be that easy, would it?
One book I personally hated was Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart. I cannot tell you how much I hated reading this book. I almost never say that about books, but this one was super dull. I had to finish it because I was reading it for my Cultures and Values class, but I wish I could have burned it instead. Incidentally, I got about halfway through The Historian before I gave up. I love history, but that book was a snoozer! I tried to get back into it after a family member raved about it, but I soon realized my own instinct was right and the book is now collecting dust on a shelf somewhere. Ugh.
I see this book all the time in charity shops.
AJ wrote: "thoroughly enjoyed it."Second that motion.
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. Worst Stephen King book ever. 6 hours of my life I'll never get back.
Kami wrote: "I'm sorry to disagree with so many of you. However, with a master's degree in reading and almost ten years of teaching writing experience, I must say that Kostova has one of the most engaging writ..."Second that motion.
Misty wrote: "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. Worst Stephen King book ever. 6 hours of my life I'll never get back."I don't think I even finished that one.
Kirby wrote: "Misty wrote: "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. Worst Stephen King book ever. 6 hours of my life I'll never get back."I don't think I even finished that one."
Lucky you!
I agree! I can't believe that nearly all of the comments on here are negative--I thought the book was very fast-paced and I found myself wishing it was longer when it was over. I am going to conclude that the people that hated it must not care much about research or history and must not enjoy learning something when they read. Perhaps Twilight would be more their speed.