Oh, fair enough! I surrender. I mean, there ARE a million college courses out there on Milton, and he's considered one of the 'greats,' so I'm probably in the minority of literature lovers, because I don't rate him. Of course I'm not an expert because I jockeyed around and avoided him like the plague, so what do I know. My first encounter with Milton was as a child, actually. My dad had a wonderful collection of books from his childhood (in the 1920s) that contained huge excerpts from many many classics. I discovered so much reading these books. I remember reading the Milton section and thinking ''what?" It was not my favourite, I can assure you. This was not helped when later on, in late high school, we had to read (and discuss) another excerpt. Again, "what?" I really couldn't believe this guy's work was worth the candle, to be honest. I just didn't like his subject matter at all, and really wasn't interested in all the religious angst therein. As for Shakespeare and Chaucer—loved them to bits and still do. Conrad? I am ashamed to say I've never really read him. (I've read excerpts, though, but nothing major.) But I think you've nudged me in the direction of Kindle. I really should download Heart of Darkness. I have a hunch I'll appreciate it more than Milton! At least the subject matter is interesting to me. Anyway, to each his own... but I guess I horned into this thread because Milton is a writer whose works I could never finish. And I still say ...bleah!
I wouldn't put you in the minority, if anything I'd say the minority is of Milton lovers. Most people recognize his merit, but I find few who truly love his work haha. In all honesty, I totally understand your pov and agree with you. I'm just weird, as my opinions fluctuate. In the long run, I appreciate Milton. I enjoy Paradise Lost (haven't read his other works) because it's a challenge, because it's rich with things to learn and consider, because it fits in its times and can be as universal as anyone takes it. I mean, take Shakespeare to high school students, and I bet only one or two of them would recognize how universal and relatable his works like Hamlet, King Lear, Othello are. They'd be familiar with Romeo and Juliet, but I doubt they'd recognize it as one of the earliest teen dramas-- or Hamlet as a precursor to YA in a sense. All that to say somethings we have to be shown first, but that doesn't mean we have to agree or least of all care much. I bet you probably would like Heat of Darkness. I'd probably enjoy it more now than I did two years ago, or at least be able to trudge through it. It would probably be easier if I didn't have the almost pocket sized Barnes and Noble Edition, making it so dense and unapproachable.
One of the interesting and least-heralded advantages of Kindle is that it tends to make ponderous works more readable. Not only are you looking at a small portion of a 'real' page on a Kindle screen at any one time, but the temptation to thumb ahead and find more entertaining 'bits' is severely curbed by the format. I find I can read James Joyce, Tolstoy, and other authors I used to struggle with, as long as their books are on Kindle. So I have hopes for Heart of Darkness. Heck it might even improve access to Milton?... nope, that's a step too far, I reckon!
Is Eco's Foucault's Pendulum considered a great book? I got two or three chapters in and stopped because I couldn't give a rip for any of the characters. Lewis's The Monk I put down in distaste because it turned out to be a heavy serving of late 18th century porn globbed up with an equal measure of Roman Catholic bashing. And I say that as a Reformed Protestant. The whole premise of the story was meretricious; it seemed designed to make the typical Brit reader of the day feel proud of his own "unstained" Anglican morality. Gah.
I am shamed to admit that I could not get through Catch 22 by Joseph Heller. And not because I didn't enjoy it, but I felt like it was much too long. I found that I couldn't read very much of it at a time and before I knew it, it was due back to the library. I haven't really felt the desire to pick it back up again.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance which is nothing about motorcycles and far too much about philosophy. Somewhere in the voluminous text is a story about a guy and his son, but I'll be damned if I can find it. The book had me screaming internally "Shut up and just tell me already!". Pirsig seems like he tries to use every word he's ever used on every page of the thing. I think it's a disconnect between myself and books that delve into philosophy. Atlas Shrugged suffers from 'too much' as well (the speech at the end just goes on for an eternity...I'd have changed the channel on the radio long ago). Shopcraft as Soulcraft also blathers on and says very little, but the last two I were able to finish. Zen...I couldn't wait to give my copy away so it wouldn't remind me how awful it was. No other work has caused me to react so strongly.
I was thinking of reading this book. Maybe I'll read a few pages and see what the fuss is all about. It's a really popular book apparently. Hopefully there's some actual insight into zen philosophy in this book and not just random philosophical ramblings.
We were required to read it in Architecture school. Seriously. I finished it because I had to. Didn't kill me, but didn't stick with me particularly either.
Honestly, I couldn't read the Narnia books. I tried to read them but had to stop in the middle of the second one. I just didn't like how they were written and they seemed a bit boring to me.
I used to make it a point of pride that I always finished whatever I started reading. And I still feel like that, though, it is beginning to seem logically like a very silly outlook. Also, where was I when the very interesting discussion between @jannert, @Andrae Smith and @thirdwind was going on? :/
most recently, I couldn't bring myself to get more than a score of pages into The Player of Games. I'd been badly put off by the only other Culture book I'd read, Use of Weapons, for various reasons including figuring out the "surprise twist" from the end of the book about halfway through, and in Player, the main character is shown (at least in the beginning) as being a tedious, self-important ass. I didn't have enough faith in the author to believe that the character would become more interesting or sympathetic, especially when I read the back cover blurb and realized that if I hadn't had it recommended to me by so many friends, I never would have tried it in the first place.
Interesting. Player Of Games is probable one of my favorite Banks SF novels. It's been a while, so I don't remember a lot of details, but I think I remember the AI is supposed to use humor to offset some of the character's more obnoxious traits? I too was disappointed by Use Of Weapons: the structure seemed forced. In my opinion, his best novel by far is his first - The Wasp Factory. Much of his other stuff leaves me with the impression that he's trying too hard.
@elynne and @Vronsky That's interesting. Player of Games IS my favourite Banks SF novel. I haven't read all the Culture series, but I've enjoyed most of them. But Player of Games is the first Banks novel I ever read, and I loved it. So there you go. Most books don't have universal appeal. It's interesting for us to keep this in mind as wannabe authors. While you have to have a readership, there will always be people who don't like what you do. I was also interested in @ddavidv 's assessment of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. I'd forgotten about that one. I picked it up many years ago, full of expectation, because many of my friends thought it was the best thing since sliced bread. Well, after a few pages, my eyes crossed. A few more, and I'd dropped off the branch ...permanently. This is definitely a book I never finished. I don't have a Zen personality, to tell the truth. Mine is more Donald Duck. Now there's a topic for you: Donald Duck and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Admit it. You can see this unfolding, can't you....?
@Vronsky I liked the AI much more than the human. and, yeah--Use of Weapons overwhelmingly seemed like it was trying too hard. I mostly just found it irritating. if I hadn't already sold my copy of Player, I might give it another try based on your recommendation--but as it is, enh; if I see it in a second-hand bookshop, I may pick it up, if I can afford it and don't have too many other books already. but I'll keep my eyes open for The Wasp Factory and give it a shot when I get a chance. @jannert I adore Charles Stross's Halting State and Rule 34, and I gave Halting State to Spouse, thinking that it'd be a good fit; but Spouse told me the second-person narrative style was too much, and didn't get past the second chapter. part of the reason I love them is because of the second-person narrative! another series I love is the Book of the New Sun series by Gene Wolfe, but the writing style in the series can make people bounce off them pretty hard.
I must be one of the few that still hasn't read any of his SF stuff, primarily as I'm not a fan of the genre. I agree about the 'trying too hard'. I got that with Espedair Street. The Wasp Factory was the first Banks novel I read many moons ago though I think The Bridge is my considered favourite. Who would've thought the Forth Bridge could inspire such a tale. May he rest in peace anyway. Must be a year since he past by now.
I have to agree here I loved The Hobbit but I could make it through the first installment of The Lord of The Rings and I've tried several times. I adore the films, and can quote them line for line so I found it surprising the series was so difficult for me to get into as I generally have no problem being sucked into a novel. I assume as well, as the films did, that the story picks up it's pace so I am likely to give it yet another shot! I would like to be able say that I've finished reading them all.
Dune. The hobbit. Anything with hobbits in it. Shakespearean sonnets. 50 shades of gray (one paragraph. after I threw up in my mouth a little, I figured I should attempt Dostoevsky, just to wash the bad ). twilight, I made it to page 15. My friends epic fantasy book called "the Oracle." Percy Jackson. Stuff that's geared towards teenagers. Kafka, just because I found the style a tad outdated. On the other hand, I completed reading Proust (all 6 volumes, Le Temps Perdu) in about two weeks max. I admit, I skimmed a bit in the middle. Thomass Mann, loved it (The mountain..) and Joyce. Ah. didn't finish 'of mice and men' cos I disliked the subject.
I took a long time reading it, but I absolutely loved it. I've read it twice now. Probably took me months for each volume. I'd have to say, though perhaps it's silly to name favorites, that this is indeed my favorite. I agree there are slow parts, but there are gems of phrasing and insight hidden throughout.
