Oh a bad books list – excellent. My first thought is always – are any of my favourite books on it? And then – will I agree with anyone else’s choices?
It will be no surprise to you that I’m hitching my wagon to Ian Rankin – it is truly freeing to discover that one doesn’t need to finish every book one begins - thanks to The Shipping News [ducks for cover] – and have embraced it with gusto ever since. Best I don’t mention The Road. I’m with Christopher Hart - Lawrence is a humourless bore… And Daisy Goodwin & Joan Smith – Patricia Cornwell writes in a very forgiving genre and I can be EXTREMELY forgiving – but jeepers… I loved The Golden Notebook – but not sure if I could bear to re-read it.
- and from the comments: I have tried Catch 22 – its appeal eludes me. The Bone People took me three attempts – but I was won over on the third (I forgive the ending – so forgettable that all I recall is that I forgive it). Interesting to note Heart of Darkness scores a couple of points in the comments…
I am sort of appalled by myself - given how much I was nodding along with Rankin, as you know I was left unmoved by The Road - that I haven't read anything by him, by Rankin himself. You are the second person this week to tell me that about Catch-22 (still on my toberead pile, and moving further down it now!) Patricia Cornwell - well, it's been a while but I remember consuming very very hastily a couple of hers one summer holiday. The Bone People: I remember loving it but can't really remember anything more than the feel of it right now. As for Doris Lessing: that's some hours I will never get back. I assure myself I will grow to like her - as if she's some regional olive I haven't developed the taste for yet. I am under-awed by Rick Moody. And on the other side of things, I often wonder why Roddy Doyle isn't better appreciated. Looking forward to the Conrad discussions...
Glad at least one person mentioned The Alchemist. The sheer saccharine horror of it is only compounded by its popularity. I'd set that Andalusian shepherd kid on Cormac McCarthy's Road in a heartbeat just to see how quickly he'd be taken down by cannibals.
Boy am I glad I'm not the only one who couldn't quite get through Crime and Punishment. I always feel like I've failed somehow. And yet I plan to try again one day. I also loved The Hobbit but was bored by Lord of The Rings. It was really entertaining to read these prominent writer's 'can't reads'. I do love Viginia Woolf though, but haven't yet read The Waves and am now wary!
Literary Minded, I also couldn't get through LOTR but loved The Hobbit. I was taught it by an utter enthusiast so perhaps that had something to do with it. I love Woolf too. The first time I read The Waves, I had a guide who took me through it fastidiously and the second time it was holiday reading and it all came together.
I am a freelance writer of fiction and non-fiction, and one of the two founding partners of sleeperspublishing.com
Email me at louise at sleeperspublishing dot com
5 comments:
Oh a bad books list – excellent. My first thought is always – are any of my favourite books on it? And then – will I agree with anyone else’s choices?
It will be no surprise to you that I’m hitching my wagon to Ian Rankin – it is truly freeing to discover that one doesn’t need to finish every book one begins - thanks to The Shipping News [ducks for cover] – and have embraced it with gusto ever since. Best I don’t mention The Road.
I’m with Christopher Hart - Lawrence is a humourless bore…
And Daisy Goodwin & Joan Smith – Patricia Cornwell writes in a very forgiving genre and I can be EXTREMELY forgiving – but jeepers…
I loved The Golden Notebook – but not sure if I could bear to re-read it.
- and from the comments:
I have tried Catch 22 – its appeal eludes me.
The Bone People took me three attempts – but I was won over on the third (I forgive the ending – so forgettable that all I recall is that I forgive it).
Interesting to note Heart of Darkness scores a couple of points in the comments…
I am sort of appalled by myself - given how much I was nodding along with Rankin, as you know I was left unmoved by The Road - that I haven't read anything by him, by Rankin himself. You are the second person this week to tell me that about Catch-22 (still on my toberead pile, and moving further down it now!) Patricia Cornwell - well, it's been a while but I remember consuming very very hastily a couple of hers one summer holiday. The Bone People: I remember loving it but can't really remember anything more than the feel of it right now. As for Doris Lessing: that's some hours I will never get back. I assure myself I will grow to like her - as if she's some regional olive I haven't developed the taste for yet. I am under-awed by Rick Moody. And on the other side of things, I often wonder why Roddy Doyle isn't better appreciated. Looking forward to the Conrad discussions...
Glad at least one person mentioned The Alchemist. The sheer saccharine horror of it is only compounded by its popularity. I'd set that Andalusian shepherd kid on Cormac McCarthy's Road in a heartbeat just to see how quickly he'd be taken down by cannibals.
Boy am I glad I'm not the only one who couldn't quite get through Crime and Punishment. I always feel like I've failed somehow. And yet I plan to try again one day. I also loved The Hobbit but was bored by Lord of The Rings. It was really entertaining to read these prominent writer's 'can't reads'. I do love Viginia Woolf though, but haven't yet read The Waves and am now wary!
Literary Minded, I also couldn't get through LOTR but loved The Hobbit. I was taught it by an utter enthusiast so perhaps that had something to do with it. I love Woolf too. The first time I read The Waves, I had a guide who took me through it fastidiously and the second time it was holiday reading and it all came together.
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