A friend just recommended "The Imperfectionists" by Tom Rachman, so I mentioned it to my brother as we have similar tastes.
He replied:
Sounded so promising, but I got maybe halfway through it and quit. I think I had just finished "A Man in Full," so that was a hard act to follow.
It got me thinking about notable books I just couldn't "get through," with "The Mysteries of Pittsburgh" by Michael Chabon being at the top of my list.
What about you?
Sounded so promising, but I got maybe halfway through it and quit. I think I had just finished "A Man in Full," so that was a hard act to follow.
It got me thinking about notable books I just couldn't "get through," with "The Mysteries of Pittsburgh" by Michael Chabon being at the top of my list.
What about you?
19 comments:
THE CORRECTIONS
I agree on The Imperfectionists, I got a third through and gave up. It was work.
Loved The Corrections though...
I would add Sarah's Key to the list... so many rave reviews, so many book clubs. Bored.
The Passage by Justin Cronin...LAME couldn't finish it.
Easy. "Infinite Jest."
I've read "Infinite Jest" 3 times! But couldn't even get thru "Cather in the Rye" or "To Kill a Mockingbird" once.
infinite jest
Can't get through "Beach Music" by Pat Conroy.
"Infinite Jest," definitely, but I'm sure we're far from alone there.
It's been a billion years, but I'm pretty sure I sailed through "The Mysteries of Pittsburgh" and liked it.
A Confederacy of Dunces. Everyone kept saying that it was the funniest thing they'd ever read, but I couldn't get into it.
"All the King's Men." I just couldn't.
That's so funny because Mysteries of Pittsburgh is the only Chabon book I have ever been able to finish of his. The acclaimed Yiddish Policemen's Union which won every prize under the sun I found absolutely unreadable.
I didn't care for "The Corrections" either - but I did enjoy "The Mysteries of Pittsburgh".
Interesting that you had that experience with Michael Chabon. I had a lot of trouble getting through his "The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay." I got through it, but it was tough. Tough enough to think twice before attempting another of his books.
But as far as things I just couldn't finish, the big one for me was John Irving's "Son of A Circus." I have read and enjoyed almost everything else of his.
The book of Mormon
I couldn't get through Foer's "Everything is Illuminated" for the life of me. I tried maybe 3 times before I finally gave the book away.
As others have said, I sailed through "Mysteries of Pittsburgh" and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Ann Patchett's Bel Canto. I'm a big opera queen so I had high hopes. The bits about the singer herself are find -- the rest of it sucks. I bailed when the Japanese translator fell in love with the Peruvian rebel. Idiotic.
Infinite Jest is a hard read - but I read the whole thing and loved it. Loved Mysteries of Pittsburgh - but especially loved Kavalier and Clay. The books I've always thought I should read but have never been able to are Gravity's Rainbow and The Brothers Karamzov
I tried to read "Huck Finn" as an adult and it did NOT work!
I felt the same about The Imperfectionists, sounded so intriguing, but found it boring...
I struggled with Chabon's Yiddish Policeman's Union but made it thru painfully. From the comments here, sounds like I should read Infinite Jest.
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