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So I've decided to re-read some of my most beloved classics, starting with 'Quo Vadis' by Henry Sienkiewicz. I've read that book over 20 years ago when I was still in high school, so yeah, it's been a while. I remember how I loved that story, how vivid some of the scenes described in the book, the characters, etc. Then when I tried to re-read it again last week, I was surprised to discover how much I struggled to finish the book (I still haven't read beyond chapter 3). Now I find the dialogues are wrong, the sentences are disjointed, the story uninteresting. I'm almost afraid to continue reading for fear of betraying my fond memory of this book.
I guess memory can be really deceiving!! Has anyone experienced the same thing?
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Yup! Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy. So much of the dialogue sounded forced and wrong. I didn't even bother trying to re-read Beach Music, for the same reason.
PS. I'm not sure why I even wanted to re-read those two books -- I never re-read books because there are so many out there that I haven't read. I guess I've learned my lesson now!
Yup! Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy. So much of the dialogue sounded forced and wrong. I didn't even bother trying to re-read Beach Music, for the same reason.
PS. I'm not sure why I even wanted to re-read those two books -- I never re-read books because there are so many out there that I haven't read. I guess I've learned my lesson now!
That's interesting. I loved both of those books and now you've got me wondering what I'd think of them now. Have you read his most recent book, South of Broad? My husband loved it but I haven't read it yet.
Last edited by netwit; 11-03-2010 at 01:46 PM..
Reason: more info
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
17,330 posts, read 33,032,639 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by netwit
That's interesting. I loved both of those books and now you've got me wondering what I'd think of them now. Have you read his most recent book, South of Broad? My husband loved it but I haven't read it yet.
The reason that I re-read Prince of Tides was to (try to) prove a point to myself: that I actually DO like Pat Conroy's writing. Why was I trying to prove that to myself? Because I was so looking forward to South of Broad... I pre-ordered it... I received it... I started reading it... and I couldn't finish it. I thought it was terrible. It was like a soap opera and the dialogue was awful -- it felt, at least to me, so contrived and forced.
So, I wanted to see if I'd still enjoy Prince of Tides and Beach Music (which was once one of my favorite books). I finished Prince of Tides but it took all of my willpower. I didn't even dare try to re-read Beach Music. I figured I'd leave well enough alone and sail on the memory of liking it.
I re-read The Stand every couple of years (The long version). Same with The Lord of The Rings. I skim a few parts I don't care for but to me it's like visiting an old friend. You always appreciate them a little more.
I read The Garden of the Finzi-Contini when I was in college. I had to read it for Lit Studies, and I used to go a local vineyard in summer, and sit amongst the vines to read. The heat, the clear blue sky and the green of the vines made the experience incredibly evocative; it was almost like being in Italy where the book was set.
It really isn't the same trying to read it years later, older, and romantically shattered/wiser!
I'll give it another try though, it's not a bad book.
I read Lady Chatterley's Lover in college and couldn't get enough of it. Read it again in my early 40's and wondered what on earth I had seen in it. Very disappointing...I'd rather remember it fondly, since it was very well written. I haven't read any of D.H. Lawrence's other work.
I read David Eddings Belgariad series in 9th grade and loved it. I re-read it in college and was very underwhelmed.
Same with Frank Herbert's Dune. I'll grant it has some great world building and the political message is interesting, but it is just flat out badly written. Painfully bad in places. Make you wince as you read it bad.
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I couldn't finish it. I thought it was terrible. It was like a soap opera and the dialogue was awful -- it felt, at least to me, so contrived and forced.
