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Have you ever tried to read a book that everyone else just LOVES, and you can't get into it? Confess--which "must-reads" bored you to tears? On the other hand, what's a good book you read lately?
Bore Me: Reading Lolita in Tehran (I don't want to deconstruct literature in an American class, let alone in Tehran)
Poor Me: The Red Tent (a book that is big into menstrual culture)
I am so glad to hear that somebody else did not care for either the Da Vinci Code or The Red Tent, or Reading Lolita.
To me, the Da Vinci Code was sort of like junk food: lots of calories, no nutrition.
The Red Tent stereotyped men and read like something for a 6th grader.
I wanted to like the Lolita book, but the characters just did not interest me.
OTOH:
I and one other woman were the only ones in my book group who could get into The Time Traveler's Wife. (terrible title, but excellent, dense, well written book.)
Liked:The Namesake, Atonement, Me Talk Pretty One Day
Bored: The Secret Life of Bees
I liked all of the upper three, but also liked The Secret Life of Bees.
However, the second book by the Bees author, The Mermaid Chair, was quite underwhelming for me.
When it comes to David Sedaris, that man really has a way with words; I haven't ready anything of his that hasn't been bittersweet and funny; he displays such a knowingly wry insight into what makes people tick.
A very different, one of a kind book: The Vintner's Luck by Elizabeth Knox.
This novel takes place in 19th century rural France: a young man stumbles in the dark and is caught by an angel, they proceed to conduct a lifelong relationship fraught with betrayal, love and a bit of winemaking.
Book I tried and failed to conquer: Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon
I only started reading recently. I hated it before. My friend told me about a book called "Rich Dad Poor Dad" by Robert Kiyosaki. Im sure folks have heard about it. Well it was very inspiring to me. I love it.
Also Ive read "Why we want you rich" by R.K. and The Donald and it was good as well. Current reading "Mad Money - Watch TV get rich" by Jim Cramer...good so far.
Book I tried and failed to conquer: Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon
I've heard numerous people rave about him, but neither of the books I tried by him caught my interest.
I love Gore Vidal's American Heritage series (or whatever he calls it) and any of his other historical novels, but his "experimental" novels don't interest me at all.
Some of our American literary icons might have been better as statutes than writers: Fitzgerald and Hemingway come to my mind!
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