Books everyone loved—but you (1 Viewer)

Does anyone else find that, with the advent of the internet/phones/social media etc that you read fewer books and novels? I guess it’s an attention span thing, but when i was coming up, i was an avid reader and , even as a young adult i read for pleasure a lot.. however in the last 10 or 15 years , i cant tell you when i’ve actually picked up a book and read the entire thing .. i think i’ve Just gotten used to digesting articles and stories in small bites, or watching a 15 minute episode of Comedians in Cars or something.. come to think of it, i dont sit through entire movies nearly as much as i used to either.

I read a whole lot more non fiction these days. I do miss having a great page turner that I couldn’t wait to get back home to though. I used to get completely lost in those.
 
I’m working a book out conceptually myself. Nonfiction. I’ve thought through some good stories but don’t think I would be an exceptional story teller.

Some books I didn’t not hold in high regard as many did.

Many classics like:

Catcher in the Rye
Gatsby
Of Mice and Men

More recently:

Life of Pi
The Book Thief.
Just sit down and write. That is what I have heard, and for the little I have written, it seems to be good advice. You can always go back and re-write a part. I just did that on a conversation I wrote which I thought was decent. I had some different ideas on how what it should reveal and so i re-wrote it. The second one was much better. The first go was trash, but it got me going and got me thinking.

I agree on Catcher in the Rye. I actually liked Of Mice and Men but it has been a long time since I read it. I haven’t readLife of Pi. I loved the Book Thief. It is actually one of my favorites.
 
I will try to put a Humperdoo character into one of my stories.

You will end up with a trilogy, and a couple of prequels, and owe a lot of money in royalties to his family.
 
Does anyone else find that, with the advent of the internet/phones/social media etc that you read fewer books and novels? I guess it’s an attention span thing, but when i was coming up, i was an avid reader and , even as a young adult i read for pleasure a lot.. however in the last 10 or 15 years , i cant tell you when i’ve actually picked up a book and read the entire thing .. i think i’ve Just gotten used to digesting articles and stories in small bites, or watching a 15 minute episode of Comedians in Cars or something.. come to think of it, i dont sit through entire movies nearly as much as i used to either.

Both of my sons are honors English students.

If the book isn't assigned, they don't read it. "Dad, NOBODY reads books, you don't underSTAND."
 
Just sit down and write. That is what I have heard, and for the little I have written, it seems to be good advice. You can always go back and re-write a part. I just did that on a conversation I wrote which I thought was decent. I had some different ideas on how what it should reveal and so i re-wrote it. The second one was much better. The first go was trash, but it got me going and got me thinking.

I agree on Catcher in the Rye. I actually liked Of Mice and Men but it has been a long time since I read it. I haven’t readLife of Pi. I loved the Book Thief. It is actually one of my favorites.

yes, I have written. Its just not organized. Its all recovery related stuff and I just havnt decided it it was going to be blog material or if I wanted to organize it and give a book a stab. Im not looking to necessarily make money off of it. Its for me more than anything but I have many connections in the recovery scene who enjoy what I have to offer.

Catcher was odd for me. I did enjoy the mood of it and I may eventually read it again. OfM&M is the only Steinbeck book I have read. I should have started somewhere else.

I also loved Pi until the boat ride. The beginning where he described his youth and philosophy was actually better IMO.

Other books I read recently along with Book Thief were The Help and The Storyteller. Both were way better IMO.
 
love this subject. I have suffered through Great Expectations (I say suffer only because Dickens English use doesn't allow quick page turning. I actually enjoyed it but it took me forever.

And I read every word in House of Leaves which anyone that has even flipped through the book will tell you isn't even physically easy. (complete with holes in pages and all)

Image result for house of leaves gif
 
When I read Catcher in the Rye in HS all I could think of was "why is everybody so excited about a book about some spoiled rich ******* kid," and that thought has not changed in the 1.481 years since I graduated.

And I was an English major in college, with a concentration in novels, and I'm even more convinced today.

I actually thought the Bible was pretty good as a book, maybe not so much when it's been weaponized by angry zealots, but that's a topic for Andrus's new "Religious Discussions Board" that I know he is just dying to set up.

Books that wanted to make me poke my eyes out:

Cry the Beloved Country
The Sheltering Sky
Anything by Russell Banks (tried three times)
Anything by William Gaddis (dude, if you don't think not using punctuation or attribution of speakers isn't an affectation, go put on the monocle and beret and come out striding with knickers and a riding crop and we'll talk)
American Psycho/Less Than Zero -- Bret Easton Ellis and pretty much any wealthy young person doing "art" in the 1980s needs to be executed, not that I am judgmental

Turns out a lot of the "Great Books" are....great books.
 
love this subject. I have suffered through Great Expectations (I say suffer only because Dickens English use doesn't allow quick page turning. I actually enjoyed it but it took me forever.

And I read every word in House of Leaves which anyone that has even flipped through the book will tell you isn't even physically easy. (complete with holes in pages and all)

Image result for house of leaves gif

Been a while since I read House of Leaves. I remember being impressed with what he put together. It was astounding.

But I didn't care for the characters. The whole book was an empty mansion.
 
Third poster here chiming in with A Confederacy of Dunces. Got more than halfway through then gave up. Almost completely ruined reading for me.
 
Been a while since I read House of Leaves. I remember being impressed with what he put together. It was astounding.

But I didn't care for the characters. The whole book was an empty mansion.


thats exponentially bigger on the inside than the outside. The concept is what I loved. You can actually see each characters sanity slipping away after they come in contact with it.
 
When I read Catcher in the Rye in HS all I could think of was "why is everybody so excited about a book about some spoiled rich ******* kid," and that thought has not changed in the 1.481 years since I graduated.

And I was an English major in college, with a concentration in novels, and I'm even more convinced today.


.



I’m going to differ with you here.. I actually read Catcher in the 8th grade and, at the risk of sounding hyperbolic- it changed my life... I’m not really sure why, i think that it was just such a breath of fresh air, and its structure , and Holden’s use of language, was so unlike anything i’ve read before or since.. come to think of it, i’m realizing now that in a lot of ways, Catcher in the Rye reminds me of Pulp Fiction, just how crazy original it was... In any case, i feel like i still look at things in a different way since reading that book over 30 years ago.




Zack mentioned Great Expectations.. i’ve never read the book, but i played Pip in a high school production of the play, and - while i don’t remember too many specifics about the story itself , it was a fun experience so i have a soft spot for it in general.
 
thats exponentially bigger on the inside than the outside. The concept is what I loved. You can actually see each characters sanity slipping away after they come in contact with it.

I worried more for Danielewski's sanity than I did his characters.

I don't know. Maybe that's a win.

I will say that I won't forget it.
 
I’m going to differ with you here.. I actually read Catcher in the 8th grade and, at the risk of sounding hyperbolic- it changed my life... I’m not really sure why, i think that it was just such a breath of fresh air, and its structure , and Holden’s use of language, was so unlike anything i’ve read before or since.. come to think of it, i’m realizing now that in a lot of ways, Catcher in the Rye reminds me of Pulp Fiction, just how crazy original it was... In any case, i feel like i still look at things in a different way since reading that book over 30 years ago.

I am happy that it served you so well!
 

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