classic books you didnt like

[80sFan]

Sometimes I run into problems when I expect too much. This is what I call Crocodile Dundee Syndrome. I call it that because of this friend of mine who went to see it (way back when it was new) and came back raving about how Paul Hogan was a genius and it was the funniest movie he (my friend) had ever seen. Well . . . I went to see Crocodile Dundee, and it was okay, but I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had come in without all the buildup.

Maybe the reason you don't get what the "big deal" with The Stand is, is because there isn't any big deal. It's just a story, not unlike many others. Of course, that's not a perspective you're going to get on this forum (except that you just did), and we all know you can't un-ring a bell, but you're probably not the only person to be disappointed -- not because a particular story isn't all it might be -- but because it couldn't possibly be everything everyone has told you it would be.

Or maybe not.

I dunno.

I get exactly what you're saying. And you may be right. What you call the "Crocodile Dundee Syndrome" (funny!) is what my experience was with the movie "the Exorcist". After decades of hearing it was the scariest movie of all time and being frightened even by the musical score, I finally got up the courage to watch it and...was not impressed. Not even scared (and it doesn't take much to scare me).

I truly enjoyed the beginning of "the Stand" (every time I started it, I couldn't imagine why I had never finished it) until there were more characters than I could keep up with. But my daughter read it and loved it, so I eventually read the entire book.

 

[Lily Sawyer]

Dislike Hemingway.
Ditto Molière.
Loathed Madame Bovary, Waiting for Godot, and Heart of Darkness, but the book I hate the most is one I was forced to read three times, twice in French and once in English: The Stranger.

 

[mstay]

I hated Pride and Prejudice! I kept thinking "how can these people be so stupid?!" Needless to say I haven't read any more of Austen's books.

I tried to read Uncle Tom's Cabin once for a book club. It was so boring I couldn't get interested in it! Sorry.

 

[morgan]

I did not like Dickens, Faulkner, Melville, Conrad and a host of others.

My senior year of college I took a class devoted entirely to Faulkner - not a fan either.

 

[Kurben]

Dislike Hemingway.
Ditto Molière.
Loathed Madame Bovary, Waiting for Godot, and Heart of Darkness, but the book I hate the most is one I was forced to read three times, twice in French and once in English: The Stranger.

Camus? Havent read that one but heard good things about it. Read his The Plague which was really good.

 

[Lily Sawyer]

Camus? Havent read that one but heard good things about it. Read his The Plague which was really good.

Yes. Camus. I wanted to stick hot pokers in both eyes during discussions about the book. Meursault is an a$$hat who concludes the universe is indifferent to humankind. Camus clearly needed anti-depressants and a good lay.

 

[Kurben]

Yes. Camus. I wanted to stick hot pokers in both eyes during discussions about the book. Meursault is an a$$hat who concludes the universe is indifferent to humankind. Camus clearly needed anti-depressants and a good lay.

Hehe. Lets hope he got both. Anyway i still think his the Plague was good. But as usual with Camus it is not very cheerful.

 

[sarahg123]

A Farewell to Arms. I kind of hate to say it, but I am just not a huge fan of Hemmingway's writing style

 

[muskrat]

I like Burroughs but not the cut-up stuff. That cut-up stuff is stupid. I can never understand why Tarzan is all strung-out in Tangier and chasing Spanish boys. *rimshot!*

 

[mal]

I tried Anna Karenina...after about 30 pages I gave up.

 

[muskrat]

I tried Anna Karenina...after about 30 pages I gave up.

I tossed my copy under a train.

 

[carrie's younger brother]

Please don't hate me for this, but "The Stand". Yes, I consider it a "classic" but no matter how many times I've read it, I just don't get what the big deal is.

Also, all the Jane Austen stuff. I've tried reading and I end up falling asleep every time.

This is getting weird 80s. I too do not like The Stand! A veeeery loooong book and most of the major characters are annoying. And really, not much happens when you think about it.

 

[80sFan]

This is getting weird 80s. I too do not like The Stand! A veeeery loooong book and most of the major characters are annoying. And really, not much happens when you think about it.

Definitely weird...but kind of cool too

 

[Tery]

Dracula. Slow and wordy.

 

[fushingfeef]

I'm another one who has struggled with Hemmingway. Also, Conrad's "The Heart of Darkness" was a sleeping pill, I tried and tried but kept falling asleep!

 

[ghost19]

War and Peace. As avid reader as I've been all my life, always felt I should have read this one. I've started it probably ten times and haven't been able to get more than about 200 pages in or so before I find my attention wandering.

 

[HollyGolightly]

I'm not a Faulkner or Hemmingway fan. Lily Sawyer , agree with you on Camus.
Do you have anyone in your life who "Faulkner-texts" you? You know what I mean.

 

[muskrat]

Dracula. Slow and wordy.

Huh? Did we read the same book? I found the old thing to be a fast paced , pot-boiling, blood-and-thunder page turner. That whole opening sequence, at the count's castle--then BLAM! Suicide seat at Whitby! BLAM! The Log of the Demeter! BLAM! The 'Bloofer' Lady! BLAM! The Staking of Lucy (whoops, no spoiler! Der...), just on and on like that, till the big chase at the end.

As for wordiness, I don't know what to tell you. I mean, compared to other 'great' works of its period, Dracula reads like a shot of Cuervo.

But to each his own, I guess.

 

[carrie's younger brother]

Gkad

Definitely weird...but kind of cool too

Especially since we're the only 2 on this board who do not like the stand.

 

[carrie's younger brother]

I tossed my copy under a train.

Ha!