I just can't, can't, can't cope with finishing this book. I got half-way through it and found myself forcing myself to read just a few more pages. As in 'read 10 more pages and then you can read something else for a while'. Doesn't sound like fun reading time does it? :-)I'll probably find that everyone else in the world loved this book, but to me it was boring and confusing and all over the place. My mind kept wandering so I kept losing my grasp on who was talking.
I like stream-of-consciousness writing and since I loved Michael Cunningham's The Hours so much I thought I'd at least like the book that inspired him. But I thought he used the style in a much more engaging way.
At least I tried. And I refuse to let those thoughts of 'maybe classics aren't for me' into my head. I've enjoyed plenty of them, plus I haven't read anything Jane Austen yet and I'm told that I can't quit classics till I try her!
Challenges: 1% Well-Read Challenge, 999 Challenge, My Year of Reading Dangerously, Rescue Challenge, TBR Challenge
9 comments:
Like you said, at least you tried! I also found this confusing, but there were parts I thought were kind of cool. There is a scene at the beginning where the POV switches from person to person as you go down the street/stand on the corner. It's a little difficult to follow at first, but once I realized what was going on, I though it was pretty amazing.
I didn't love the book, but I do want to go back to it someday. Someday later. :-)
Lezlie
Even though it's a little book, it took me awhile to get through it. I agree with Lezlie. It is interesting but I didn't LOVE it.
Lezlie - yeah, that POV thing was cool, but oh so confusing, especially since mymind kept drifting!
Chris - even half of it took a while to get through! :-)
Well, good for you for putting it aside! I'm still trying to learn to allow myself to do that.
Nymeth - when things get to the bargaining stage it seems pretty ridiculous not to put the book down! But I admit that I had to teach myself to do this and that it doesn't always work!:-)
I AM HAVING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM! I am reading "Mrs. Dalloway" right now...and by that I mean for the like the past month. You would think a book that's less than 200 pages could be read in less time than a month. But I totally agree, this book is driving me crazy. I keep going in and out of knowing what's going on and what people are thinking about. And someone really should have clued Virginia Woolf into the idea that run-on sentences don't make for a good read. My sister keeps telling me this is the greatest book ever, so it's nice to find someone else who has the same problems with it that I do.
Veronica - life's too short to force yourself through books that don't work for you - that's what I think anyway. If I feel that I gave them enough of a chance and I'm still not interested, it's time to move on! :-)
I really enjoyed this book, but I can definitely see why others wouldn't. Woolf's style isn't for everyone. At least you gave it a go!
Yup, this one is tough. I liked it but I also read it with class and then wrote a paper on it, so I had to force myself to dissect it a bit. Thrilled you liked The Hours, though--it's the perfect companion piece to this.
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