Books you've left unfinished.

[Chuffy]

I think book 9 or 10 or Robert Jordan's ' wheel of time' saga, I cannot remember. having struggled through all the others and with only 2 left it was just so so tedious. a classic fantasy novel where 3/4 of the book is descriptive character building, the other titles were ok but my god it went on and on!! maybe one day to will return to it

I've been reading those too. They're actually very good but his habit of throwing in ever more characters and plots makes them very hard going. Oh and I've got some very bad news. There is one book left to go, apparently, and he died last year.
I've been reading these damn things for 13 years now, I just hope his editor/publishers have enough notes to complete the last one. Mind you, I really can't see how they can wrap it up within a single book...

 

[Andy in Sig]

mjones is right in his observations on the different styles of Tolkein's books. QUOTE]

I know, I've read them all. Several times... when I was a teenager. Then I grew up. I still think they are interesting achievements (The Silmarillion was actually my favourite by some distance because it is the only one that approaches the mythic nature of the source material) but they are basically hoary old bollocks, and the all the recent 'new' books are post-mortum recreations designed to squeeze more cash from the gullible. His translation of Gawain and the Green Knight is much better than anything original he wrote.

I do understand your "then I grew up crack" because if you compare Tokein to modern literature where character development and slightly more oblique approaches tend to be the norm then it can begin to look a bit simplistic. But one of the points is that he wasn't trying to write modern literature. The material from which he drew inspiration is archaic and was, of course, archaic in style. Beowulf, for instance is a classic oral myth which happened to be written down.

This was brought home to me when an inspirational English teacher at school simply read out to us the battle scenes at Helm's Deep and the Pellenor Fields. It's then you realise the nature of his "literary" achievement which is that he effectively wrote an Anglo-Saxon oral myth. The Silmarillion is probably the crowning example. FWIW I reckon that The Children of Hurin in some ways tops it as it is a brilliant epic tragedy and that style of writing suits it.

I've seen modern critics slag off LOTR because it lacks many aspects of the modern novel - even Anthony Burgess, who should have know better, did that - but that is not to compare like with like. He wrote in the C 20th but he certainly wasn't writing modern novels.

 

[rich p]

Speaking of modern American classics, I don't get F Scott Fitzgerald - The Great Gatsby did nothing for me. Can anyone explain why its so revered?

Good call, I also found them over-hyped.

 

[John the Monkey]

Mind you, I really can't see how they can wrap it up within a single book...

Five Words.

It Was all a Dream.

 

[jonesy]

[...I know, I've read them all. Several times... when I was a teenager. Then I grew up. ....His translation of Gawain and the Green Knight is much better than anything original he wrote.

For some reason I can't help thinking of Jez and Quin in Grim up North London when I read this...

 

[Melvil]

Books I've never finished:

1) Ulysses (obviously. I thought it was ace up until the bit where they go into the newspaper office - then I thought Joyce disappeared up his own arse)

2) A history of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell. (though to be fair I've dipped in and out of lots of bits of it)

3) The Rider by Tim Krabbe - I know I know you lot think it's the best thing since sliced bread but I just couldn't get into it...shame.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

For some reason I can't help thinking of Jez and Quin in Grim up North London when I read this...

Why?

 

[Flying_Monkey]

3) The Rider by Tim Krabbe - I know I know you lot think it's the best thing since sliced bread but I just couldn't get into it...shame.

I have to say I really don't understand this. Not only is it short, it is superlatively written and cuts right to the heart of what it is to be a cyclist.

 

[Melvil]

I have to say I really don't understand this. Not only is it short, it is superlatively written and cuts right to the heart of what it is to be a cyclist.

I know! (Or rather, everyone tells me!) - I must be a philistine!

 

[atbman]

I've been reading those too. They're actually very good but his habit of throwing in ever more characters and plots makes them very hard going. Oh and I've got some very bad news. There is one book left to go, apparently, and he died last year.
I've been reading these damn things for 13 years now, I just hope his editor/publishers have enough notes to complete the last one. Mind you, I really can't see how they can wrap it up within a single book...

His widow has agreed to another writer (whom he approved of) finishing the duodecalogue (I think that's was a cycle of 12 is called) and it is due out back end of 2009. He apparently left a set of notes outlining the final instalment.