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What, in your opinion, is the best book that you haven’t liked? Mind you, I don’t mean your most-hated book–oh, no. I mean the most accomplished, skilled, well-written, impressive book that you just simply didn’t like.
Like, for movies–I can acknowledge that Citizen Kane is a tour de force and is all sorts of wonderful, cinematically speaking, but . . . I just don’t like it. I find it impressive and quite an accomplishment, but it’s not my cup of tea.
So . . . what book (or books) is your Citizen Kane?
Funny, I never cared for Citizen Kane!
At first glance, I thought, "What a tough question," but then after thinking a couple of minutes, I came up with my answers. Please don't hate me, but Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is one book I did not enjoy. I know that there are fan clubs for Jane Austen, and it's a classic, but I just could never understand what all the shouting was about.
Another classic that is a "Citizen Kane" to me is William Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury. It seems to me that the author set out to boggle the mind, and I must admit, that he did a good job boggling mine! I felt proud of myself for merely finishing that book!
A final example is One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez. The magic realism and those gold fish left me cold. (sigh)
It might appear from this list that I don't like classics, but that is simply not true. However, these three accomplished, skilled, well-written books I simply did not like.
What's your "Citizen Kane" book?
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37 comments:
I like Marquez. For the very same reason you dislike his works. Magic realism works for me.
My BTT post!
Marquez is in my answer too but a different book.
I loved 1oo years of Solitude but it was quite different from anything I usually would read. I did not like The Sound And The Fury.I hope you have a great day.
I picked up Marquez several times before I could get through it. For me, it had to do with being in the right frame of mind to get into it.
Good post!
Oh my yes, Sound and the Fury is one I dang near went nuts trying to read. Hubby read it but said it was the weirdest book he ever read.
I agree with you on Jane Austen. Her books are a snooze.
Oh, the Sound and the Fury is on my list too...but I love Marquez and Austen...
Sorry you don't like Jane Austen - I've always liked Pride and Prejudice!
I haven't read the others, although I have One Hundred Years of Solitude - it's been sitting on the bookcase for about a year now. I hope I'll like it.
I never got a chance to read Sound and Fury, I've heard mixed things about it...enough that I'm still a little hesitant to pick it up.
I love magical realism and Marquez.
My "Citizen Kane" books include Confederacy of Dunces and The Alchemist.
I didn't like One Hundred Years of Solitude either, but then I read only 10-15 pages. I should give it another try.
But I love P&P.
I guess all that hype surrounding Pride and Prejudice is sure to have an affect once you've read it because society is telling you "you MUST like it". I was disappointed the first time I read it and wondered what all the hoopla was about. I like it now though.
And you poor thing - having to teach a book you loathed. Pitfalls of teaching I guess. :-p
I don't like Jane Austen either. I have a hard time getting around the language. Thanks for making me feel better about not liking classics!
I choose Love in the Time of Cholera.
You're not the first to list Pride and Prejudice. Jane Austin is a powerful author--many people have strong positive feelings towards her work and others have strong negative feelings. She doesn't generate as much indifference as many other authors do.
I'm a fan of her stuff.
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You know, I 'read' Pride and Prejudice with an audio book that had a really good reader. I'm not sure I would have enjoyed it as much otherwise, it was nice to let someone else figure out the Regency-era humor, but it really came out listening to it.
Not holding P&P against you. My SIL can't STAND it! So I've learned to cope with those who don't get into it. (On a re-read earlier this year I didn't find it quite as engaging as I had previously. I've gotten too used to the movie.)
Great post. Thanks for sharing!
now there's two of you that I've visited that didn't care for Pride and Prejudice... makes me wonder why my brother liked it.
I usually love magical realism, but Garcia Marquez felt pretty blah to me—to the point where I now cannot remember whether I abandoned reading Love in the Time of Cholera or One Hundred Years of Solitude. And The Sound and the Fury...yeah, agree with you there too. I didn't mind it so much but it just wasn't really my style.
Ever since putting up my post I've just been adding to the mental list. I feel like there are an awful lot of books I've been unimpressed by!
I haven't read any of these! haha! But then...I shy away from most classics.
Your description for One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez actually makes me want to read the book.
I agree with you about Pride and Prejudice. I loved the movies, but the book didn't really do anything for me.
~ Popin
I almost chose One Hundred Years of Solitude, but A Tale of Two Cities won for me because I have tried to read it and failed so many times.
Yeah, P&P didn't do anything for me either.
I have the book, One Hundred Years of Solitude, but haven't read it yet. I've read some interesting feedback in your comments about that one and I think I'll have to pull it off the bookshelf and take another look at it - I might enjoy it.
Not like Austen! Egad!!!
Actually for me it was Moby Dick. Come see my answer.
I'm kind of surprised by how many people put Pride & Prejudice on their list of books they didn't like.
I cannot stand William Faulkner's writing style. I can barely get through The Light in August, which was required of 10th grade. I didn't finish The Sound and Fury.
I actually like One Hundred Years of Solitude, which is beautifully written. A family geneaology chart might help.
I hated P&P the first time I read it, too. But I think I was probably just too young to appreciate it. Years later I re-read it and loved it, altho' I still don't understand the attraction of Mr. Darcy.
I don't read most "classics" When I do, they take more time and concentration because the writing is much more intense.
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Happy reading!
Robin of mytwoblessings
I didn't have an answer for this one. I couldn't think of anything. But I probably could have said P&P. I found it very hard to read and liked Persuasion and Mansfield Park much better.
Oh, I LOVE Marquez and One Hundred Years of Solitude. He does magical realism like no one else, and it's phenomenal. But, to each his own.
Pride and Prejudice is one of my all time favorite novels, but I can honestly understand that others don't always love it the way I do.
Haven't read the Marquez book, but when I was a junior in high school, I tried to read The Sound and the Fury. I got 20 pages in and threw it across the room. Aside from being force-fed a short story or two, I haven't touched Faulkner since.
Thanks fir stopping by & visiting my blog. I myself have a hard time reading classics, guess they are just not my "type" of book.
I hate William Faulkner more than I hate any other writer, living or dead. I read As I Lay Dying in high school Honors English. I loved how they made a big deal of him dashing the thing off in a matter of weeks, while working full time. With that "write what comes to mind" gibberish, how long could it take?
funny how Jane Austen is supposedly the one of the greatest authors and yet I hear many ppl just not like her works.
This is a hard one, but I'm going to say everything I've read by Thomas Mann. I know he's great and all, but he's just not for me.
There are a lot of books I don't like that everyone else seems to like, as well as books I've never actually tried because I don't think I'll like it, like Jane Austen.
I've never read any of the books you mentioned but I did buy Pride and Prejudice because it is one of my great friend's favorites. I'm hoping I can enjoy it someday.
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