Dismissive Me

Weird. I dismissed both of those books too. I honestly think they are both total toss. But, I haven't gone back to either. I just didn't think Catch-22 was particularly funny. And Heart of Darkness was just dull. Should I really persevere with Catch-22? I'm not convinced... Joe

I'm growing to like the style of the dialogue of Catch-22. I still think it's a bit all over the place, which I felt originally, but I'm definately seeing something in it now that I didn't get before. It's a lot smarter than I gave it credit for originally, I know that much. I'm still dubious about Heart of Darkness too, Joe. I'll report back when I'm through it. Enzo.. www.thedevilbetweenus.com

Hell I dismiss whole authors. I read three steinbecks at school, (the pearl, the red pony, and of mice and men) and I hated them all. Years later I was given grapes of wrath for my birthday and, after a few more years of it sitting on my shelf, finally read it, and, as any fool kno, it's great. I had the same experience with Heart of Darkness at the same age. I keep meaning to give it another shot.

Dismissed "Gravity's Rainbow" years ago as self-indulgent crap. I was, most of the time, self-indulgently off my head in those days, so I had no chance, and am being persuaded to give it another go. At that time I read Umerto Eco's "Foucault's Pendulum" and thought it was cool. Am rereading it and now think it is a bit "clever" and self-indulgent. Seems like a totally different book to the one I remember. Never read Catch 22, but hope to soon. Gonna read "Nostromo" soon as well.

I hated The Fountainhead, then later loved it. Now I'm indifferent (but still love Howard Roark). I loved The Catcher in the Rye, then later hated it. Now I'm indifferent (but still love Holden Caulfield). Books stay the same over time, but people don't. It stands to reason that we'll feel differently at different stages of life. I thought Catch 22 was brilliant, then and now.

Don Quixote - I never managed it when I was younger and tried several times, only to finish it and love it last summer. The Portrait of a Lady - hate it every time I've tried. I don't really like Henry James but am willing to be convinced onthe subject. I can't 'get into him'. Catch 22 is really good. I read it when I was about 15 becaue the Hugh Laurie quote on Stephen Fry's debut novel said, 'Joseph Heller took ten years to write Catch 22 and Stephen seems to have knocked this off on a couple of wet weekends in Norfolk' or something like that. I liked it a lot then, but re-read it a couple of years ago and liked it more. I can see why people don't like it though. Some books I put off reading for ages, until the time is 'right'. This is how it happened with Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood which turned out to be one of the best books I've ever read, ever. I still haven't read Heart of Darkness because of the reasons most people have put on here. Jamie Bell seemed able to read it and enjoy it when in King Kong and his character was nearly illiterate.

You have to see everything twice with Catch-22. I needed a few goes at Under the Volcano by Malcolm Lowry. I'm glad I stuck with it. Visit my blog: http://whatisthisstrangeplace.blogspot.com/

I've read Heart of Darkness several times over the years. I think it's wonderful, but I can also see why it might not be everyone's choice. Think of it this way: it's short. Even if you don't much like it, it won't take long to read, and then at least you can say you've done it.

I had to read Heart of Darkness for a report in Advanced Placement English in high school (we're talking half a lifetime ago). I got the Cliffs Notes for it and basically paraphrased them, as I understood the book not at all. The problem with my English teachers, I think, is that they were all too obsessed with 'symbolism' and 'deep meaning', so with each and every book I read (HOD, Atlas Shrugged, Baudelaire's Fleurs du Mal) I felt I had to be searching for some other meaning or allegory rather than just trying to enjoy the book. What did the character's blue eyes mean? Why was the woman wearing a gingham dress? What is the symbolism in Hugh using a pitchfork to lift the hay-bale? All of this, heaped on a 17-year-old with no possible life experience with which to compare and contrast. How the fuck was I supposed to know that Atlas Shrugged was about capitalism, or that HOD was supposed to be a journey into a man's psyche, at that age? I was busy dreaming about becoming Robert Smith's lover. I'm sure if I went back and read them all now, I'd thoroughly enjoy them, possibly even understand them. Then again, maybe not!

anything by Salman Rushdie - and have so many of his books but can never get past the first few pages - someone inspire me to read further. Catch 22 - i thought it was fantastic, though the all male cast was a little tiresome. But women weren't on the front lines then so its not really the authors fault. The only women in it are prostitutes or simple. Juliet

Oh I loved Catch-22. It’s still one of my all time favourite books (despite his attitude to women). I read it in the Sixth Form (between naps). I do remember it being a little tricky sorting out the characters at first, as so many were introduced in quick succession, but it was well worth the effort. Parts of it I found hilarious – the groaning during the briefing, springs to mind. Other parts were shockingly sad. I think that’s where the film fell down the most (an impossible film to make really) in that one of the most tragic scenes in the book got belly laughs on screen. I did dismiss, Something Happened by Heller though. I think I should go back and try it again.

"The Garden of the Gods" by Gerald Durrell. Its much bolder and ruder than "My Family and Other Animals" but in my teenage naivity (sp) I just didn't get the jokes. Read it last year and utterly fell about in fits of laughter.

Isn't it just! Beyond Good and Evil by Nietzsche. First attempted this at 18, again at 22, 25 I think, and recently. Admire his slant on the pretence of scholars.

Midmight's Children is wonderful. I read one more by Rushdie, but I forget the title. It was about an Indian rock star. I also liked that, but Midnight's Children was better. Good points about academic pretence. In high school, I had a wonderful literature teacher in my senior year. There was no 'symbol chasing' and the like. As a result, I was determined to major in English lit in college. That lasted one semester because at uni, I encountered the wonderful world of symbol chasing and political correctness combined in the collective persons of the academic staff. That was a horrible disappointment. I knew if I stuck with it, I would learn to hate reading, so I switched history.

The only thing I recall from Midnight's Children are the big tubs of pickle. I think it was Midnight's Children that had the pickle... I must not be very literary-minded. I've read probably thousands of books, but can't remember much about any of them. Sadly, though, I could probably recite whole chapters of anything Tolkien. Not that Tolkien is bad by any means; it's just that he's the only author whose work I remember. I do remember liking "The Incredible Lightness of Being", but I can only remember the ending, nothing from the middle. It is, however, one book I'd like to go back and read again.

I try not to be dismissive of things. If I disregarded every book that I found difficult to begin, I'd be telling you they're all crap. I can't remember the last time I didn't have to force myself through the opening chapters, and even then, it's an effort to keep going. But it's kind of like exercise - I feel like I'm getting something out of it, even though it's tough. Usually. And even in the case of books which do very little for me, I can often identify positive traits. I mean, I never ever want to go near Dickens again, but I don't think he's rubbish. Same with most of the zeitgeist authors, Booker winners etc. That said, I do *not* see what's going on with that guy, Haruku Murakami. I got the 99p Ottakar's edition of 'Norwegian Wood'. The blurb made it sound horrifically dull, but then, blurbs often do, in their strained attempts to make all lit fiction sound subtle and profound. I read the first few chapters, however, and became increasingly fearful that the blurb was accurate. I just couldn't find anything in it.

ha ha ha! Thanks Liana! You're right. It -was- Unbearable. Clearly my coffee hadn't worked yet when I posted. Don't know why I wrote that. !!! *blushes furiously* *pulls head out*

I really did read it, like sixteen years ago. Saw the film as well. Don't remember that, either. No doubt Liana read it in Czech.

'Just proves what balls academia is really' OR Just proves how intelligent you are pesky...

I may try lightness of being - I always find the "Customers who bought this also bought..." at the bottom of Amazon a good indicator. In this instance, Gabriel Garcia Marquez Albert Camus Friedrich Nietzsche Italo Calvino Robert Musil Not bad

I loved the movie. Never read the book. Yes, Midnight's Children did feature jars of pickles.

Just thought of optimum one for this - T.S Eliot. I couldn't stand him at school, barely could get through The Wasteland at University, and then, a few months ago, I read Four Quartets and was overwhelmed. They are just so GOOD. I couldn't see it before, but now, well, now, I'm knocked out.

I really liked the Unbearable Lightness of Being. Like you Archergirl, my memory of it is misty: guy wanders around, thinking a bit, having sex quite a lot. Works for me! Joe

By that I mean, that a book containing these elements "works for me". I was not saying that my main aim in life is to think quite a lot and have sex even more. Although now I think about it... Joe

I've often thought I "ought" to read Virginia Woolf but I just can't. Same with "The Scarlet letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne, I just find the writing style so dense and convoluted. But I read The Canterbury Tales" recently for the first time (well, the rude ones) and that was a joy even though the language was so ancient.