Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Well maybe I will

It appears I may be wrong about not finishing Ivanhoe since I've galloped along at a fair old rate. I'm now up to page 111. I do find the language particularly archaic and it does get in the way. Maybe it helps that I've seen the film countless times.

I mentioned on Cherry Pie's blog that Dune was "massively" overrated. Is that fair? Let me state its not a bad book. Robert A Heinlein has written lots much much worse. The Number of the Beast - shudder. But Dune constantly tops polls as the "best Science Fiction novel ever written" and I don't get it! I doubt it would make my top 50!

I don't consider myself particularly well read. I'm probably reasonably well up on classic SF and Fantasy and read a fair amount of contemporary Mysteries but the classics? Nope sorry, I've read one Jane Austen and 2 or 3 Dickens and that's it! I find the stories and prose plod along so slowly. I feel ashamed about that and every so often feel I should go back and read Bleak House or Pride & Prejudice but never do and probably never will do *sigh*.

Anyway where did I leave Ivanhoe?

2 comments:

flicker said...

I haven't read any classics, or any of the other books you mention Pete. I feel terribly inadequate and under-read (is there such a word?? ) now. What's up with James Herbert and Stephen King ;) Oh and Virginia Andrews was a favourite of mine. I haven't read anything much for years now though, since I discovered the delights of the internet, I never seem to have time, or at least to make the time. If I do read, it's normally not novels, but true life things about birds/animals - I read all the Faith Addis books which the telly programme Down To Earth was based on (and I use the term "based" trying not to spit! It was nothing like the books, I mean can you see Pauline Quirk on a small horse?) One of the best books I've ever read is called Friends in Fur and Feather by Frances Pitt, written around the 1920s.

The Quacks of Life said...

Nothing wrong with Stephen King.......

I read 2 of the Dickens at school and my one Jane Austen (seem the adaptations if that counts!!)

If it wins the booker I automatically decide not to bother!

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