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:
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.
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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