Comments for Shelf Love

Comment on Sunday Salon: Literary Nemeses by Christopher Lord

Christopher Lord — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:53:19 +0000

Oh, please don’t give up Dickens because you didn’t like it when you were young! Dickens is not for children, and that’s the truth. I have devoted my reading life to 19th century novels, and Dickens holds pride of place in almost every way, although The Old Curiosity Shop and Barnaby Rudge are only for the devoted, I fear. But Great Expectations, a work I didn’t particularly enjoy as a teenager, I now see as almost the pinnacle of his artistic development (even though I still love Bleak House and Our Mutual Friend more). I reread each novel every few years, and my reactions always change depending on what’s going on in my life. Collins is fun, but hardly contains the layering of emotions or themes of Dickens at his best. But Dickens was justifiably jealous of Collins’s ability to tell compelling stories–The Woman in White was, by some accounts, the best-selling novel of the 19th century and, while convoluted, is still worth reading. For my money, his The Moonstone is still a compelling detective novel with a brilliant format; his technical skill, when he wasn’t whacked on opium, is second-to-none.

I was the one who recommended Heart of Darkness recently as the perfect book for college freshmen, and I want to echo that again. It’s the book that got me to think–and read–like an adult. Yes, other Conrad books are better, but you could debate its meaning for days–like The Turn of the Screw–and not get bored.

You might like Mrs. Dalloway now that you’re older. If I had read it at twenty I would have hated it; when I read it in 1998 because of Michael Cunningham’s The Hours, I could finally, as a forty year-old, appreciate its subtlety, even though it still is a bit precious.

I love this blog–the readers (and of course the writer) of it are among the best-read people I’ve ever come across. As St. Ina Garten would say, how good is that?

Comment on Sunday Salon: Literary Nemeses by Teresa

Teresa — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:07:07 +0000

Annabel: Interesting how our tastes change, isn’t it? I can’t think of any genres I’ve liked in the past that I don’t read now, although I have gotten much more finicky about mysteries than I used to be.

Rebecca: Love that description of Heart of Darkness! And I agree that high school is too soon. I don’t remember anyone in my class liking it much. I’ve never read any Vonnegut, although I have Slaughterhouse-Five on my shelf. One of these days.

reviewsbylola: Funny. That was pretty much my experience. I wonder why it keeps getting assigned to high school seniors and college freshman. Is it just because it’s short?

Priscilla: My literature education stopped at about 1940, so I haven’t attempted many of the mid to late 20th century authors. Most of the ones you mention are one I want to try.

rhapsodyinbooks: Funny you should mention Guernsey Literary… I’m on the last disc of the audiobook now! I agree with you that some books are just harder to get into at certain ages or stages of life.

anokatony: I’ve never tried Bolano or Bernard, but, like you, I’ve struggled with James and Woolf. I did finally find a Henry James book (Portrait of a Lady) that suited me earlier this year, and I was head over heels in love with it. I’ve yet to find the perfect match with Woolf, but I’ll try her again one of these days.

Kim: I think I understood Heart of Darkness after the class discussions in high school, but I just couldn’t appreciate it until I was a little older–and more experienced with that kind of writing. I did like Frankenstein pretty well on first reading, but it was much more complex that I expected.

Literary Omnivore: I haven’t read Count of Monte Cristo, but I have a copy. I think it might be the thickest book on my TBR pile, but I suspect I’ll like it.

Kathleen: Tess is one of my all-time favorites, but I wonder if I’d love it as much if I encountered it for the first time when I was older. I was 17, and the melodramatic tragedy of it was perfect for my 17-year-old self. I still love it, but I suspect a lot of my affection is wrapped up in the memory of that first read.

softdrink: Wilkie Collins is a great classic writer! His books are so exciting. I wonder why they aren’t taught in schools.

Steph: I’m not a huge Dickens fan, even though I credit Great Expectations for getting me into Victorian literature (and classic lit in general). GE and Bleak House are the only ones of his books I’ve really enjoyed. I tried Tale of Two Cities many times over the years and it just puts me right to sleep. And David Copperfield didn’t do a thing for me. I keep meaning to try more Dickens but can’t bring myself to do it. As for stream of consciousness writing, I don’t mind it in small doses, and I think I’m getting better able to handle larger doses of it, but I doubt it’ll ever be my favorite writing style.

Comment on In the Place of Fallen Leaves by diane

diane — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:46:57 +0000

This sounds like such a great book. Thanks for posting about it as I had never heard of it previously.

Comment on Sunday Salon: Literary Nemeses by Steph

Steph — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:11:04 +0000

I think because I didn’t study English after highschool, I haven’t really been made to return to books I really didn’t like. And as you said, if I didn’t like them the first time, there’s really little incentive for me to try them again.

I do think the one author I truly consider to be my literary nemesis, however, is Charles Dickens, as I’ve never made it through a single book of his. I feel like there’s a good chance I might like him if I could get over that mental hurdle, but for now every time I see Great Expectations on my shelf, it’s like it’s mocking me!

And I’m with you on Mrs. Dalloway. This seems like the book everyone loves except for me… I never make it more than 10 pages in before my eyes cross at the boredom of it all. Then again, one thing that hasn’t changed in terms of my reading tastes in the past 10 years is I really don’t enjoy stream of consciousness writing. I don’t know if that will ever change for me.

Comment on Sunday Salon: Literary Nemeses by softdrink

softdrink — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:28:55 +0000

I don’t revisit books, so I haven’t re-read any of the assigned books from high school and college. Since then I’ve avoided classics like the plague. However, lately I’ve found myself rethinking that. The Woman in White was great, so now I’m starting to consider reading some of the authors from the past.

Comment on Sunday Salon: Literary Nemeses by Kathleen

Kathleen — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:53:43 +0000

I have so many books I feel as though I should re-visit. Mostly they are classics that I was made to read in school and maybe that is part of why I didn’t enjoy them…I have this rebellious nature of not liking to do what I am told. Top of the list for me would be Tess of D’Urberville by Hardy. I know people that rave about this book and for me it was just okay. I’d also like to read and finish Of Human Bondage.

Comment on Sunday Salon: Literary Nemeses by The Literary Omnivore

The Literary Omnivore — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:53:48 +0000

When I was little, I wasn’t too fond of The Count of Monte Cristo, but now it’s one of my favorite novels.

Comment on Sunday Salon: Literary Nemeses by Kim (Sophisticated Dorkiness)

Kim (Sophisticated Dorkiness) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:04:48 +0000

The first time I read Heart of Darkness in high school I hated it too. But after talking about it extensively in class, I found that I really liked it because it was the first book I read where I really “got” what the whole symbolism thing was. It’s like my literature brain switched on because of the book. And when I read it again in college, I liked it even more.

Frankenstein is another one I didn’t like when I was in high school, but after reading it a few more times in college I really love. It’s such a complicated book, but I think the complexity and flowery language is hard to deal with the first time you read it.

Right now I can’t think of any books I’ve hated that I want to go back to, but my brain might not be awake yet this morning :)

Comment on Sunday Salon: Literary Nemeses by anokatony

anokatony — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:44:51 +0000

Last year, I attempted to read “The Savage Detectives” by Roberto Bolano and gave up after 143 pages. This year I tried to read “Frost” by Thomas Bernhard but gave up after about 160 pages, even though I’ve read and enjoyed several other of his novels. Henry James and Virginia Woolf are two writers I have problems completing their works.

Comment on Sunday Salon: Literary Nemeses by rhapsodyinbooks

rhapsodyinbooks — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:58:53 +0000

That’s definitely true for me, although I have also found that when I go back to the classics I hate them as an adult or they seem uninspiring. I think there is definitely an optimal age to read some books, just like there are perfect readers for some books! (per The Guernsey Literary Society)