Difficult to read books

[BvBPL]

I don't have a problem with Gogol. "The Nose" is a particular favorite of mine.

 

[Borachio]

Yes, mine too. Very hard to make any sense of it though. I very much doubt he intended it to make sense.

In my opinion, he's in a class of his own.

The only writers I would compare him to, however tenuously, are Italo Calvino, and (possibly) Borges. Though the ideas of Borges are vastly more complex.

 

[madviking]

Like, what the hell does this even mean.

wut

Isn't that, like, Welsh or something?

 

[Borachio]

Isn't that, like, Welsh or something?

.
Well, if it's anything, it's Irish.

I don't think Joyce spoke Gaelic though.

But, look, Finnegan's Wake is what a man is thinking while dreaming. Or Joyce's idea of it. And other brain busting stuff I couldn't possibly fathom.

It comes in and out of intelligibility. Like the rest of us.

 

[madviking]

.
Well, if it's anything, it's Irish.

I don't think Joyce spoke Gaelic though.

But, look, Finnegan's Wake is what a man is thinking while dreaming. Or Joyce's idea of it. And other brain busting stuff I couldn't possibly fathom.

It comes in and out of intelligibility. Like the rest of us.

Stream of consciousness taken to its logical end, then?

 

[Borachio]

Yes, I guess. Very much so.

And

(bababadalgharaghtakamminarronnkonnbronntonnerronn tuonnthunntrovarrhounawnskawntoohoohoordenenthurnu k!)

might be an inhalation and an exhalation.

I heard that Richard Burton's Anatomy of Melacholy was the most well known unread book.

stuff

I didn't get very far with it before I found its reputation justified.

 

[Snorrius]

While I have heard of a number of the authors, I have never read any of these books,

Has anybody read any of them and did they find them difficult to read, and what books have you found difficult to read?

Well, Finnegans Wake is indeed "hard to read" - it was an experiment of author who have forgotten what some parts of his magnum opus mean when he finished it. One may still want to read it (to the extent of one's abilities) if enjoys what can be done with language.

The main problem of Heidegger is that one should read it in the source language or be haunted with thought who was/is confused: Martin himself, translator or reader.

Phenomenology of Spirit is quite hard book as well, and it should be said the philosophy of this kind was criticized numerous times by contemporaries and later intellectuals.

Can not say anything about other books.

Personally I never could finish the Lord of the Rings.

Well, then you will certainly be bored with aforementioned titles. Lord of the Rings is quite easy to read book.

 

[Atticus]

I really, really hate James Joyce's works,. All of them.

Still you read more than one?

IIRC, A portrait of an Artist as a Young Man wasn't bad. Although, it's almost 20 years since I read it as a teen, and might find it incredibly self centered now (as the name suggests).

 

[innonimatu]

Still you read more than one?

IIRC, A portrait of an Artist as a Young Man wasn't bad. Although, it's almost 20 years since I read it as a teen, and might find it incredibly self centered now (as the name suggests).

Oh, no. I was given Ulysses, used it to start a fire after reading just a few dozen pages. Only book I ever burned. That bad. It was just sitting there and I needed some paper to burn, and I was still furious that I had found a book I so disliked that I'd given up on finishing it.

Years later I did open and scanned a few pages of Finnegans Wake at a friend's home. Yep, same Joyce. Forever to be consigned to my bad author list. That one didn't end up as kindling, though.

Speaking of difficult books, or at least of boring books, Mann's "The Magic Mountain". Another one inflicted on me by a well intended friend. How the hell can that one also be so famous? It's dull, dull, dull.... I've heard it highly praised, I've had people try to convince me that it is a good book and meaningful even today for a lot of reasons... I don't care, it's bloody boring and goes nowhere. It doesn't mean anything to this modern reader. Almost makes me happy that WW1 happened and the era that produced that thing ended!

 

[Dachs]

Almost makes me happy that WW1 happened and the era that produced that thing ended!

The Great War forced a complete reevaluation and rewrite of the book. The original work was significantly funnier and shorter.

 

[innonimatu]

The Great War forced a complete reevaluation and rewrite of the book. The original work was significantly funnier and shorter.

Ah, ok, so the bleakness comes from the war and breakdown of the old society? Right, it makes a little more sense that way at least. Doesn't paint it as something deserving of sympathy, though, at least not for me reading the book in a different era.

 

[Dachs]

Ah, ok, so the bleakness comes from the war and breakdown of the old society? Right, it makes a little more sense that way at least. Doesn't paint it as something deserving of sympathy, though, at least not for me reading the book in a different era.

I'm not totally sure that Mann thought the old Europe deserved much sympathy, but then again, it's been ages since I read Der Zauberberg and, I'm not gonna lie, I didn't retain much.

 

[Eat_Up_Martha]

T
Also, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance made me want to scream. Couldn't stand it.

I've often meant to read Zen and Art of M/c but never got round to it. Other people have told me it's not really worth it.

It was alright. I was expecting something more... revelatory than what I found. I think the most difficult book I have ever read has to be Catch-22. It just jumps around so much that it becomes very hard to follow. I bought it on a whim at 14 (many moons ago now) but never got into it. Tried it again last winter and really enjoyed it.

 

[BvBPL]

Yes, mine too. Very hard to make any sense of it though. I very much doubt he intended it to make sense.

In my opinion, he's in a class of his own.

The only writers I would compare him to, however tenuously, are Italo Calvino, and (possibly) Borges. Though the ideas of Borges are vastly more complex.

Yeah, but at least Gogol has a more or less traditional narrative sense. He's telling one story. It's not like Pale Fire or The House of Leaves which have multiple narratives inter spread through footnotes and the like or any number of any number of other experimental pieces of writing.
--

I'd like to suggest Palahniuk's Haunted as being a difficult read. Not because of the structure, but because of the content.

 

[Borachio]

Roger Penrose The Road to Reality: A Complete Guide to the Laws of the Universe has sat on my bookcase since 2004 with a bookmark at page 346 (of 1094 total) for a reason I cannot remember.

 

[madviking]

Roger Penrose The Road to Reality: A Complete Guide to the Laws of the Universe has sat on my bookcase since 2004 with a bookmark at page 346 (of 1094 total) for a reason I cannot remember.

I have that book too. Pretty dense.

 

[Quackers]

The Very Hungry Caterpillar, that was a toughie.

 

[Borachio]

The Cat in the Hat gave me nightmares for a week.