Kevin's Watch

Am I alone in sometimes just not being able to start a book/series?

Someone gave me a whole set of the Otherland series by Tadd Williams, and even though I like Williams's other books, I just can't bring myself to get started.

I see those four huge paperbacks just sitting there waiting to be read...and I look at them and just can't being myself to open them.

I had a real tough time starting the Malazon series; hard enough that I gave up halfway through Gardens. (sorry Lucimay!)

I had that with the Gap for a while, and certainly with Lord of the Rings.

Recently, I'd read plays for about 3 months, and when I started to read a novel I just couldn't get into it for a while because by its very nature, it's slower-paced textwise than a play.

The Dark Tower series and the Da Vinci Code.

i'm currently on stand-by on the dark tower series. the quality of them seems to fluctuate so wildly. really enjoyed it up to wizard and glass which i loved in parts but not in others(talk about slow!!), but found Wolves of the Calla downright tedious. *shoots Oy in the back of the head!*

i will start again at some point if only to find out if they ever get to the bloody tower and the source of the beam or whatever.

Yeah, I have a motivation problem with books. A book will excite me in the store, and I'll buy it...but then, once I have it in my possession, I tend to lose the urge to start reading it right away. Which is why I'm a very reluctant book shopper these days: I feel guilty enough as it is over the backlog of unread books I already have.

On the other hand, I have no trouble with music. I'll buy a CD and eagerly listen to it as soon as I get it home. Same with DVD's. I guess I'm just not as willing to invest in the longer time needed to read a book. That wasn't an issue in my younger (and more carefree) years when I was a faster reader.

At the end of the day, it still depends on the book. The odd book will come along that I will immediately begin reading and be completely absorbed right to the end.

A co-worker loaned me LOTR back in December, but I procrastinated til around February before starting to read it. At first I was quite enjoying Fellowship, in Tolkien's charming description of the hobbits and their background history. However, once the story actually began, I soon stopped reading and haven't been able to get back into the proper mood for LOTR. I found myself getting annoyed with Tolkien's way of handling speech.

"Sam!" Frodo cried.

"Gandalf!" Frodo cried.

"Pippin!" Frodo cried. "Why am I constantly yelling at people!?"

I found myself getting annoyed with Tolkien's way of handling speech.

Agreed, I've never been able to get through Hobbit or Fellowship.

Gates of Fire - I am going to make a 2nd attempt, because I promised Brinn that I would.

It took 2 tries to get through Dune.

I put The Real Story down halfway through, and I've never picked it up again.

The Da Vinci Code. Bought it when I saw it out in paperback, but haven't been able to get more than 50 pages into it.

The Da Vinci Code for me aswell.

Damelon wrote:The Da Vinci Code. Bought it when I saw it out in paperback, but haven't been able to get more than 50 pages into it.

Yeah, I keep meaning to get into it; because I hear loads of appraising reviews and opinions from people I know... but I'm either too busy or too lazy.

Never been a problem for me really. Not starting anyway. If it's really bad, I'll quit half-way, but getting started isn't an issue.

The Hobbit Dlb? Are you serious? Try reading it aloud to your kids...(maybe when they're a little older, but not much. (Can't remember how old they are... 4 & 6?) It's a great book to read aloud. Get them started young.

--A

I can't get started on the Earthsea Quartet.

Loremaster wrote:I can't get started on the Earthsea Quartet.

I still have the fourth one to read.

Mirror of Her Dreams. I've tried. I've failed.

Cail wrote:Mirror of Her Dreams. I've tried. I've failed.

*shakes head*

You'd love it! Great book. I hope you try having another go sometime soon.

I've been unable to get into Mirror of Her Dreams, either, the only SRD book with that problem for me. I'll try again one of these days.

I took three attempts to get into David Wingrove's Chung Kuo series, then read seven straight volumes!!

I just recently overcame my phobia of the massive Cryptonomicon, by Neal Stephenson, oft considered, never begun, and managed to read it in two and half weeks.

I cannot get through Land Of Unreason; it's ust too silly. I think I filled my silliness quotia by book 5 of Xanth, way back when i was a wee lad. Anyway, I plowed on to about page 40, but I think I'd rather burn the book than get to page 41.

Dang! Mirror of her Dreams is my favourite! (oh well)

I have tried numerous times to get through 'The Tales of Genji' with no success.

I am surprised at the number of people who can't get through Davinci Code. It is such a simple read and a good "page-turner". I'm not saying he is a "great writer" but he finally honed his pop-craft with this one.

That surprised me too. The DaVinci code was (to me) ultralight fluff. I flew through it, then promptly forgot most of it.