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Posted on 12/2/25 at 8:31 pm to NfamousPanda
quote:
Infinite Jest is atrociously unbearable
I’m convinced that only a small handful of people have actually read the book cover to cover.
Posted on 12/2/25 at 11:31 pm to Lakeboy7
quote:I thought the first book was good, but I read it years ago.
Most recently a book and author hyped by my son who I trust for book recommendations: Mistborn
I couldn’t get through the 2nd.
That said, you should read the Stormlight Archive by Sanderson.
I found it much better.
Posted on 12/3/25 at 9:38 am to biglego
quote:
But that’s what we’re required to do to compare to modern fantasy. If we want to say “LOTR is great” as opposed to “LOTR is great bc it’s the original that all modern fantasy and from.”
I give LOTR the credit it deserves for inspiring other but for me that is in no way why I think it is the greatest fantasy ever. I can easily take that aspect out seeing as I only know of a handful of authors that have talked about Tolkien being their inspiration. I'm sure most were but I've really only heard Jordan, Sanderson, GRRM, Abercrombie (who was inspired but wanted to write differently) and CS Lewis (mutually inspiring). I don't read LOTR and when something cool happens think "Man I bet this inspired other writers, that's why I like this so much." It's a very minor thing that isn't required for me to compare it to modern fantasy.
quote:
It’s all subjective, but I strongly disagree. Take the Stormlight Archives. The level of ingenuity to weave together the internal lore, the magic system, the score of characters with different points of view, how it begins with local politics and develops into a cosmic struggle featuring gods. Heralds, shards, shard weapons, shadesmar, spren… it’s incredibly imaginative IMO.
Of course the Cosmere is incredibly imaginative. I love it. Most people that read it do. But even if I were to think it was more imaginative (I don't but can see why you would), that alone doesn't make it some series that is far superior to LOTR that it's actually not even fair to compare the two. I think Tolkiens writing style is smoother, certainly more poetic and beautiful, not as many slogs, and prefer the characters and overall theme better. I'm not particularly a huge fan of the "Sanderlanch" where you have 900 pages of slow story telling that build up to 300 pages of really good stuff. As good as it is, it creates some difficult reading at times.
quote:
This discussion just reverts back to the problem that we can’t analyze and compare LOTR without setting aside the impact of LOTR on subsequent fantasy.
It's easy to. Along with the factors I mentioned earlier, you can simply say which story do you like better? Which series would you rather pick up and read again? Whose writing style do you like better? The answer to those questions don't have to involve influence at all. Hell the movies alone are close enough to the books that tell you that the story in itself stands up as one of the greatest ever told.
Posted on 12/3/25 at 2:08 pm to DomesticatedBoar
quote:
I’m convinced that only a small handful of people have actually read the book cover to cover.
That's probably fair. I've tried to read it all the way through and gave up.
Posted on 12/4/25 at 11:13 am to DomesticatedBoar
quote:There is a stat for that.
I’m convinced that only a small handful of people have actually read the book cover to cover.
Apparently, only 6.4% of readers finished the book.
Posted on 12/4/25 at 11:24 pm to UFFan
I could only make it through a chapter of Tolstoy's War and Peace. I realize he was a scholar and considered a tremendous writer, but what a challenging read.
I am glad I was never assigned to read that book as a student at any level.
I am glad I was never assigned to read that book as a student at any level.
Posted on 12/6/25 at 7:10 pm to UFFan
Any book ghost written for a celebrity or politician is almost guaranteed to be crap.
This post was edited on 12/15/25 at 12:08 am
Posted on 12/9/25 at 9:53 pm to UFFan
I found that On the Road was not cup of tea. It was a bunch of bums who mooched off of other people.
Posted on 12/13/25 at 10:21 am to Allthatfades
I got downvoted like crazy on the movie board when folks were praising the film. I couldn’t believe they could even find a plot to make a movie out of the book.
I’m cold Papa
I know son
I’m hungry Papa
I know son
Over
And over
I’m cold Papa
I know son
I’m hungry Papa
I know son
Over
And over
Posted on 12/13/25 at 9:37 pm to Shingo
Did a quick skim and I'm glad that nobody mentioned Lonesome Dove, which is the best western book ever written
Posted on 12/13/25 at 9:39 pm to boxcarbarney
quote:
The few Stephen King books that I've read.
11/22/63 was good.
Posted on 12/13/25 at 9:47 pm to DomesticatedBoar
quote:
I’m convinced that only a small handful of people have actually read the book cover to cover.
I have no idea why anyone would torture themselves like this. I’m a huge fan of David Foster Wallace and I felt totally betrayed by that book. I can’t handle nonlinear plots and what was it even about? It’s the most pretentious book ever written.
I read an article in The New Yorker today about “performative reading” and the scenario used as an example involved some chump carting Infinite Jest to a coffee shop to impress people. I actually get triggered when anyone mentions Infinite Jest.
Posted on 12/19/25 at 7:35 pm to 4cubbies
quote:
I’m a huge fan of David Foster Wallace and I felt totally betrayed by that book.
Just out of curiosity, what of his do you find more easily readable? Nothing that is novel length of his is easy. I hated IJ after the first read, and threw it into the ocean after finishing it because I was on a boat. But there were so may interesting ideas I had to go back multiple times and now I'd say it's my favorite book. But it's not easy. You will have to work at it and think hard before it starts to make sense. But even on the first read there are some brilliant scenes.
For torture The Pale King is perfect. It was written to be exactly that.
Posted on 12/24/25 at 1:02 pm to UFFan
Catch 22 by Joseph Heller.
Not great on a teenager’s mind. A waste of time.
Painted a picture of a world I have no intention to live in. I don’t care how “well-written” it may be.
Not great on a teenager’s mind. A waste of time.
Painted a picture of a world I have no intention to live in. I don’t care how “well-written” it may be.
This post was edited on 12/24/25 at 1:12 pm
Posted on 12/25/25 at 10:06 pm to Tigris
quote:
Just out of curiosity, what of his do you find more easily readable? Nothing that is novel length of his is easy.
This is a fair question. I got turned on to him when I listened to his “This is water” commencement speech that he gave in 2005. I read some of his essays but IJ might have been the only full book of his I attempted. It’s hard to remember and I got rid of many of the books I had a few years ago in a purge.
quote:
But there were so may interesting ideas I had to go back multiple times and now I'd say it's my favorite book
Favorite? That’s quite the claim. I, too, threw my copy out in a fit of a rage but just into my outdoor can, not the actual ocean. Maybe I’ll have to look for a second hand copy somewhere and give it another shot.
Posted on 1/7/26 at 9:03 pm to 4cubbies
The Iron Heel by Jack London. Extremely hard to get through. Nothing like A Call in the Wild or White Fang I read back in middle school. Doesn’t help that London was a huge commie either.
Posted on 1/8/26 at 2:26 pm to FAT SEXY
Regarding Lonesome Dove, it is one of the best fiction books ever, period, not just western books.
I loved how long the book was and it remained a fantastic read the whole way. Talk about well fleshed out characters and a great story.
I loved how long the book was and it remained a fantastic read the whole way. Talk about well fleshed out characters and a great story.
Posted on 1/10/26 at 1:16 am to Paperbackwriter
The reason Catcher in The Rye has so much acclaim is because of it's association with the Death of John Lennon.
Posted on 1/10/26 at 1:21 am to Mo Jeaux
quote:
Isn't Truman Capote's best work.
That probably flew over a lot of people's heads.
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