Day 29: Five Books I Should Like (But I Really, Really Can’t)

Books, Challenges

Books, Challenge, Hunger Games, Lists, reading

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain -Twain was quoted for saying “Every time I read “Pride and Prejudice” I want to dig her up and beat her over the skull with her own shin-bone.” Well, Twain, every time i read any of your work, I want to bash your skull in. This work was the most tedious, boring, and racist work I have ever read.
Tess of the D’urbervilles by Thomas Hardy –While I was reading this I was thinking, “why does he hate women?” This is one of the most depressing books I’ve ever read. But I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. I’m interested in reading Far From the Madding Crowd so maybe my opinion of him will improve.
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens –I want to lump all Dickens’ work except The Christmas Carol in this category. I feel this one was unnecessarily long. But I want to read A Tale of Two Cities so I think I’m going to give him one more chance.
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad-*Shaking my head* I just…can’t. This is the worst of them all. I had to force myself to keep my open.
The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins -There are probably a lot of people who can’t believe I’m even suggesting this series. But I just couldn’t really get into it. The narrative was incomprehensible. It’s not that I don’t like Katniss, she’s a great role model. But there were times I wanted to take the bow and arrow and kill Katniss myself so we can make the games and the story go by a little faster.

This is Day 29 of the 30 Day Writing Challenge.

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12 responses

sumlynnnguyen

April 30, 2015

I’m with you on Great Expectations. I liked A Tale of Two Cities and David Copperfield better than Great Expectations, but I’m not much of Dickens fan. My best friend’s favorite classic is Tess of D’urbervilles and she mentioned how sad and frustrating it was to read. As for the ya dystopian trilogy you mentioned… Have you read Divergent?

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1. karma2015
  
  April 30, 2015
  
  No I haven’t read Divergent. I feel like I’ve been staying away from it because of my response towards the Hunger Games.
  
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  1. sumlynnnguyen
    
    April 30, 2015
    
    I can’t say I recommend Divergent yet since I haven’t read it. I’m not a huge fan of HG, but I plan to read Divergent soon. Hopefully it’ll be better!
    
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Book Guy Reviews

April 30, 2015

I totally get all of these. Heart of Darkness though, that’s one after reading a couple of times, I’ve come to love more than most. I definitely recommend another read through. Either way, thanks for sharing!

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Dagny

April 30, 2015

I couldn’t take Tess either and I am a big fan of Hardy’s books. Not a fan of Dickens. The best thing about Great Expectations for me was the clerk in London, I forget his name, the one who lived in a ‘castle’ with his father.

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Lizzy

May 1, 2015

I hated both Great Expectations and A Tale Of Two Cities. I’ve given up on Dickens completely.
If you didn’t like Tess I’m not sure you’ll like Far From The Madding Crowd much. Maybe try The Mayor of Casterbridge instead? I haven’t read it but it’s supposed to be really good (and its a bit shorter!)

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1. literatemama
  
  May 2, 2015
  
  The Mayor of Casterbridge is extremely depressing. If someone doesn’t like Tess because it’s depressing, that person should probably avoid Jude the Obscure and The Mayor of Casterbridge as well. I personally think they’re great books, but they are famous for being some of the most depressing books ever written. There’s even a blog post making fun of the “Hardy style” characterized by these novels written during his later life: http://the-toast.net/2014/06/06/are-you-in-a-thomas-hardy-novel/
  
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  1. karma2015
    
    May 2, 2015
    
    I like to give an author a couple more tries before completely giving up.
    
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  2. Lizzy
    
    May 3, 2015
    
    Thanks for the warning about Mayor of Casterbridge then. I take back my recommendation and will choose a very happy time in my life to read it! Loved the article though, so very true
    
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  3. karma2015
    
    May 3, 2015
    
    I’m still going to give it a try. I maybe naive in hoping this will be different from the others but I won’t know unless I try.
    
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literatemama

May 2, 2015

If you think Huckleberry Finn is racist, you’re missing the point.

Hardy doesn’t hate women. He is actually making a point with Tess, that she is a pure woman, although the society of his time would tend to disagree. I think Hardy was a naturalist? (Sex being the big thing that is natural, and doesn’t need to be stigmatized or force marriage.) He is known for his depressing, latter works (The Mayor of Casterbridge, Jude the Obscure, and Tess); you might like Far from the Madding Crowd better.

I am confused as to why you feel like a popular YA series is something you “should” like? Particularly compared to the other classic works of literature you have listed here.

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1. karma2015
  
  May 2, 2015
  
  Language is very important to me in a novel and if the narrative couldn’t “grab” me then it’s highly likely that I’ll have a different interpretation of the work, I.e. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Maybe it wasn’t Twain’s intention for the work to be racist. But since I couldn’t get into the book, you start forming your own interpretations that are not the author’s. Same goes for Tess. I don’t think Hardy Hayes women but his use of language and narrative gave ME the impression that he hates women.
  I worked in a bookstore three years ago and everyone at my work and my circle of friends were talking about how great the Hunger Games was. You can say my expectations were a little high. So when I didn’t like it compared to everyone else’s reaction, I felt I was missing something that everyone else was seeing. Also, I like strong female characters in books and disappointed this one didn’t pan out.
  
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