what book or author intimidates you?

[momophile]

I already confessed that I'm afraid to read Nietzsche.

I was intimidated by "Crimes and Punishment" for years. When I finally read it, I thought it was incredible.

How about you?

[alarimer]

1. James Joyce probably

I may have read some short stories of his but not Ulysses.

[javadu]

2. You Took My Answer

almost word for word.

[SoxFan]

17. Same here

I'm second generation Irish, so I feel as though I should read Joyce, but there's something about the first few pages that always makes me go "ummm, yeah, maybe later".

Yeats, on the other hand, has never been a problem, though a lot of folks seem to find him difficult. Same with Emerson.

[Haole Girl]

3. Oops!

Posted in the wrong place.

That one would intimidate me too!

[momophile]

5. I've never read it either

but I'm not sure why.

Is it really long? Is his style hard?

[alarimer]

15. Actually I think Finnegan's Wake is the book that is toughest to read

I have never attempted it but I guess the style is hard to follow.

[Lionel Mandrake]

11. Portrait of the Artist is an easy read,

and funny as hell in places.

[EFerrari]

29. It is funny as hell in some places, agree. That and the short stories

are amazing work. The out there stuff, feh.

I guess Modernism just isn't my thing. It feels flat to me.

[Haole Girl]

4. Joseph Conrad intimidated me...

and the professor did, too!

:scared:

[momophile]

6. I've only read 'Heart of Darkness'

although 'Lord Jim' is on one of my shelves. I just haven't gotten to it yet.

[Haole Girl]

7. It was a tough course... English Lit

Though, part of it was because I'd never finished a book until I attended college (this is a true.. and long... story!).

[wildhorses]

8. just about everybody posting in gd

intimidates me :yoiks:

oh, wait a minute :dunce:

:hide:

[ncabot22]

9. Salman Rushdie

A friend of mine is a big fan and is always recommending him with the caveat "He's not for everyone"--then I start thinking maybe I'm part of that group. Rather than risk disappointment, I've decided to steer clear of Rushdie's novels.

[susanna]

10. I'm the exact opposite! That's kinda funny.

Nietzche made perfect sense. Sometimes a bit off the mark, IMHO, but still...

I still haven't read Crime and Punishment because I am terrified I will not be able to handle it. Same thing with War and Peace. Maybe it's the "AND" in the title that scares me? :-)

I must admit that I am the uber-reader who didn't read Lord of the Rings until I was 30. Loved it once I did, but damn it intimidated me. All those elves and hobbits. My reading trends towards the realistic/non-fiction or psychological thriller fiction. I'm kinda weird, but in a good way...

on edit: I knew the title but still screwed it up. I'm now even more intimidated.

[EFerrari]

12. Do Tolstoy. He's charming and you'll love him.

I don't get intimidated any more, having gone many rounds with difficult guys, but some authors irk me. Chomsky irks me because his thinking is a pleasure but his writing is a pain in the @ss.

[susanna]

20. OK - I'll give it a try based on your rec.

As for Chomsky, I agree. There are also a few other authors whose writing ambles all over the place, so I have to read them only when I'm really focused. If not, it's not pretty...

Thanks for the input!

[EFerrari]

28. War and Peace is a lot like Gone with the Wind.

lol

:hi:

[susanna]

31. Really? I liked GWTW.

OK, now I'm sold! I appreciate your taking the time to tell me about these books, because I've not only been intimidated by the authors/books, I was intimidated to tell anyone I was intimidated by them! ;-)

[Orsino]

13. Umberto Eco

He's rewarding on every re-read, but by golly it takes a few re-reads.

[VLC]

33. I just gave up on Queen Loana.

I liked the Pendulum and Name of the Rose, but this one just bored me :-(

[carly denise pt deux]

14. My kid's college Philosophy textbook

the book makes no sense, hopefully the professor does
Carly

[alarimer]

16. Also Faulkner

Another author I have never attempted, with the exception of a couple of short stories.

[momophile]

19. I started Faulkner once

but it drove me crazy by page, what, 5. I haven't put down too many books in my life but his was one of them.

[TZ]

22. I was also a little intimidated by Faulkner

but I had a class where I had to read "The Sound and the Fury". Surprisingly interesting. The style of course is a bit different but once you adapt its very good

[cemaphonic]

36. Try "Light in August" or the Snopes novels.

They are a lot more straightforward and easier to read than "Absolom, Absolom," or the "Sound and the Fury." Plus they get you acquainted with the locals, so the more difficult books will be easier to follow when you get around to them.

[MorningGlow]

18. Henry James

With his paragraph-long sentences and pages-long paragraphs.

Oh...wait. He just bores me. :P

[YankeyMCC]

30. Second vote here for James

Not always boring but really hard to get through and not always as rewarding, to me at least, as when you plow through the nearly as difficult Conrad.

[treestar]

21. Joyce and Faulkner

I don't very often start a book without finishing it, but with both of those, I did. Just can't get past the first few pages, because I cannot figure out what they are getting at.

[momophile]

24. that happened to me with Faulkner

I guess it must have been Sound and the Fury. I read about five pages and could read no more.

[ok_cpu]

23. Joyce and Pynchon

I know people do, but I don't know how anyone reads Pynchon...

[Deja Q]

25. Harlan Ellison

A formidable, delightfully opinionated man.

Better him than Joan Collins... :evilgrin:

[Lethe]

37. dude totally

Edith Warton must die? (or something like that)

he won an award for his writing. Not the best ST episode but a very good one nonetheless. :)

[terrya]

26. "Don Quixote"

I have this big ol' recent hardcover translation sitting at home. And I mean big. Haven't taken a stab at it yet.

[applegrove]

27. Mordicai Richler..but he has passed away so I need not fear him

anymore. Love his books though.

[Bonescrat]

32. Sartre

A little french existentialism never hurt anyone...

[Heidi]

39. May I recommend Simone de Beauvoir instead?

The Second Sex is excellent. :hi:

[VLC]

34. David Foster Wallace (Infinite Jest)

[cemaphonic]

35. Long, and more than a little bit pretentious,

But is is actually pretty engaging and readable.

[VLC]

40. I tried...

read a couple hundred pages. Got tired of trying to keep everything straight and reading footnotes! I just reserved a copy of another of his books from the library. If that goes well, maybe I'll try Infinite Jest again!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

38. I have tried several times to read Jane Austin...

And I cannot! :cry:

I just cannot stand her style...

I love the movies made from her books, though...

:hi:

[montanto]

41. Joyce, but only for Ulysses, and

War and Peace. Yikes, sooo many names and relationships to keep track of. I'll never get through it.