(AKA The post in which I reveal myself to be an utter lightweight with no respect for proper Literature.)
It was book group last night. And the very lovely Freda had remembered – or someone had noticed on Facebook – that it’s my birthday on Monday.
I joined the book group possibly seven years ago – quite a lot of books ago anyway. And I love it. The company is excellent, the conversations (and gossip) lively and there are always cakes.
It has made me read a lot of books that I wouldn’t normally have chosen and to revisit quite a few classics – or visit them for the first time.
We were discussing this last night and the equally lovely Liz suggested I did a post on the classics that we hated. Suggestions were easy to come by:
To The Lighthouse (Virginia Woolf) Before my book group time, but referred to frequently as the one they didn’t get. “We recognised there were symbols, but had no idea what they symbolised.”
The Golden Notebook (Doris Lessing) I suggested this after the extremely likeable and feisty Ms Lessing finally got the Nobel prize. Flipping hard work.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Mark Twain) Up and down the river, across and back… zzzz.
Alone in Berlin (Hans Fallada) “Cheer up love, it might never happen. Oh, it just has.” Grim. Written in 1947 and entitled Every Man Dies Alone.
Girls of Slender Means (Muriel Spark) Possibly plot of slender interest. I wrote that I quite liked it, but now I can’t remember why.
Catcher in the Rye (J D Salinger) You wouldn’t tire of slapping Holden Caulfield, would you? Actually an interesting read as much for shifted perception of a book with adulthood.
On Beauty (Zadie Smith) Excellent writer makes the mistake of forgetting to create characters we give a toss about.
Maybe not so bad in the context of ten or so books a year to only have a handful that we, the Quarriers Book Group, reckon to be stinkers.
Do you have any ‘books of supposed greatness that actually we hated’ to add to the list?
White Teeth (Zadie again) – if whatever his name was had hung himself successfully the book would have been about 2 pages long and a lot better.
How to be Good – did I care about any character? No. I hated this so much it was used as a benchmark for awful books by my bookgroup. As in “As bad as How to be Good?”
*strikes How To Be Good from must read list and grapples to remember anything from White Teeth*
Moby Dick…utterly unreadable, loathed it, didn't finish it. And have found that almost everyone who says they have read The Golden Notebook really hasn't. Disagree about Zadie Smith though – enjoyed her books; she does London really well.
I stoically ploughed through The Golden Notebook. I think I hoped there would be some reward for the effort at the end, but there wasn't.
Hahaha it's Ellen unleashed. I love it when you're snarky. It's very funny.
BUT
I wouldn't like to get on the wrong side of you.
Have a very happy birthday for Monday.
xx
So it's snark you want… Actually in real life, I'm a fluffy pussy cat.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!! I found Holden Caulfield maddening too! XXX
It's not til Monday, but yes he was so annoying.
Totally with you on Moby Dick. Dull Dull Dull Dull Dull. Oh, and Sophie's World. Gosh, that gets a bit worthy towards the end.
In the different category of “Classics I firmly expected to be excruciatingly dull but which were actually compelling” (I like to give my categories a catchy title) was Crime and Punishment. Most surprisingly good, and not just because I could then say that I'd read it and feel just a little superior for about 3 minutes.
Carrotcrushinthehindukush, Thanks. I've never read Crime and Punishment – I might suggest it next time.