Giving up on books #2
Last week, I took Perfume by Patrick Süskind out of the library, along with a few other things. It was the first book that I started reading, but I put it down after one chapter. A week later (and three other books in the meantime), I’m still only 7 chapters in (about 40-something pages) and I really don’t think I can be bothered with it, despite its Penguin Modern Classics status and recommendations from friends. I just don’t like it, although I can admire the prose (well, its translation anyway), and I know it’s one of those books on ‘should read’ lists.
I feel far guiltier about dumping this book than I did when I gave up on Clive Cussler’s Sahara (see Giving up on books), presumably because of the afore-mentioned classic status. But you know what? Life’s too short to read books (or watch films or listen to music) that I don’t enjoy. My leisure time is cramped enough without forcing myself through another 200-odd pages of something that I may or may not like eventually.
That said, I did read the whole of Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist despite finding it tedious and pretentious in the extreme (apologies to those who live their life by it). So I clearly can perservere sometimes!
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on March 19th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
I am always torn in a situation like that. Sadly, “critical acclaim” and books you “ought” to read are to often terrible. I hate pretentious more than anything. I want to say, “I get it. You are an intellectual. Who cares?”
on March 19th, 2008 at 8:42 pm
Well I’m glad I’m not the only one to dislike The Alchemist. I was so disappointed. I did read Perfume – it held me in some horrible fascination. I had to finish it but found it very … strange.
on March 19th, 2008 at 10:35 pm
I didn’t like The Alchemist much either. I think it’s absolutely right that if you’ve really tried a book and just can’t get on with it – to give it up. As you say, life is way too short…
on March 20th, 2008 at 12:09 am
I had the same problem with “Perfume” I could not put it down quick enough. There are a great many classics I can’t stomach “Finnegans wake” is a great example of that. I thought it unreadable, and an example of why you shouldn’t get drunk before you sit down to write.
I echo your thoughts on the Alchemist, and would add that it poushed a moral, an idea, a philosophy so hard and far that the story itself became secondary, and was a trite, albeit it clever, piece of work. Life’s too short, if you don’t like a book, put it down, forget how many gold shiny stickers the company puts on it and the “Critical reviews” = )
on March 20th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
There’s nothing wrong with giving up on a book, especially if the book is no good.
on March 20th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Amen!
Laudant illa, sed ista legunt.
on March 20th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
I’m glad to be in the good company of people who will give up on a book if it doesn’t make the grade. Personally I like to hurl it across the room a little…
I liked Perfume and I usually don’t get on with translations.
on March 20th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
Thank you for the support! Perfume has been put to one side and can go back to the library on my next trip, with no guilty feelings at all from me.
I might have felt more determined about reading a book I’d actually purchased, of course…
on March 21st, 2008 at 3:01 am
why I finished The Alchemist lol! but I want to give up the The Sisters of Danielle Steele, I bought it because I miss my sisters too much, I can’t believe she sold over 570m copies of her novels.
on March 21st, 2008 at 6:44 am
I agree that one shouldn’t feel “pressured” to finish a book for whatever reason.
If I may say something: I am a Clive Cussler fan and will say not all of the Dirk Pitt novels are good. But if you’re willing to give Cussler another try, I’d like to suggest “Night Probe!”. I really really really enjoyed it. And I’ll admit to having a horrible attention-span so anything I commit to reading definitely needs to grab me, and “Night Probe!” did just that.