Winning the rematch against a book that defeated you

**Aaron Kashtan** · 06-10-2007, 05:22 PM

In late 2005, I tried to read Homi Bhabha's theoretical text The Location of Culture. I got about 3/4 of the way through the book before abandoning it. The book was just too difficult for me at the time; I wasn't able to follow Bhabha's labyrinthine writing style, and my knowledge of theory was so rudimentary that I usually didn't understand his references. So I wasn't getting anything out of the book, and I just gave it up, not without feelings of guilt and inadequacy.

Recently I decided that I would try to read The Location of Culture again. I know much more theory now than I did when I initially tried to read the book, and I wanted to see if I would be able to handle it now. There was still a lot of stuff I didn't understand, and Bhabha's theory wasn't quite as useful for my own work as I'd hoped, but in general I found that it was understandable and fairly interesting. It turned out that Bhabha's difficult writing was actually a deliberate stylistic choice and that it led to interesting effects. So it turned out that I was capable of reading the book, and a few minutes ago, I finished it.

I feel like a knight who fought a dragon, got utterly defeated and humiliated, and then came back and slew the dragon. I lost the first skirmish, but I learned from my mistakes and demanded a rematch, and this time I won.

Have you ever had an experience like this?

**Thorlief** · 06-10-2007, 05:34 PM

Italian masterpiece of world literature, Alessandro Manzoni's The betrothed always used to put me to rest. I recently picked it up again and, surprisingly, I was hooked as heck by the story, and managed to finish it in one week.

**Roquefort Raider** · 06-10-2007, 05:48 PM

I must admit that Plato's the republic still has me defeated.

**JoeK32880** · 06-10-2007, 10:06 PM

The only book I never finished, but started from the beginning a second time and made it through was the first Wheel of Time book.

**Matthew E** · 06-11-2007, 07:14 AM

Notre-Dame of Paris and The Count of Monte Cristo were both books that went down much easier the second time for me.

And there's a fantasy novel from the '80s called Heroing by Dafydd ab Hugh that I've needed to reread a few times just because I could never quite get into it the way I thought I ought. The last time I read it I concluded that there just isn't that much in there for me.

**The Batman** · 06-11-2007, 11:01 AM

I'm going to conquer War and Peace one day. I swear it.

**Jared H.** · 06-11-2007, 02:25 PM

Most of Greg Egan's more complicated books take me more than one go-around to fully grasp(quantum physics are not my strong suit).

**Sanagi** · 06-11-2007, 04:06 PM

Much as I love it, I don't think I've ever gotten through all of Godel, Escher, Bach. I always end up skipping to the chapter opening stories.

**TinMan** · 06-12-2007, 05:07 AM

Originally Posted by JoeK32880

The only book I never finished, but started from the beginning a second time and made it through was the first Wheel of Time book.

That's funny cause I had the same problem. I made it through 300 pages of "The Eye of the World" and ended up putting it down... though I do have to mention that it wasn't that I couldn't/didn't want to, it was just that I hadn't read a book in about 5 years cause I just plain didn't read. But after deciding to read a couple other books in between that time, I've rediscovered my love of reading, picked the book back up and am whizzing through it. In fact I have the second book waiting for when I'm done with TEotW.

**Athena Bast** · 06-12-2007, 06:31 AM

Originally Posted by TinMan

That's funny cause I had the same problem. I made it through 300 pages of "The Eye of the World" and ended up putting it down... though I do have to mention that it wasn't that I couldn't/didn't want to, it was just that I hadn't read a book in about 5 years cause I just plain didn't read. But after deciding to read a couple other books in between that time, I've rediscovered my love of reading, picked the book back up and am whizzing through it. In fact I have the second book waiting for when I'm done with TEotW.

My issue was the 15 chapters (I'm guessing, if not it felt like it) of Rand and his uncle/grandfather running through the forest trying to escape the troggs or whatever was chasing them. It got to the point where I wanted the thingsto catch up and eat them just to put me out of my misery.

**TinMan** · 06-12-2007, 08:23 AM

Originally Posted by Athena Bast

My issue was the 15 chapters (I'm guessing, if not it felt like it) of Rand and his uncle/grandfather running through the forest trying to escape the troggs or whatever was chasing them. It got to the point where I wanted the thingsto catch up and eat them just to put me out of my misery.

Hahaha, I don't think it was quite 15 chapters, but I do agree, Jordan really drew that part out far longer than what was necessary for the sake of storytelling, I found that killing my enjoyment as well.

**Expletive Deleted** · 06-12-2007, 08:43 AM

It took me two or three tries to get through FOUCAULT'S PENDULUM, the first time.

Subsequent readings have been a breeze, though.

**CaptainAwesome** · 06-12-2007, 04:46 PM

The first time I read The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay I stopped about halfway through. Ive since read the whole thing, and I plan to do it again soon.

**Sabrina_Fried** · 06-12-2007, 06:16 PM

The Tale of Genji absolutely defeated me the first time I tried to read it. I'm trying to rally the troops and convince myself to take a second stab at it after I've finished the readings I have to do for a course I am taking.

Sabrina