The books you didn't finish

[berk]

I've never made it through the Illuminatus! trilogy. There's a lot of good stuff in there, yeah, and the influence on broader culture is massive, but it's also so pathetically upper middle class white American heteronormative whinging without irony that I can't make it. I just can't go the distance in the hopes of another laugh in ten or twenty pages.

How far did you get with it? It's been more than 30 years since I read it, but IIRC the narrative starts out from the perspective of a young middle class white liberal American writer (reporter?) whose prejudices and hidden assumptions are brought to light as the story progresses. I got a lot out of it when I read it in my late teens. Not sure how I'd react now, but I still mean to re-read it one of these years.

After all the hype, I found it so mediocre. I read a lot of crime and mysteries, so perhaps I was expecting too much. Just a bit 'meh'. I read it all though.

I've read only the first two, but had a similar reaction, perhaps a shade more positive than yours: they were decent page-turners, though not much more than that. I haven't gotten round to the third and I'm not sure I ever will - too many other things feel more interesting right now. Even in the sub-sub-niche of Scandinavian crime fiction there are other writers I'll probably want to try before going back to this series.

[Vidocq]

After all the hype, I found it so mediocre. I read a lot of crime and mysteries, so perhaps I was expecting too much. Just a bit 'meh'. I read it all though.

Much of the hype comes from the second and third ones, which are great, not the most amazing thing ever but still very good. The improvement mostly comes from the shift of focus from Mikael to Lisbeth Salander. The first one is really worth it if just for continuity sake after you've read the other two.

[Alex]

I struggled getting past the rape scene as well. I think it was my 3rd or 4th attempt before I finished the series. Which is a shame b/c it is a very good series.

Donaldson's SciFi series is equally difficult, but in my opinion ultimately even more enjoyable then the Thomas Covenant books.

Ill get back to it, i don't dislike what i've read of his writing.
Didn't know he wrote any sci fi, if i get through these books (will post here if i do this week!) i might check those out.

[Tobey]

I read The Lord of the Rings when I use to go on trains a lot but never got passed page 54 of The Return of the King.

[Addams]

Really ? How weird. You have gone that far in the story to just drop it during the last part ?

[Vidocq]

Really ? How weird. You have gone that far in the story to just drop it during the last part ?

I second this. If you could handle all the loquacious bullshit of the first and second ones the third one should be no problem.

[Castel]

Don't worry Vidocq, one day you will have your own opinion too.

Oh and apparently the trend is also to criticize Cameron, you should go on a topic about him to just say how much he sucks, you are going to feel like such a cool cat !!

[G. Wayne]

Neuromancer. The extreme amounts of 80's technobabble just put me to sleep. I could be wide awake when I pick that up, read a few pages, then whenever I hit a stretch of description about the hacking/slicing/tech talk, next thing I know, I have trouble keeping my eyes open.