What's Your Moby Dick?

The Backwards Man

16th of May last year, I started reading Moby Dick, I still have a hundred odd pages to go, I'm at the part where Queequeg took sick. I hate it, with every bone in my body, but I'm going to stick it out, even if it kills me.

What have you stuck with, against all the odds, and how good did it feel finally overcoming?

endacl

Conspiracy Theories forum.

Jesus Wept

ffs spoilers

AboutaWeekAgo

Finnegans Wake. Tis madness.

Micky Dolenz

I call me penis Moby. It's bald and can't rap.

Dirty Steve

544 pages in total, you've been reading it for a year and you're only half way through.

That's an average of less than a page a day. :pac:

The Backwards Man

i heart chewy louie wrote: »

ffs spoilers

I'm not at the end yet and even I know they all get killed by the fcuking whale!

Spoilers me arse!

Jesus Wept

Dirty Steve wrote: »

544 pages in total, you've been reading it for a year and you're only half way through.

That's an average of less than a page a day. :pac:

he's reading it backwards

the evasion_kid

War and peace..... felt like taking a flame thrower to it when I finished it

The Backwards Man

Dirty Steve wrote: »

544 pages in total, you've been reading it for a year and you're only half way through.

That's an average of less than a page a day. :pac:

It's bloody tedious, that's why!

I'm not giving up though

And my version has 549 pages

Deco99

The Backwards Man wrote: »

It's bloody tedious, that's why!

I'm not giving up though

Why are you not giving up if its tedious?

The Backwards Man

Deco99 wrote: »

Why are you not giving up if its tedious?

Because I've never not finished a book in my life.

Micky Dolenz

The Backwards Man wrote: »

It's bloody tedious, that's why!

I'm not giving up though

Moby Dick isn't that bad. Knuckle down and finish it. You could be done by the weekend.

Try Ulysses. I've read it twice and still haven't a fcuking clue what is going on, I think that is the point though.

The Old Testament is another tough read.

The Backwards Man

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

Moby Dick isn't that bad. Knuckle down and finish it. You could be done by the weekend.

Try Ulysses. I've read it twice and still haven't a fcuking clue what is going on, I think that is the point though.

The Old Testament is another tough read.

It's all the Begotting and Begetting that gets me in the OT

osarusan

The Backwards Man wrote: »

What have you stuck with, against all the odds, and how good did it feel finally overcoming?

Jelqing.

Oh wait, you mean books?

Capt'n Midnight

The Backwards Man wrote: »

I'm not at the end yet and even I know they all get killed by the fcuking whale!

Spoilers me arse!

No they don't.

endacl

The Backwards Man wrote: »

Because I've never not finished a book in my life.

I'd never not finished a book until I started Luke Rhinehart's 'The Dice Man'. That pile of steaming shyte is the only book I've ever started and not finished. Also the only book I've ever dumped. I normally pass novels on to Oxfam. Wouldn't take the chance of inflicting it on an unsuspecting browser who might unsuspectingly think it 'looked interesting'...

Except for China Meiville's 'Perdido Street Station'. I'm in the middle of that though, so it doesn't count as not finished.

Links234

Bakemonogatari

Heard so many people rave about it, one of my friends loves it, it's pretty highly rated. I tried watching it, and I just couldn't get into it. I was told to stick it out until x episode and so on, and I did but just hated the show. I don't get why people go on about.

osarusan

I'll often not finish books if I'm not interested.

The Da Vinci Code was one that I put down after about 15 pages and never picked up again.

Cold Mountain was another.

Slicemeister

Firestarter by Stephen King. Have read a lot of his books but this one is hard work. Started it before Xmas and still only on page 54 or something.

The Backwards Man

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

No they don't.

Well apart from the whale and the dick of a narrator that goes off on more tangents than Ronnie Corbett they do.

Venus In Furs

https://www.msu.edu/~wilsonc8/fsmobydk.htm

Micky Dolenz

Links234 wrote: »

Bakemonogatari

Heard so many people rave about it, one of my friends loves it, it's pretty highly rated. I tried watching it, and I just couldn't get into it. I was told to stick it out until x episode and so on, and I did but just hated the show. I don't get why people go on about.

Whoa, I thought this was about books. if it's about anything. I was going to do my third marathon after a few years absence and after a few training sessions, I thought, bollix to this. It's torture, piled on more torture to run for 3 and a half hours of pain, to get a crappy medal. No one has time for that.

The Backwards Man

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

Whoa, I thought this was about books. if it's about anything. I was going to do my third marathon after a few years absence and after a few training sessions, I thought, bollix to this. It's torture, piled on more torture to run for 3 and a half hours of pain, to get a crappy medal. No one has time for that.

Na it's about anything you were sorry you were started but too pigheaded to give up on once you did.

Links234

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

Whoa, I thought this was about books.

Well, OP never really specified books :pac: But that was one thing that came to mind as far as struggingly to get through, some (?) episodes in I threw in the towel.

Honestly, can't think of any books I really struggled with. That said, I've mostly read Terry Pratchett and such

The Backwards Man

Links234 wrote: »

Well, OP never really specified books :pac: But that was one thing that came to mind as far as struggingly to get through, some 16 episodes in I threw in the towel.

Honestly, can't think of any books I really struggled with. That said, I've mostly read Terry Pratchett and such

I'm mad to start on Terry Pratchett, but I've a heap of Hemingway and some Icelandic buck to get through first.

GLaDOS

I absolutely struggled through Dantes Divine Comedy, but refused to give up. Was delighted to finally finish it.

Gave up halfway through The Silmarillion though one day I'll go back and finish it.

The Backwards Man

No. 1 One Direction Fan wrote: »

I absolutely struggled through Dantes Divine Comedy, but refused to give up. Was delighted to finally finish it.

Gave up halfway through The Silmarillion though one day I'll go back and finish it.

Silmarillion was a real struggle for me too, couldn't believe it was the same author.

seenitall

Nothing. I'm a good quitter.

RobbingBandit

Machiavelli The Prince, one of these days I'll finish reading the damn thing just wish he wasn't such a condescending prick.

Zaph

endacl wrote: »

I'd never not finished a book until I started Luke Rhinehart's 'The Dice Man'. That pile of steaming shyte is the only book I've ever started and not finished. Also the only book I've ever dumped. I normally pass novels on to Oxfam. Wouldn't take the chance of inflicting it on an unsuspecting browser who might unsuspectingly think it 'looked interesting'...

Unlike you, I actually finished it because like the OP I wasn't going to let it beat me. I really should have given up on it though, it was the second greatest load of bollocks I've ever subjected myself to. The worst is a book called The Female Man by Joanna Russ. A guy who worked in a bookshop I went to all the time and knew what I liked recommended it to me, and he'd been spot on with previous recommendations. Rather than doing the sensible thing and burn it after the first 10 pages I stuck with it until the end. Having a prostate exam is a more enjoyable experience than reading that book.

ahnowbrowncow

Ha I'm actually reading Moby Dick too, tedious doesn't do it justice. I stopped reading it 2 months ago when I read a chapter that did nothing other than detail the characteristics of every f*cking whale, ain't nobody got time fo that.

Back reading it again tonight after I saw a Moby Dick film advertised in the cinema at the weekend, have to finish it before that film is released.

Photo-Sniper

After 2 years I finally finished reading "The Ultimate Guide to cooking with Herbs"

Its about Thyme.

One of the most important things you will ever learn is that it's okay to give up on a book you are not enjoying. I used to always finish any book, no matter how much of a chore it was or how much I disliked it till I saw a piece with Ian Rankin where he stated that the most important thing you learn as a reader is when to realise it's time to go no further.

WoollyRedHat

The spire was to be, but after umpteen times sliding back down, I said what's the point.

endacl

Call me The Backwards Man. Some years ago - never mind how long precisely - having little or no money in my purse to spend on Tennants, and nothing particular to interest me on the telly, I thought I would read a little and learn the watery part of the world. It is a way I have of driving off the spleen and regulating the circulation. Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off - then, I account it high time to read another page as soon as I can. This is my substitute for pistol and ball. With a philosophical flourish Cato throws himself upon his sword; I quietly take to the book. There is nothing surprising in this. If they but knew it, almost all men in their degree, some time or other, cherish very nearly the same feelings towards the overblown classic novel with me.

:cool:

Call Me Jimmy

Crime and punishment. Weirdly, I did find it enjoyable and interesting but it's just I'm not very good with commitment. I think it is reflective of the egotistical side of the reader to continue with it knowing you don't enjoy it.

The Backwards Man

endacl wrote: »

Call me The Backwards Man. Some years ago - never mind how long precisely - having little or no money in my purse to spend on Tennants, and nothing particular to interest me on the telly, I thought I would read a little and learn the watery part of the world. It is a way I have of driving off the spleen and regulating the circulation. Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off - then, I account it high time to read another page as soon as I can. This is my substitute for pistol and ball. With a philosophical flourish Cato throws himself upon his sword; I quietly take to the book. There is nothing surprising in this. If they but knew it, almost all men in their degree, some time or other, cherish very nearly the same feelings towards the overblown classic novel with me.

:cool:

I hate you

endacl

The Backwards Man wrote: »

I hate you

RobbingBandit

Photo-Sniper wrote: »

After 2 years I finally finished reading "The Ultimate Guide to cooking with Herbs"

Its about Thyme.

Was there much Sage advice in there?

Micky Dolenz

endacl wrote: »

Call me The Backwards Man. Some years ago - never mind how long precisely - having little or no money in my purse to spend on Tennants, and nothing particular to interest me on the telly, I thought I would read a little and learn the watery part of the world. It is a way I have of driving off the spleen and regulating the circulation. Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off - then, I account it high time to read another page as soon as I can. This is my substitute for pistol and ball. With a philosophical flourish Cato throws himself upon his sword; I quietly take to the book. There is nothing surprising in this. If they but knew it, almost all men in their degree, some time or other, cherish very nearly the same feelings towards the overblown classic novel with me.

:cool:

That is what I find fascinating about it, the use of language we speak. We probably use one thousand average words in a thousand average combinations in daily life.

Photo-Sniper

RobbingBandit wrote: »

Was there much Sage advice in there?

Not really.

But it does answer the question does Sean Connery like Herbs?

The Answer is Yes, but only partially.

JaseBelleVie

-Ulysses was one. I tried. Lord knows, I tried. But I could never get past the first 50 pages or so, before I felt like crying from frustration. I could just never get into it. How them poor f*ckers that study literature are required to read it, analyse it and attempt to understand it cope, I'll never know.

That was the main, big one. There were several other books, films and TV Series that I tried to get into, but could never stick with. I used to never walk out of films in the cinema if I'd gone. But I stunned myself when I walked out of several films over the past few years. Just couldn't fathom how they even got made.

And then, you have the other side of things. Reading a good book and wanting to finish it as fast as possible but at the same time not wanting it to finish as it is so good!

Ghost Train

I need to go back and finish the count of Monty Cristo, got half way into last year and then never continued with it

Links234

Ghost Train wrote: »

I need to go back and finish the count of Monty Cristo, got half way into last year and then never continued with it

the movie with Guy Pierce is fantastic if you fancy just watching that and pretending to have read it :pac:

Asarlai

The New Catechism. I hated, but I did finish it.

I loved the old green one, but don't like this one. The stories are no good.

Dirty Dingus McGee

I tied to read it a few years back and wasted 6 weeks of my life to get to about 200 pages.

Its a dreadful book.

If I wanted to read a text book about the whaling industry in the 19th century I would have bought one.

BetterThanThou

The Road by Cormac McCarthy, currently in my Leaving Cert year and it's part of the comparative study. Missed reading it in class due to illness, book is 400 pages long and I've about 50 read, I'm not a lazy student by any stretch of the imagination, but I can't seem to read this book, it's so boring. I've just learned how to write essays based on the notes I've been given, I'll most likely end up cramming the book in just to be safe the week before the leaving cert.

Wompa1

The Backwards Man wrote: »

16th of May last year, I started reading Moby Dick, I still have a hundred odd pages to go, I'm at the part where Queequeg took sick. I hate it, with every bone in my body, but I'm going to stick it out, even if it kills me.

What have you stuck with, against all the odds, and how good did it feel finally overcoming?

Read that turd a few years back. Tried to read War and Peace but gave up.

Right now I'm reading a book called Flyboys. It's great but I've been so busy that it's taking me about 9 months to finish the f'kin thing

The Peanut

Finnegan's Wake; part of me feels I should be able to read it and then after a couple of pages I get a headache. May have to just accept the fact it's not for me.

Moby Dick not easy either. Persevered but only out of stubbornness.

o1s1n

Lord of the Rings. Have started it multiple times over the last 20+ years but just can't stick it out.

Parts are just so incredibly long winded and boring.