What's Your Moby Dick?

ahnowbrowncow · 21-01-2015 02:47AM

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 · 21-01-2015 02:48AM

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

Its about Thyme.

21-01-2015 02:49AM

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 · 21-01-2015 02:52AM

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

endacl · 21-01-2015 02:54AM

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 · 21-01-2015 02:55AM

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 · 21-01-2015 02:56AM

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 · 21-01-2015 02:57AM

The Backwards Man wrote: »

I hate you

RobbingBandit · 21-01-2015 02:58AM

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 · 21-01-2015 03:05AM

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 · 21-01-2015 03:05AM

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 · 21-01-2015 03:20AM

-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 · 21-01-2015 03:24AM

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 · 21-01-2015 03:28AM

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 · 21-01-2015 03:30AM

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 · 21-01-2015 06:15AM

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 · 21-01-2015 06:29AM

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 · 21-01-2015 08:25AM

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 · 21-01-2015 08:45AM

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 · 21-01-2015 08:56AM

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.

Teyla Emmagan · 21-01-2015 09:07AM

I have never read Moby Dick but have struggled through Ulysses twice. And as someone else said I still hadn't a clue what had happened by the time I had finished it the second time. Maybe I'll give it another go.

I joined this local community group in 2010. It's a complete pain in the hole. All I do is deal with useless people, and selfish people, and moaning people. It's all work and no reward. And for some reason I am too stubborn to walk away from it. I nearly quit before Christmas then I decided I wasn't going to be beaten by the bastards. Also there's no other schmuck out there stupid enough to take it off my hands

GLaDOS · 21-01-2015 09:08AM

About 90% of the way through Monte Cristo at the moment, its very slow paced, especially in the middle, but I am enjoying it.

The Road is bloody class, i loved it.

Teyla Emmagan · 21-01-2015 09:12AM

BetterThanThou wrote: »

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.

Ah come on, I read that on Christmas Day one year. And it doesn't even have poetry! It's a great book.

Is that on the leaving cert syllabus now? You lucky feckers. We had Austen and a 'comedy' of manners.

Teyla Emmagan · 21-01-2015 09:12AM

o1s1n wrote: »

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.

The trick is never to read the songs/poetry. Then you'll fly through it!

GLaDOS · 21-01-2015 10:20AM

The funny thing is I've been tempted to try Moby Dick lately (I've been listening to Mastodon's Leviathan a lot :pac:) but this thread isn't very encouraging

Shrap · 21-01-2015 10:21AM

The Backwards Man wrote: »

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

I was forcibly persuaded by my best friend to read Ps. I love you by Cecelia Ahern. Couldn't bear it after the first page. Ditto with 50 shades of grey. Never read such drivel in my life. They're the only books I ever put down without finishing.

My Moby Dick was Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett. I had to finish it, even though I didn't enjoy the mind-fcuk of knowing it was completely pointless to try and make sense of it from start to finish. I love lots of Beckett's plays, but there's a reason that one has been argued about since it was written.

The Peanut · 21-01-2015 10:30AM

No. 1 One Direction Fan wrote: »

The funny thing is I've been tempted to try Moby Dick lately (I've been listening to Mastodon's Leviathan a lot :pac:) but this thread isn't very encouraging

I'd keep blaring "I am Ahab" and enjoy it. The last thing you'll want is the book ruining the pleasure of listing to Mastodon later on after you finish/don't finish/tear your hair out.

Hoop66 · 21-01-2015 10:34AM

Middlemarch. fark me it's a tedious read. Great if you want to get a feel for early 19th century social politics in the UK.

Yeah, thought not.

The Backwards Man · 21-01-2015 10:36AM

I read The Road in about half a day as well. Granted, it's bleak and depressing, but it's unputdownable.

fizzypish · 21-01-2015 10:39AM

Slicemeister wrote: »

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.

O baby that brings me back. Must have been around 11 or 12. TV was broke in the house, mid winter. It was firestarted and some other fantasy book (the name eludes me) combination by king. Hard back. I remember it being comparable in size to a breeze block. More pages than I could count. Read the whole thing in about than 2 weeks. Ever read so much that when you put the book down you feel dizzy for a while? If you feel like going toe to toe with King for round 2, try the stand. People mentioning descriptions by Tolkien being tough, I think King could give him a run for his money at times. A more infuriating, the bastard spends 6 pages teeing up a new character just to kill the ****er!

What's Your Moby Dick?

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