Top Ten Unfinished Books - Page 2

chairman of the bored · 12.06.2008, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeneticKiss

I can't think of a whole list, but one book I attempted in high school was Kafka's The Castle. Not because it was boring or anything, but the thing was one long paragraph. No breaks for changing speakers or chapters or anything. I would have to remember the last word of the last sentence I read in order to pick up where I left off, and after a while it got to be too much.

Beckett does this too. What I do is stop in the same place each time...at the top of the left page. It kinda works.

the ikara cult · 12.07.2008, 09:46 PM

I started Sons and Lovers by DH Lawrence, and its a pretty depressing book, but thankfully i spilled vegetable curry on it, meaning i could leave early.

acousticrock87 · 12.07.2008, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chairman of the bored

The whole horror part of the book was cool enough. But whatever the story that was told in the margins was is the epitome of what i hate about most contemporary literature. Mindless drug addiction portrayal is fucking boring and trite and in no way sympathetic/shocking/interesting. And it seems to be what a majority or writers write about nowadays. Who really gives a fuck about the wreckless/indulgent lifestyle.

The rising generation.

Criticizing Danielewski for being trite is like criticizing Joyce for being crude, or Chandler for being pulpy. You'll get unanimous agreement for years before he knocks Faulkner out of the Norton Anthology to much applause.

pbradley · 12.07.2008, 11:44 PM

I think you are overrating Danielewski.

Silent Dan Speaks · 12.08.2008, 02:10 AM

I love House of Leaves, but I don't care much for the Johnny Truant side of the story. All of the great stuff is in The Navidson Record.

pbradley · 12.08.2008, 02:41 AM

The book dissolves into post modern gimmickry. I thought I would dig it but the charm wore off quickly.

alteredcourse · 12.08.2008, 02:44 AM

I really tried to get into House of Leaves a couple years ago, but I just got tired of it, then I forgot about it. I have no desire to try to read it again. It really did just feel like wankery at the time.

acousticrock87 · 12.09.2008, 04:54 AM

I don't think I overrate him at all. The postmodern elements have nothing to do with his ability--that's just a medium that he enjoys, which he has elaborated on in interviews.

I hear "gimmick" used endlessly to describe both House of Leaves and Only Revolutions, which is a useless word without explanation. People assume that their striking appearance and pseudo-complexity are the depth of his innovation, but that has nothing to do with his writing. The Pelican Poems alone--an irrelevant and apparently useless addition to an already time-consuming work--are an excellent demonstration of his understanding of the art of writing. I think Danielewski as a writer, apart from whatever medium he uses, is genuinely one of the most capable voices out right now.

He does seem quite the prick, but if he can write, who cares? And anyway, Foer and Coupland have a much better hold on contemporary wankery.

pbradley · 12.09.2008, 05:25 AM

I was hoping that his formatting would be more meaningful of a device in propelling the narrative but I didn't feel that was the case. The Three Attic Whalestoe Institute Letters did it well, the main story lost my interest. But I don't want to speculate over Danielewski as a writer any more than I already have. I haven't read any of his other work, nor have I finished this one.

acousticrock87 · 12.09.2008, 05:42 AM

Hah, no worries. I'm just hoping to set myself up for an I-told-you-so with a few of my friends. I think he's talented and have a feeling he's going to get recognized later, but I've lost bets before.

afterthefact · 12.10.2008, 10:38 AM

Not this translation, but the same book:

And then this:

atari 2600 · 12.10.2008, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RdTv

Someone lent me the Alchemist and I never finished it. HA!

a better "The Alchemist":
http://www.levity.com/alchemy/jn-alch0.html

atari 2600 · 12.10.2008, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pookie

Can't remember if this was posted before.

Can't remember the details, but there was a list of the books most frequently bought but not read.
...
10) Crime & Punishment by Dostoyevsky

Wow, you're managing to top yourself...
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lamebrained

!@#$%! · 12.10.2008, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pookie

Can't remember if this was posted before.

Can't remember the details, but there was a list of the books most frequently bought but not read.

1) Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre
2) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling
3) Ulysses by James Joyce
4) Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernières
5) Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
6) The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie
7) The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
8) War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
9) The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
10) Crime & Punishment by Dostoyevsky

i am not surprised by some of those choices.

a) harry potter-- horrible horrible prose. unfuckingreadable.

b) ulysses -- too hard for most

c) corelli's mandolin --- i dont know but i saw the movie and it was HORRID

d) satanic verses -- im one of them. bought for the fame (over the mail for $1) not because i was realy interested

e) war and peace -- very fucking long! who has time these days? i wish i did...

f) coelho -- new age pap

Pookie · 12.10.2008, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by atari 2600

Wow, you're managing to top yourself...

If only you would.

chairman of the bored · 12.11.2008, 12:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by afterthefact

Not this translation, but the same book:

And then this:

I've read that translation of NFTU and loved it. Miller is the man, but I'm not familiar with that book. I'll have to check it out. Oh yeah, Danielewski is still wack. I'd rather my generation be crude or 'pulpy' than trite, which indeed describes Danielewski's poor attempts. there is much cooler contemporary literature out there. Junot Diaz's brief wondrous life of oscar wao is pretty dern good.

chairman of the bored · 12.11.2008, 12:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by !@#$%!

i am not surprised by some of those choices.

a) harry potter-- horrible horrible prose. unfuckingreadable.

b) ulysses -- too hard for most

c) corelli's mandolin --- i dont know but i saw the movie and it was HORRID

d) satanic verses -- im one of them. bought for the fame (over the mail for $1) not because i was realy interested

e) war and peace -- very fucking long! who has time these days? i wish i did...

f) coelho -- new age pap

in response to a)...thank you...fuck harry potter

pbradley · 12.11.2008, 01:13 AM

So I'm unfortunately adding Margret Atwood's Oryx and Crake to the list. Shit needs to take a back seat to FINAL ESSAYS!

acousticrock87 · 12.11.2008, 04:30 AM

Maybe people stop reading Harry Potter when they realize it's a fucking children's book, and that the movie wastes slightly less time.

And while we're at it, fuck Paolini, too.

blunderbuss · 12.17.2008, 12:32 PM

I've been dipping in and out of Catch 22 for the last six months or so, and don't really know why I'm bothering. I mean, it's a totally pointless book, isn't it. I've realised that its very pointlessness is a metaphor, but, well, that doesn't make it any the less pointless.

Whether I'll ever bother to finish it is debatable.

12.07.2008, 09:46 PM	#22
the ikara cult invito al cielo Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: London sink Posts: 4,576	I started Sons and Lovers by DH Lawrence, and its a pretty depressing book, but thankfully i spilled vegetable curry on it, meaning i could leave early. __________________ "It is absolutely ridiculous, they are behaving like a cult" - The Vatican
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

12.07.2008, 11:44 PM	#24
pbradley invito al cielo Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: SoKo Posts: 10,621	I think you are overrating Danielewski.
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

12.08.2008, 02:10 AM	#25
Silent Dan Speaks the destroyed room Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 603	I love House of Leaves, but I don't care much for the Johnny Truant side of the story. All of the great stuff is in The Navidson Record.
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

12.08.2008, 02:41 AM	#26
pbradley invito al cielo Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: SoKo Posts: 10,621	The book dissolves into post modern gimmickry. I thought I would dig it but the charm wore off quickly.
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

12.08.2008, 02:44 AM	#27
alteredcourse expwy. to yr skull Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 1,503	I really tried to get into House of Leaves a couple years ago, but I just got tired of it, then I forgot about it. I have no desire to try to read it again. It really did just feel like wankery at the time.
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

12.09.2008, 04:54 AM	#28
acousticrock87 invito al cielo Join Date: May 2006 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 5,515	I don't think I overrate him at all. The postmodern elements have nothing to do with his ability--that's just a medium that he enjoys, which he has elaborated on in interviews. I hear "gimmick" used endlessly to describe both House of Leaves and Only Revolutions, which is a useless word without explanation. People assume that their striking appearance and pseudo-complexity are the depth of his innovation, but that has nothing to do with his writing. The Pelican Poems alone--an irrelevant and apparently useless addition to an already time-consuming work--are an excellent demonstration of his understanding of the art of writing. I think Danielewski as a writer, apart from whatever medium he uses, is genuinely one of the most capable voices out right now. He does seem quite the prick, but if he can write, who cares? And anyway, Foer and Coupland have a much better hold on contemporary wankery.
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

12.09.2008, 05:25 AM	#29
pbradley invito al cielo Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: SoKo Posts: 10,621	I was hoping that his formatting would be more meaningful of a device in propelling the narrative but I didn't feel that was the case. The Three Attic Whalestoe Institute Letters did it well, the main story lost my interest. But I don't want to speculate over Danielewski as a writer any more than I already have. I haven't read any of his other work, nor have I finished this one.
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

12.09.2008, 05:42 AM	#30
acousticrock87 invito al cielo Join Date: May 2006 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 5,515	Hah, no worries. I'm just hoping to set myself up for an I-told-you-so with a few of my friends. I think he's talented and have a feeling he's going to get recognized later, but I've lost bets before.
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

12.10.2008, 10:38 AM	#31
afterthefact invito al cielo Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Lexington, KY Posts: 3,886	Not this translation, but the same book: And then this: __________________ "She hated people who thought too much. At that moment, she struck me as an appropriate representative for almost all mankind." - Kurt Vonnegut Cat's Cradle
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

12.11.2008, 01:13 AM	#38
pbradley invito al cielo Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: SoKo Posts: 10,621	So I'm unfortunately adding Margret Atwood's Oryx and Crake to the list. Shit needs to take a back seat to FINAL ESSAYS!
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

12.11.2008, 04:30 AM	#39
acousticrock87 invito al cielo Join Date: May 2006 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 5,515	Maybe people stop reading Harry Potter when they realize it's a fucking children's book, and that the movie wastes slightly less time. And while we're at it, fuck Paolini, too.
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

12.17.2008, 12:32 PM	#40
blunderbuss invito al cielo Join Date: May 2008 Location: UK Posts: 2,526	I've been dipping in and out of Catch 22 for the last six months or so, and don't really know why I'm bothering. I mean, it's a totally pointless book, isn't it. I've realised that its very pointlessness is a metaphor, but, well, that doesn't make it any the less pointless. Whether I'll ever bother to finish it is debatable.
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|