I’ve
always been proud of the fact I read anything and everything. There are
however certain books which have stumped me. 3 in particular. These are
books which have worldwide acclaim yet have failed to make my top ten. Is it me
or are these books simply unreadable?
“So which
books are these exactly?” I hear you ask.
Well,
book the 1st: In the Name of
the Rose by Umberto Ecco
I’d
heard from several people, whose reading instincts I trust, how absolutely
fabulous this book is. So naturally with such recommendations it had to be
done. I mean, who can argue with a book which has sold over 50 million copies
since its publication in 1980. Besides, the author’s name sounded so absolutely
cool. Yes, things like that occupy my weird brain. But I struggled my way
through it. I ended up wishing I had
the Cliff Notes . So I abandoned it and watched the Sean Connery film instead.
Book
the 2nd: The Satanic Verses
by Salman Rushdie
What a
furore this one caused when it was released. I figured that alone meant I had to read it. Besides, it was a
Whitbread winner and a Booker finalist. But no, my brain was having none of it
and I was yet again forced to abandon a praiseworthy book before I was even a
third of the way through it.
Book
the 3rd: Love in the Time of
Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
So I was
very much looking forward to this particular book as it’s written in my
favourite genre and the author has been lauded time and time again. Let’s not
forget he won the Nobel Prize. I however didn’t get beyond the first chapter. This
is incredibly rare for me as I usually persist in the hope the fog impeding my
understanding will lift. Sadly not so with this award winning book. So sorry
Senor Marquez.
~*~
I once
read that it’s worth rereading a book you’ve struggled with in your youth as
you may not have been ready to hear the message hidden between the pages. So in
a bid to read these ‘unreadable’ books I periodically attempt a reread or try
to read something else written by the author. I’m currently going through one
of those reread phases. My chosen author at the moment is Gabriel Garcia
Marquez. I was prompted by the fact I’ve been meeting a lot of South Americans
lately and decided it was a hint.
Unfortunately
things have not been going according to plan. My latest failure is The General In his Labyrinth. I managed to
get to page 48 before I finally ditched the book in favour of one by Joanne
Harris. You will however be pleased to know that I’m not quitting that easily.
Just last week I collected another Marquez from the library and will valiantly
give that a go.
Don’t
judge me too harshly. My ability to read lauded literature is obviously
impaired. How I’m ever to overcome this shortcoming I really don’t know. I will
however persevere in my quest to read and reread those authors which challenge
my brain. After all, maybe one day when I least expect it, the hazy words
between the lines will become crystal clear and there’ll even be a double
rainbow.
Awww, Rae. I actually really liked all 3 of those books. I think they must have something in common that I like and you don't. I might well have another look at them to try and see what it is. I'm in the course of re-reading Cider with Rosie after about a 35 year gap and a visit to Slad on Saturday. It's delicious!
ReplyDelete