The Classics

I'm not familiar with him. I don't read that much these days because my eyes are weak.

I recall in junior high reading Hardy’s ‘Far From the Madding Crowd’ and hating it.. I never went back, however. Anyone else visit it?

Never read it.
*extra note: For years I thought it was Maddening Crowd.

Yeah – I really like Hardy. But I don't think junior high school students are the audience he was writing for. I had to read the Mayor of Casterbridge in high school and, other than descriptions of the scenery, it was lost on me. But I picked up Return of the Native in my thirties and had a different response. Thing is, tastes in literature can be wide-ranging and no one should feel compelled to even read a book, let alone like it, because someone else thinks it's a masterpiece.

Any fans of Somerset Maugham?

I've read a bit of Maugham. Of Human Bondage. The Summing Up. That was many years ago.

And what makes a book a "classic"? Like ""classical" music, it means different things to different people.

Did Tess for A level, hated it.

Living in and around the area doesn't help.

I brought up Maugham because his novel, Cakes and Ale, is a weakly-disguised parody of Thomas Hardy. It's a good read.

I agree. Working in the library we also had discussions about books and one of the things we talked about was whether we 'ought' to finish a book we disliked. Prose is so important! With new authors, I always read the first couple of pages to see if I can read it. Anyway, bottom line is I won't eat something I don't like so why waste time reading a badly written book?

Do better. You had one job. If the writing isn't compelling, if the protagonists aren't credible, if the plot is wanting - what a waste. Get a better editor or a new hobby.

I also can't stand wordiness, especially when not necessary, such as occurs in many of Dickens' and Tolstoy's works. I don't care how the sun dappled on the corner of a building we're never going to hear about again. You need something, of course, to create mood, but not pages and pages.

Just my 2 cents'

I like different authors for different reasons. Hemingway's simple and direct approach appeals to me and I try to be as simple and direct when I write, while Joyce and Dickens' endlessly inventive prose fascinates me. My idea of a book to avoid is Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Reading it is like trying to shell black walnuts using just your fingers.