I thought I'd talk about reading today, bearing in mind it's World Book Day. Had it not been chucking it down outside I'd be more inclined to go out and do something fabulous and literary, but instead I'll stay in, keep dry and make my wordy contributions to the day on here.
As you'll see from my Reading List, I recently took down 'Lucky Jim', by Kingsley Amis off the shelf. It has been on the To Be Read shelf for some time now, different shelves, different houses, and different countries, but I finally decided it was that one's turn the other day. I'd been watching My Life in Books on the television and one of the guests chose it. Their opinion was that it was hilarious and that was the idea I'd gathered over the years.
Unfortunately, I didn't find it so hilarious. In fact, I found it rather tedious and boring. The characters weren't appealing and I had absolutely no interest in what they did, or didn't do, with their lives. I slogged on until I was about two thirds of the way through, hoping that I would suddenly 'get into it', but the moment never came. When I've got a book I'm enjoying, I can't wait to get to my 'reading time' but I had no inclination to keep picking up this one, and tended to avoid it if I could. I don't know if it's me, or whether the book has now dated, and its humour with it. Normally, I'd give up on a book I was struggling with earlier than this, but because it's classed as a modern classic, I felt I ought to give it a little more time, but it still didn't help for me. I have noted it's got fairly good reviews on Amazon, so I'm beginning to think it is me. And that's fair enough, but I'd be interested to know your opinion on the book, if you've read it.
Along with that, are there any other 'classics', that you've been looking forward to, or highly recommended, that when it came to it, you just didn't enjoy?
And before I go, good luck to all those handing out the free books today! Happy World Book Day! (oh, and Happy Birthday, Mr Shakespeare too!)
I couldn't get into it either, but then I don't like a lot of 'classics'. Not everyone can like the things everyone else says they should like. :o)
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