1. SPS Accounts:
    Do you find yourself coming back time after time? Do you appreciate the ongoing hard work to keep this community focused and successful in its mission? Please consider supporting us by upgrading to an SPS Account. Besides the warm and fuzzy feeling that comes from supporting a good cause, you'll also get a significant number of ever-expanding perks and benefits on the site and the forums. Click here to find out more.
    Dismiss Notice
Dismiss Notice
You are currently viewing Boards o' Magick as a guest, but you can register an account here. Registration is fast, easy and free. Once registered you will have access to search the forums, create and respond to threads, PM other members, upload screenshots and access many other features unavailable to guests.

BoM cultivates a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. We have been aiming for quality over quantity with our forums from their inception, and believe that this distinction is truly tangible and valued by our members. We'd love to have you join us today!

(If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us. If you've forgotten your username or password, click here.)

Books trouble to read.

Discussion in 'Booktalk' started by Takara, Aug 2, 2006.

  1. Takara

    Takara My goodness! I see turnips everywhere

    Joined:
    Mar 15, 2004
    Messages:
    3,598
    Media:
    1
    Likes Received:
    2
    I once read Dune by Frank Herbert, and I just couldn't read it. I found iy immpossible to visualise. I then saw Dune by David Lynch a bit later, and I liked it. So I went back and tried to read the book again. And I could. I could picture the book using the film...... it was simple to do. So I could finally appreciate Dune which is a good book. So sometimes it's good to turn a book into a film. For some the Lord of the rings films will make it so much easier for them to read it after they have seen the films.
     
  2. Rallymama Gems: 31/31
    Latest gem: Rogue Stone


    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2002
    Messages:
    4,329
    Media:
    2
    Likes Received:
    11
    I know what you mean. The humor of Catch-22 escaped me until after I saw the movie, even after several attempts. When I went back later, I fell off the couch from laughing so hard.
     
  3. JSBB Gems: 31/31
    Latest gem: Rogue Stone


    Joined:
    Feb 6, 2003
    Messages:
    4,054
    Likes Received:
    1
    I can't say that I have ever had that reaction but that might be because of my rather narrow attitude towards movies adapted from books.

    I pretty much take the book as being the genuine material and the movie as being illegitamate so any differences that I perceive between what I read in the book and what is in the film I tend to categorize as the film being wrong.

    When someone is telling me that they interpretted the book differently from me I am quite open to consider their interpretation so why I instantly dismiss a filmmaker's interpretation is somewhat inconsistent. I guess I have just seen too many Hollywood adaptations that have been adapted to mindlessly appeal to the masses.
     
  4. Takara

    Takara My goodness! I see turnips everywhere

    Joined:
    Mar 15, 2004
    Messages:
    3,598
    Media:
    1
    Likes Received:
    2
    I can understand that viewpoint a bit. The ones that are ok are things like Dune, Catch-22, the Lord of the rings. They are a bit more personalised as it were... they have a bit more substance and not just mass market appeal. I really enjoyed the LotR extended appendix where they explained why they made some changes to the script. I felt a lot happier and could understand why they had to do it.
     
  5. kuemper Gems: 31/31
    Latest gem: Rogue Stone


    Joined:
    Jun 19, 2005
    Messages:
    8,926
    Likes Received:
    8
    I tried reading anything by Tolkien. So, so confused. Watched the movies (even the cr@ptastic cartoon version of The Hobbit) and thought to try again. OMG, no way. Total confusion if with picturing the films in my brain.

    Dune was no problem at all. I barely remembered the movie when I read Herbert's series.
     
  6. Harbourboy

    Harbourboy Take thy form from off my door! Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

    Joined:
    May 29, 2003
    Messages:
    13,346
    Likes Received:
    97
    Tolkien books rule. The Lord of the Rings movies rule. They both rule.
     
  7. T2Bruno

    T2Bruno The only source of knowledge is experience Distinguished Member ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

    Joined:
    Nov 12, 2004
    Messages:
    9,766
    Media:
    15
    Likes Received:
    440
    Gender:
    Male
    I've never seen a movie that I liked better than the book -- I thought Dune was terrible as a movie and loved the book. I've never felt the scripts captured the essence of the book -- just look at Frankenstein. Here is an incredible book about predujice that is turned into a gothic horror, what a shame. 2001 A Space Odyssey is impossible to follow as a movie, but very clear as a book.

    I can't read books that have slow writing or whiny characters. I hated (and never finished) Crime and Punishment -- I didn't want to understand the sniveling idiot. I forced myself to read Catcher in the Rye, mostly out of morbid curiosity -- that kid was a waste.
     
  8. Takara

    Takara My goodness! I see turnips everywhere

    Joined:
    Mar 15, 2004
    Messages:
    3,598
    Media:
    1
    Likes Received:
    2
    You didn't like the movie of Dune??? I saw it again just yesterday, and I still love it. But everybody has different tastes I guess.
     
  9. Dengo Gems: 8/31
    Latest gem: Skydrop


    Veteran

    Joined:
    Jun 10, 2006
    Messages:
    275
    Likes Received:
    1
    I tried that book and i couldn't finish it because of that idiot boy. I don't understand him too. :D

    Also i tried to read Hitler's book Mein Kampf once. I was curious. But I didn't succeed in that one except a few pages. Too boring and crazy for me.
     
  10. joacqin

    joacqin Confused Jerk Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

    Joined:
    Apr 4, 2001
    Messages:
    6,117
    Media:
    2
    Likes Received:
    121
    Crime and Punishment is by far the best "classic" I have read. Was very positively surprised by it.
     
  11. Clixby Gems: 13/31
    Latest gem: Ziose


    Joined:
    Mar 25, 2005
    Messages:
    566
    Likes Received:
    1
    Lovecraft is seriously difficult to read, mostly due to the archaic expressions he uses and sheer amount of wordage (I don't care if that's not actually a word, I'm officially declaring it one).

    It's especially hard to envision most of the creatures he described, but that's mostly due to the fact that these creatures were basically the results of God's "spare parts" box.
     
  12. Oaz Gems: 29/31
    Latest gem: Glittering Beljuril


    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2001
    Messages:
    3,140
    Likes Received:
    0
    I found Dostoevsky difficult to go through until I picked up a new translation (Pevear & Volokhonsky).
     
  13. shadow lurker Gems: 17/31
    Latest gem: Star Diopside


    Joined:
    Oct 12, 2005
    Messages:
    987
    Likes Received:
    0
    Terry Prachett (or however you spell it) is so hard to read. Long and detailed, but the detail is no where near as interesting like LOTR. I couldn't make it half-way through Tom Sawyer...I can't really read classics. Although I managed to read Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and Emma by Jane Austen.
     
  14. Harbourboy

    Harbourboy Take thy form from off my door! Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

    Joined:
    May 29, 2003
    Messages:
    13,346
    Likes Received:
    97
    Terry Pratchett? Long and detailed? Hard to read? Are you sure you're talking about the right Terry Pratchett? There must be two. Because the Terry Pratchett I know writes funny, light hearted, easy to read books.
     
  15. shadow lurker Gems: 17/31
    Latest gem: Star Diopside


    Joined:
    Oct 12, 2005
    Messages:
    987
    Likes Received:
    0
    Really? :bad: Well maybe because I first read his books when I was like 7 or something so it was *really* boring at the time. It was so not funny at all. I read the one about some sorcerer being the seventh son of the seventh son etc. and I can't remember anything else (except something to do with a tower?). Maybe I've been scarred for life because there is no way I'd ever willingly read one again.
     
  16. Harbourboy

    Harbourboy Take thy form from off my door! Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

    Joined:
    May 29, 2003
    Messages:
    13,346
    Likes Received:
    97
    There are so many Terry Pratchett fans on these Boards that we can't all be wrong.
     
  17. shadow lurker Gems: 17/31
    Latest gem: Star Diopside


    Joined:
    Oct 12, 2005
    Messages:
    987
    Likes Received:
    0
    Oh well, I'll be the individual then. :D
     
  18. Taluntain

    Taluntain Resident Alpha and Omega Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

    Joined:
    Jun 11, 2000
    Messages:
    23,475
    Media:
    494
    Likes Received:
    538
    Gender:
    Male
  19. T2Bruno

    T2Bruno The only source of knowledge is experience Distinguished Member ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

    Joined:
    Nov 12, 2004
    Messages:
    9,766
    Media:
    15
    Likes Received:
    440
    Gender:
    Male
    I thoroughly enjoyed Lovecraft. Another book I couldn't get past the first 50 pages was The Secret Agent by Conrad(?).

    Who's Prachett? I've never heard of him.
     
  20. Takara

    Takara My goodness! I see turnips everywhere

    Joined:
    Mar 15, 2004
    Messages:
    3,598
    Media:
    1
    Likes Received:
    2
    He's an intensely funny writer in fantasy. He wrote the Discworld series of books, if you have heard of them. And not really going for Sorcerers, Shadow Lurker.... that's understandable. It's not one of his funniest. His best have the guards like Vimes.
     
Sorcerer's Place is a project run entirely by fans and for fans. Maintaining Sorcerer's Place and a stable environment for all our hosted sites requires a substantial amount of our time and funds on a regular basis, so please consider supporting us to keep the site up & running smoothly. Thank you!

Sorcerers.net is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products on amazon.com, amazon.ca and amazon.co.uk. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.