Help me to persevere with Cloud Atlas!

I've started Number9Dream but was distracted about 25x in the first 25 pages - these darling children seem to need an awful lot of actual parenting, how v dare they .

See, I think Gatsby is overrated (I read it again just recently and understood a lot more about the rather adult relationships than I did at school), but other than that it kind of read like a movie script to me IYKWIM - I've not seen the movie btw.

To Kill a Mockingbird otoh is well-written and oh so very pertinent to its time and still today. A true classic.

Whether David Mitchell's body of work will stand the test of time, but for sheer inventiveness, complexity, referencing all sorts of stuff and relevence to some of today's big themes (what makes a person Good or Bad?, Is humankind doomed?, Do individual acts count in the greater scheme of things? etc) I think it is well above drivel.

As I confessed upthread, the only book I have been unable to read or make any significant inroads into has been Ulysses. I don't get it. I just don't. But I would not call it drivel - I can see its significance, but I don't like it. And there are too many book out there that I actually want to read for me to bother again .

Mostly agree with that. I do find Gatsbt simple in style to read but every time i read it I discover something else!

I don't think 'Gatsby' is especially 'simple' tbh, although I do think it is deeply flawed. It actually gets better on re-reading, largely (imvh Eng Lit grad opinion!) as you can see the layers more clearly in it.

For me, the success of a book lies in whether or not it pulls me into the world of the book - I think Fitzgerald and Lee both succeed with that but, for me, Cloud Atlas didn't. It's nothing to do with how clever anybody is, or isn't - the experience of reading is about reader/text relationships and therefore will inevitably be down to personality and indeed personal opinion, as well as to the reader's prior reading experiences and so on, which will shape their interpretation of a text. Anybody interested might want to read around the idea of reader-response criticism.

Absolutely Cote, I first read it aged 10

Belle - Have your read Ghostwritten, too? I'm wondering if I should read Ghostwritten before Number9Dream, in the order they were written.

Luckily, you don't have to wait for very long.

It is Belle, I can't wait until my DD is old enough to read it

To Kill a Mockingbird is an amazing book.
How are you getting on with Dream Number Nine, Pacific?

That's OK, Hayley. Don't feel bad because you are not into analysing complicated books. A bit strange for an Eng Lit graduate, but we are all different

I guess this means you will never comment on that thread I mentioned four times already, but that's OK, too.

Sorry, I'm not meeting your expectations Cote .

Didn't see the questions about my favourite books. They are The Great Gatsby and To Kill a Mockingbird

My back is not up at all

"To me it was nonsense" doesn't mean anything, really. Either something is nonsense (i.e. nobody can understand what it's talking about) or it does make sense (but you didn't get it).

As someone who has studied literature at university level, I would have expected you to get it and get it better than laymen like myself. Would you take a look at the link below and say if you got any of that, at least?

What are your two favourite (simple) novels? Someone asked below but you didn't answer.

I think that's the point though, to me it was nonsense. I'm afraid that I'm in the camp that just didn't get it and found it very difficult to read.

Reading back my comments, I can see that mentioning my degree made it look like I was trying to be superior and I feel that's got your back up a bit. Many apologies, it wasn't meant to

I'm not banning you from the use of the word "drivel", just pointing out that "silly nonsense" is not an appropriate way to describe a book that actually makes a lot of sense and which is being studied at A-Levels all the way to PhD level.

Did you read that thread I linked to? That is what I have managed to get out of this book, although the last time I studied English literature was at the age of 18 (decades ago). It would be interesting to have your thoughts on my notes.

Of course the style was intentional Cote, I was just explaining why I didn't like it.

I don't understand why I can't use the word drivel, degree or no degree!

Of course the style was intentional Cote, I was just explaining why I didn't like it.

I don't understand why I can't use the word drivel, degree or no degree!

"as if the author couldn't decide what type of novel to write"

I dare say the change in styles is intentional. Each story is a personal account. It is very normal that they would be written in the style of their times. In fact, it would be implausible for the memoir of a guy from 1800s to not sound like Joseph Conrad.

Not to trump your Lit degree or anything but my Cambridge-educated writer friend says that it is incredibly difficult for a writer to write in different styles, and that what David Mitchell pulled off with apparent ease in Cloud Atlas is very impressive.

Yes, it is difficult to read but also very rewarding. I like difficult books and thoroughly enjoyed following the threads that connected the stories and the stories that echoed through the ages.

I guess it wasn't your cup of tea, but it certainly wasn't "drivel". I'm actually surprised that someone with a Lit background would say that, regardless of how simple you like your books.

I really liked the idea of it, the nested stories. I have friends who think it's one of the most amazing books ever.

I got to the end, but I won't be rushing to read another book of his.

Stick with it for a couple of stories at least, it might just be the first one. I loved it - still remember my confusion at the end of the first tale though as I knew nothing about the book and hadn't realised what the structure was.

Thanks, Hayley.
I see what you mean but don't agree - I loved all the connections between the seperate books and how the writing style fit the aera.
What are your top two books?

To add to this - my top two books are both really simple but really well written books. I think the truly great authors have a simple style because they have the confidence to do so

In my opinion it was really clunky and as if the author couldn't decide what type of novel to write. I found it tiresome to read. I had 3 years of having to read chosen text and I would choose any of those over this. More hype than substance for me - a complicated book doesn't equal a great one

Really, Hayley? In what way?
I am genuinely interested

I guess it's true that degrees don't guarantee professional success

I have an English Lit degree and thought it was utter drivel

Belle, your comment on this thread has just 'made me' order Number9Dream there goes the window cleaning I was planning for tomorrow