I did something I hate doing. I put a book down and I don’t plan on picking it up again. Ever. Wait, it gets worse. What could possibly make it worse, you ask? It’s a Star Wars book. I know! Star Wars: Millennium Falcon to be more precise. It just wasn’t good! I got about halfway through and I hate to say it, but I just wasn’t enjoying it. The thing about me, is that I like things big. Say what? I like reading stories that are epic in scope. And when I read Star Wars books I want good versus evil, galaxy-ending stakes, that span over a series of books, with cliffhangers and battles galore!
What is Star Wars: Millennium Falcon about then? It’s a standalone adventure where Han and Leia investigate the history of the Millennium Falcon, which it turns out is a key to finding a hidden treasure. Really? Is that really the case? And they never found the clues that have been hidden on the Falcon until now? Lame. And the story is just filling in a lot of backstory about who piloted the Falcon before Han. But who wants to know all that? It takes away from the mystique of Han and his ship. According to this book, he’d only owned it for five years before meeting Luke and Obi-Wan. Who wants to know that?
So I made the tough decision to put it down. I told myself I was just going to read something else for the time being, and then go back to it, but I know that’ll never happen. Now I’m reading Hero, which was a pretty big deal about a year ago and everyone was talking about it, but as usual I’m late to the party. But I read the other day that Showtime is turning it into a series, so that’s pretty cool. The book is about a gay high school student who discovers he’s a superhero. I’m just two chapters in, but I love it already. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with a gay protagonist before (unless you count David Sedaris, but that’s non-fiction). I didn’t realize what a difference it would make, but it’s really quite refreshing. I may never go back to breeder books ever again! Kidding.
So what was the last book you stopped reading halfway through because it was so awful?
Michelle and Tam: *snickering at the youtube thingee…
And ladies, I only know this from the incessent repeats they played on tv in the afternoons after school when I was a kid. I never saw one episode when it originally aired.
now the Brady Variety Hour…yeah, I saw a few of those at first airing…
HUGS…
Oh and Craiggers, if you liked Hero, may I recommend “SuperPowers”. no gay characters, just 5 college kids wake up on day with superpowers. Very well done, very much like “what would happen if people got powers in the real world”.
HUGS…
I loved To Kill a Mockingbird. Read it junior year of high school, but my favorite book junior year was Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God (and lack of italics is killing me!)
Enrico: Step away from the Ayn Rand and put it on the big bookshelf in the sky. Her writings seem to have a tendency to make assholes out of people.
Polt: I JUST READ SUPERPOWERS!!!! I am yelling because I am that excited! I liked it too – don’t want to give anything away, but the ending really stuck with me. I double your recommendation
I’m with you on the Brady Variety hour. Also watched Donnie and Marie, Carol Burnett, and even Lawrence Welk (?) as a youngster. Boy, I sure did watch a lot of tv. Still do…
Ohhh, Donnie and Marie. See I grew up in the backwoods of Canada where we only had 2 freaking channels, which while I watched incessantly caused me to miss out on some pop culture in my youth. I did recently read an article though that said people who watch a lot of TV are unhappier and have less sex than those who don’t. No mention of those who watch TV WHILE having sex. But I was a happy child and a total TV addict so I beg to differ with the scientists. I still love to watch old Carol Burnett sketches on YouTube. They were brilliant and its still roaringly funny today.
Damn, to stay on theme, guess I’ll have to see if my library has Hero since all the cool kids are obviously reading it.
Pingback: Dickie Maxx » Blog Archive » Three blogs I read today.
I have the same problem. 700+ paged books have trouble keeping me interested as events slowly happen and frankly i have other books Im reading so i just stop. Also really dense books I have trouble getting through, like the Autumn of the Patriarch, by the guy who did 100 Years of Solitude, which was an amazing book.
It seems like a lot of people here are fans of revisionism and Jasper Fforde takes classic books, English lit, and creates some type of mystery story out of it, that would be the Thursday Next series. He is very good with puns. Also I highly recommend the Nursery Crimes Division series by him. It is only two books right now but there the last one is coming I believe next year and they are just really funny.
I’m also trying to get through a book at the Australian aborigines, who I’m thinking about studying.
I do want to read Atlas Shrugged for the third attempt. I like the story, but the whole philosophy behind it, I have somewhat rejected it so I promise not to become a jerk.
Lately though I have been so busy with school and other things that I’m finding that I’m not reading as much, but with break coming up I think get some reading time in.
Damn impressive that everyone stayed on topic for over 100 comments! Of course, that accomplishment was most likely due to the fact that I wasn’t around most of the day…
Ryan R – Don’t worry. I like the book because of the story, not the philosophy. And because if a book is made into a movie, I HAVE to read the book first, and Angelina Jolie is in talks to be Dagny, and I have to see the movie if she does take the role.
Pingback: The First Comments from the Puntabugang | Puntabulous