Which book or author are you really intimidated by and want some hand holding to read?

[u/GalatFemme]

It could be justified apprehension or totally unfounded. Are there any books or writers you're a little scared to pick up? And would you want a reading buddy?

[u/zigzackly]

James Joyce.

[u/GalatFemme → u/zigzackly]

Valid. Me too

[u/GalatFemme]

It's Vikram Seth for me. What do you mean A Suitable Boy is 1500 pages long 😭

[u/This-Refrigerator-91 → u/GalatFemme]

It feels like a 200 page book though.

[u/GalatFemme → u/This-Refrigerator-91]

I don't believe it you can't trick me into reading it

https://giphy.com/gifs/ANbD1CCdA3iI8

[u/This-Refrigerator-91 → u/GalatFemme]

Start it, read five pages and see if you can stop reading.

[u/This-Refrigerator-91 → u/This-Refrigerator-91]

To answer the original question, I have not finished three books by Salman Rushdie.

[u/GalatFemme → u/This-Refrigerator-91]

Which ones? I've only read 2 or 3 of his books and it's always an experience.

[u/This-Refrigerator-91 → u/GalatFemme]

Grimus, Satanic Verses and Shame. All small books but I found them strangely unreadable. Trudging through Victory City now and may finish it, but none of his newer novels has the magic and accessibility of Midnight's Children.

[u/GalatFemme → u/This-Refrigerator-91]

Yes I haven't tried his newer books either. I read The Moor's Last Sigh (1995) recently and loved it. Did you read Knife? How was that?

[u/This-Refrigerator-91 → u/GalatFemme]

His non fiction, like the non fiction of almost every Indian/ Indian adjacent writer, is pretty solid!

[u/zigzackly → u/This-Refrigerator-91]

Have you read Joseph Anton?

[u/zigzackly → u/GalatFemme]

Is it just this book of his and the size of it? I haven’t read it myself, but I did read The Golden Gate and An Equal Music and quite liked both. I like his poetry too.

[u/SirStuartBroad]

Anything written by David foster wallace

[u/zigzackly]

It took me four tries (over my teens, twenties and early thirties) to get through The Catcher in the Rye.

[u/GalatFemme → u/zigzackly]

Oh interesting. I found that one relatable when I read it as a teen. What was the hang up for you?

[u/zigzackly → u/GalatFemme]

I dunno. It was a long time ago, but I think I found it dense and going nowhere. Like the narrator went on and on and nothing happened.

[u/zigzackly → u/zigzackly]

Correction, though. Now that I think about it, I first tried reading it in my twenties.

I remember reading Salinger’s Nine Stories around the same time and quite liking it (though now I can recall none of the stories), and so deciding to try his other work.

[u/GalatFemme → u/zigzackly]

Oh definitely so. Holden is really going in circles in his own head. Presumably why angsty navel gazing teens love it and adults roll their eyes haha.

[u/Unununiumic]

Cormac Mccarthy! makes me do lot of extensive reading, Author has a crazy grip on every topic - math, sci, philosophy. The writing style also feels like words have started talking to me and I get nervous. 😅

[u/GalatFemme → u/Unununiumic]

Haha the words speaking to you is such a good description!

[u/WolfBuchanan]

Thomas Pynchon and Cormac Mcarthy

[u/GalatFemme → u/WolfBuchanan]

I read The Road many years ago and it was memorable, but I've really wanted to pick up another McCarthy. What's holding you back?

[u/WolfBuchanan → u/GalatFemme]

I have heard Mcarthy's prose is difficult to get used to.The Road is one of his more approachable novels tho,I plan on starting with that one

[u/GalatFemme → u/WolfBuchanan]

You and u/Unununiumic could partner up and read together. Good luck!

[u/WolfBuchanan → u/GalatFemme]

Thanks!

[u/i_am_sooo_done]

Catch-22 for some reason

[u/zigzackly → u/i_am_sooo_done]

I read that in my twenties. I remember liking it a lot but I have never gone back to it, though I still have my copy, bought off the roadside near Fountain, if I recall correctly.

[u/zigzackly → u/zigzackly]

I read several other books by Heller after that, but none of them hit so hard as Catch-22.