I like that they say "30 of the best", not "the 30 best". So it's a list of really good books, without any pretension to establishing a hierarchy, and thus much more useful.
... with the accustomed "Tolkein", that famous writer who appears every now and then in articles. He even has a society in his honor: spoof.tolkeinsociety.org
Leaving off Earthsea is mind boggling. Having reread those at different stages of life, you come realize just how brilliant and profound that series is.
Curious as to opinions on Gene Wolfe? I found him everywhere from brilliant, wildly entertaining to confusing, frustrating and terribly boring.
All those words. And more words. Out of interest, why did you keep buying them if you were just throwing them away? Or did you buy lots at once and then learn about the words thing? And have you ever thought about giving books you don't like away instead of binning them?
Wolfe is probably one of my three or four favorite writers ever. His work is a secret palace, filled with treasure, laden with booby-traps. So much do I love him, I obtained this when it first came out. (Also signed by your good self, sir!)
now I may be incorrect on this, but aren't books meant to be made of words and words and words?
or am I an anomaly who just loves lushly written language?
I am confused how a book would ever get into the garbage. If it really isn’t worth your keeping, donate. Libraries. Sell it if so inclined. Me, I keep it to discover later when I have different thoughts. Here’s my favorite mathom.
Enjoying fiction is to swim in a sea of words. I trust an author to use the right amount to see us through the journey. Sparse or languid. Terse or verbose. Words are a joy when an author embraces their style. If you don't like words, maybe explore the world of mime?
It’s like complaining stained glass is hard to see through. What are the colors of the words? What shape do they make? It’s not filler, its the substance of it
Wolfe makes me feel like I should have done more of the required reading, but I try to keep up. I do try! Nobody has ever written like him before or after, a tricky feat. Like Philip K Dick, I worry I might read too deeply and wake up somewhere else.
I bought the trilogy after reading a couple of positive reviews. Good SF for me is Iain Banks. I can't give books away here because I live in a Spanish-speaking country.
Anyone who hates Gene Wolfe I block on general principle. I reread Shadow of the Torturer every few years just to remind myself there are some things too perfect for this world.
why do people throw books they don't like
i don't understand
if I were a book tossed across the room I'd scurry under the bed and go feral.
Or crawl out of the bin and hide in the closet, rabid with pointy words wanting revenge
I'm never going to finish it, I dislike it, so I'm not going to waste space on it. And there is no one within 150 miles who would be interested in it. And it would cost me more to post it than anyone would pay for it on eBay. At which point it gets recycled.
"The covers of this book are too far apart" is a critique one could make of many authors. I have on occasion abandoned a book in the middle because too much nothing had happened.
I was a massive fan of Gene Wolfe back in the day. Started with the first two volumes of the Book of the New Sun and worked my way out from there. I really should reread them, must be nearly 40 years at this point.
I loved “New Sun”, “Long Sun” and “Short Sun” when I read them a couple years back. But they required some serious effort. Also knew I would *have to* reread them some time. But I am hesitant…life’s just too busy.
