The plan is one more reading, after that I call it quits (back to "Goodnight, Moon"!).
Goodnight Moon. There was a Final Jeopardy question on the show (early this year?) pertaining to that book, the answer being the title. I had thought it a silly easy question and was quite surprised by the outcome - none of the contestants got it right! I suppose they hadn't read the book 9,128 times to their kids (perhaps I exaggerate
).
My mum and dad read to us every day, and every night at bedtime. When we were sick, mum would read to us for hours at a time. I probably got my love of tropical islands from listening to Robinson Crusoe, Treasure Island, and The Coral Island. I did the same with my kids, read to them a lot.
I took a cue from my mother, and Uncle Vinnie, and tried to have a different voice for characters in books when reading to my kids. I had a particular voice/accent for Hagrid in the first Harry Potter book, and was quite surprised when he used the same accent when the movie came out! My daughter looked at me admiringly and said "How did you know?", I just smiled and winked.
When I was around 12, I read The Hobbit and loved it. Moved on to The Lord of the Rings, struggled with the first book a bit and put it down. My mum and aunt talked about it so much I knew the whole story enough to even quote poems, I just couldn't read it.
Later, I took an honours English class in college, and The Lord of the Rings was on the required reading list. It wasn't the length, it was the style that tormented me. I struggled and struggled, then went to my professor and told him I'd rather take a butt whupping than be forced to read the books, and was there
any way I could be assigned something else. He was surprisingly understanding and assigned me Herbert's massive Dune trilogy instead - I read all three books in one week.
After really enjoying The Lord of the Rings movies (the extended Directors Cut versions!) I tried to read the books again. Nope!
Probably just as well, as I couldn't get annoyed if the movie didn't exactly follow the books.
I don't know that I really have a point here, other than the reading of books is not just about the story, it's about enjoying the actual words, the style of the author's writing. I read on average two books a week, and some I have read many times over just because I like the way they are written. Others I have chucked to the side after a chapter, never to be opened again, because I didn't like the style.
I see no harm nor room for recrimination in not caring for a particular 'classic' book, it is just a matter of one's personal taste.
Cheers
