I started Brideshead some years ago but DNF'd it. Then watched the film and didn't warm to any of it. It is unlikely I'll pick it up again. I do have one more Waugh on my Kindle but that is not going to happen anytime soon.
Thanks. After reading your reviews I'm not sure I'll bother with any further Waugh. Especially not Vile Bodies, which, from what you said, sounds full of themes which I would be guaranteed to miss. I think Brideshead Revisited was the right (accidental) choice for me, and it will be over soon.
Why do you think you would you be guaranteed to miss themes? It might as well be that you'll find and appreciate aspects of the book that other readers may have missed?
Most times, I read a book, don't get what's so fantastic about it or why it's been considered a 'classic' for over a hundred years, go to the reviews and read what others thought of it and whoever enjoyed it are talking about themes and messages that I just didn't notice. I can read what's on the surface, no problem, but subtle messages behind the words tend to escape me. Without the understanding of the themes I usually don't enjoy the book (or not as much as those who did understand the themes) - I recently finished Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, gave it 2.5 stars and didn't really understand why it had stood the test of time, my brother has also read it and loved it and talked about how fantastic Conrad's writing was and all the inner messages that were behind the surface words.
He's starting his honours year in politics at university this year. I think if I had done some kind of studying at university (particularly in English lit, like the classes Batgrl was talking about) themes might be a little less opaque for me. But I chose not to go to university and now that ship has sailed, I don't possess the motivation to put myself through exams and essays. I enjoy learning, but never did well on tests and don't feel it would be worth the stress just to help me understand some of the classic books that I have attempted to read in the past. I'm sure someone said something profound about not being able to enjoy every book you read, and if I enjoy more contemporary books with werewolves more than I do 'classics' with snobby upper class Oxford students with too much time on their hands, then "oh well" *shrug*.
I once knew someone who had a degree in English Lit from a highly rated university and who standing next to a picture of Oscar Wilde didn't know who he was. In short, while English Lit classes at any level can be great, I would not give them too much credit in creating readers who can "dig" a classic any better than other readers.
Personally, I enjoy reading the "classics" even though I might disagree with the hype around many of them - just like I would with hype around any other book. However, I have found that reading the "classics" with the expectation of being blown away by the book will not work. At the end of the day, it is just a book - it either grabs you or it doesn't.
Who is to say that recognising themes is any less valuable or less exciting than just enjoying the story or being able to relate to the characters (or sometimes being able to hate the characters)?
What I'm trying to say is that I hope you will not resign yourself to books with werewolves out of a feeling that you can't enjoy other books (even so-called classics) because you might miss out on recognising a theme. (Who ever digs all of the themes in a book anyway?)
(Just to be clear - this is not a criticism of books with werewolves or anything other particular plot line and I sincerely hope that you'll always find a good book that speaks to you.)
Oh no, I'm not resigning myself to not recognising themes and therefore giving up reading any further 'classics', I'm resigning myself to not recognising themes but continuing to plough through them anyway. I'm hoping to one day come across a 'classic' (other than Pride and Prejudice) that I thoroughly enjoy, with or without the themes.
I don't expect any book (from a new author whose books I've never read or enjoyed before) to blow me away, usually I just hope to be able to finish it in a reasonable length of time and be able to give it three stars.
You don't think that being able to recognise the themes in a book helps the reader to enjoy what they're reading, more than simply reading the words and not really understanding the motivations behind the characters actions?
I'd take a guess that the reason camelopard was every day language was only for men that had been to schools that taught latin, which was most of them as classic scholarship was mostly in that language. And there are tons of schoolboy jokes in latin because of it. One of my favorite parts of being an English major were the classes where the prof would explain dirty jokes in literature to you and try to do so in an educated manner - lots of latin jokes in there. Most of my profs had a lot of fun with this.
Short version: yes to the snobbery - very much a class thing. "You'll only get it if you took/remember latin" thing.
I had a year of latin in high school but nope, never had that word.
Yes, the teddy bear! I read the book because we'd watched the PBS version and I was wondering what was up with the bear in the first place and hoped the book would explain. But no. I guess we're just supposed to chalk everything up to "Brits are used to there always being eccentric dudes around the place?"
Once I've read this I might see if I can get my hands on a copy of the tv show. I usually find watching the tv show/movie adds to my reading experience, especially with a book I haven't really understood.
Decline and Fall - http://brokentune.booklikes.com/post/1006750/decline-and-fall
Scoop - http://brokentune.booklikes.com/post/832451/scoop
and Vile Bodies - http://brokentune.booklikes.com/post/777540/vile-bodies
I started Brideshead some years ago but DNF'd it. Then watched the film and didn't warm to any of it. It is unlikely I'll pick it up again. I do have one more Waugh on my Kindle but that is not going to happen anytime soon.
Most times, I read a book, don't get what's so fantastic about it or why it's been considered a 'classic' for over a hundred years, go to the reviews and read what others thought of it and whoever enjoyed it are talking about themes and messages that I just didn't notice. I can read what's on the surface, no problem, but subtle messages behind the words tend to escape me. Without the understanding of the themes I usually don't enjoy the book (or not as much as those who did understand the themes) - I recently finished Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, gave it 2.5 stars and didn't really understand why it had stood the test of time, my brother has also read it and loved it and talked about how fantastic Conrad's writing was and all the inner messages that were behind the surface words.
He's starting his honours year in politics at university this year. I think if I had done some kind of studying at university (particularly in English lit, like the classes Batgrl was talking about) themes might be a little less opaque for me. But I chose not to go to university and now that ship has sailed, I don't possess the motivation to put myself through exams and essays. I enjoy learning, but never did well on tests and don't feel it would be worth the stress just to help me understand some of the classic books that I have attempted to read in the past. I'm sure someone said something profound about not being able to enjoy every book you read, and if I enjoy more contemporary books with werewolves more than I do 'classics' with snobby upper class Oxford students with too much time on their hands, then "oh well" *shrug*.
Personally, I enjoy reading the "classics" even though I might disagree with the hype around many of them - just like I would with hype around any other book. However, I have found that reading the "classics" with the expectation of being blown away by the book will not work. At the end of the day, it is just a book - it either grabs you or it doesn't.
Who is to say that recognising themes is any less valuable or less exciting than just enjoying the story or being able to relate to the characters (or sometimes being able to hate the characters)?
What I'm trying to say is that I hope you will not resign yourself to books with werewolves out of a feeling that you can't enjoy other books (even so-called classics) because you might miss out on recognising a theme. (Who ever digs all of the themes in a book anyway?)
(Just to be clear - this is not a criticism of books with werewolves or anything other particular plot line and I sincerely hope that you'll always find a good book that speaks to you.)
I don't expect any book (from a new author whose books I've never read or enjoyed before) to blow me away, usually I just hope to be able to finish it in a reasonable length of time and be able to give it three stars.
You don't think that being able to recognise the themes in a book helps the reader to enjoy what they're reading, more than simply reading the words and not really understanding the motivations behind the characters actions?
Short version: yes to the snobbery - very much a class thing. "You'll only get it if you took/remember latin" thing.
I had a year of latin in high school but nope, never had that word.