Back in 2010, I had published a post titled 'Burn After Reading':
http://hetalvora.blogspot.com/2010/03/burn-after-reading.html
One change that came about between then and now is that I no longer necessarily read a book before buying it. At times I buy the books just because something interested me to it and also because you can buy a used copy for as less as USD 4.00. So, if a book isn't even worth the $4.00 I am paying, then it deserves to be on my list of books that should be burnt after reading.
Here's my latest compilation in no particular order:
I went with high hopes on this one. I am a sucker for old world charm and period romances (Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, North and South etc.). Going by the reviews, Wuthering Heights is widely regarded as a classic. So when I came across a heroine like Catherine who was so whiny that she would make even Bella from Twilight seem endearing, you can imagine my pain. I couldn't see any ray of positive light to have ever emanated from her. Besides the fact that she behaved well with a poor chap like Heathcliff, I couldn't discern any accomplishment or qualities about her that would make her so loved by not one, but two men. She whines, cries, treats people poorly, marries for fortune, falls sick at the smallest of confrontations and eventually dies pretty much after murdering my interest in the book.
2. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie is widely regarded as an accomplished crime novelist and she may be so. I cannot really comment about her since I haven't read any of her other books. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd was the first of her book that I read and may probably be the last one. According to me, the prime necessity of a murder mystery is to help the readers feel like they have a chance at cracking the case themselves by letting them in on the clues such that when the mystery reveals itself, they feel the sense of having deduced some of it and having noticed the clues earlier on (A bow to J.K. Rowling for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban here). Abrupt revelation do not entice the readers. If all your clues are explained so far towards the end and in such a scurry to arrive at the murderer, they lose impact and that's what happened with this one.
3. The Oath of the Vayuputras - Amish Tripathi
I liked the first two books of the Shiva trilogy by Amish Tripathi. But the third one felt boring despite its brisk pace. It felt like the author was in a rush to finish it and yet you couldn't rush through it. Half way through the book I lost interest and didn't even finish this one. I also partly attribute it to the fact that I had expected the story to concur with the stories of Lord Shiva that I had heard as a kid and I didn't expected it to be a complete work of fiction that seemed inspired by Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings. Perhaps it was a nice idea to make Lord Shiva more relatable to the youth of today, but then again I felt the potential squandered.
4. A Farewell to Arms - Ernest Hemingway
May be its me, but another classic that I couldn't even finish reading because it just didn't feel engaging enough.
I kind of enjoy writing this blog :)
I have recently ordered North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell and its being shipped. I saw the BBC TV mini-series 2004 version and loved it. I hope the writing is far more beautiful.
When I am ready with more of the dull books to add to my series of 'Burn after reading', I shall blog again.
http://hetalvora.blogspot.com/2010/03/burn-after-reading.html
One change that came about between then and now is that I no longer necessarily read a book before buying it. At times I buy the books just because something interested me to it and also because you can buy a used copy for as less as USD 4.00. So, if a book isn't even worth the $4.00 I am paying, then it deserves to be on my list of books that should be burnt after reading.
Here's my latest compilation in no particular order:
1. Wuthering Heights - Emily Brontë
I went with high hopes on this one. I am a sucker for old world charm and period romances (Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, North and South etc.). Going by the reviews, Wuthering Heights is widely regarded as a classic. So when I came across a heroine like Catherine who was so whiny that she would make even Bella from Twilight seem endearing, you can imagine my pain. I couldn't see any ray of positive light to have ever emanated from her. Besides the fact that she behaved well with a poor chap like Heathcliff, I couldn't discern any accomplishment or qualities about her that would make her so loved by not one, but two men. She whines, cries, treats people poorly, marries for fortune, falls sick at the smallest of confrontations and eventually dies pretty much after murdering my interest in the book.
2. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie is widely regarded as an accomplished crime novelist and she may be so. I cannot really comment about her since I haven't read any of her other books. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd was the first of her book that I read and may probably be the last one. According to me, the prime necessity of a murder mystery is to help the readers feel like they have a chance at cracking the case themselves by letting them in on the clues such that when the mystery reveals itself, they feel the sense of having deduced some of it and having noticed the clues earlier on (A bow to J.K. Rowling for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban here). Abrupt revelation do not entice the readers. If all your clues are explained so far towards the end and in such a scurry to arrive at the murderer, they lose impact and that's what happened with this one.
3. The Oath of the Vayuputras - Amish Tripathi
I liked the first two books of the Shiva trilogy by Amish Tripathi. But the third one felt boring despite its brisk pace. It felt like the author was in a rush to finish it and yet you couldn't rush through it. Half way through the book I lost interest and didn't even finish this one. I also partly attribute it to the fact that I had expected the story to concur with the stories of Lord Shiva that I had heard as a kid and I didn't expected it to be a complete work of fiction that seemed inspired by Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings. Perhaps it was a nice idea to make Lord Shiva more relatable to the youth of today, but then again I felt the potential squandered.
4. A Farewell to Arms - Ernest Hemingway
May be its me, but another classic that I couldn't even finish reading because it just didn't feel engaging enough.
I kind of enjoy writing this blog :)
I have recently ordered North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell and its being shipped. I saw the BBC TV mini-series 2004 version and loved it. I hope the writing is far more beautiful.
When I am ready with more of the dull books to add to my series of 'Burn after reading', I shall blog again.
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