For January the hosts of The Classics Club have asked a relatively simple question, What is the best book you’ve read so far for The Classics Club—and why?, which I’ve already answered here (Go, Anne Brontë! Go!). So I will be doing part two, Or, if you prefer, what is your least favorite read so far for the club, and why?
My first thoughts were that I really wished there were a simple answer, like that I had a burning passionate hate against one book, but I don’t really. As with most books, I have found something to enjoy and something that’s not quite how I would like it. However, the more I thought about it, one did come to mind. You might think it’s Dickens, who I feel needed a good editor – TOO much in the middles, or you might think it was one of the Russians, but no not them either. It was the lovely local Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The House of the Seven Gables.
I mean, I said it in the first sentence of my response to the book: “Very long review short: I didn’t like this book.” You can go there to read my response if you’re actually interested in it. Just suffice to say I had issues with just about everything in the book and I definitely don’t remember The Scarlett Letter being that difficult and I read that in high school – when I HATED reading anything I didn’t want to read.
Hopefully there aren’t many more than can knock this out of the bottom slot, because if there are it is going to be a long four-and-a-half more years to go in my conquest of (some of) the Classics.
Yes, sometimes, there isn’t a simple answer to why you might like or might not like a book. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by and for the comment! It really is difficult to make that sort of decision and I RARELY say I ‘don’t’ like a book. I can always find some redeeming qualities in a book.
Boo! Since I’m in Boston now I totally have to read that book and visit the house (and according to Allison @ The Book Wheel, I also have to eat the maple sugar candy they sell). Guess I’ll be in for a rough ride (or read)!
Well the house itself was really cool to visit! And Salem is great (you can take the Commuter Rail from downtown Boston) on it’s own – check out the Peabody Essex Museum if you do get up there. The book just wasn’t what I wanted it to be, so hopefully it’ll be better for you!
Ok thanks for the tips!
I don’t really know Hawthorne, we don’t have to study him here in the UK and I admit The Scarlet Letter is on my Classics Club list because I’ve not yet read it. I’m interested to see what other books get voted most disliked so far, I know what I will pick for mine. I really should answer the Q on my blog too. 🙂
I just had a lot of issues with it because it wasn’t what I thought it would be and the action was just non-existant. There were some pretty cool bits, but just not enough to make it seem worth the read. The Scarlett Letter I thought was definitely better because it’s so blatantly scandalous (for the time).