Day 191-- on neverending books
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Have you ever read a book that's seemingly without end? Have you ever read a book that, despite having read a sizable section, mocks you with the remaining mountain of pages? Have you ever read a book that has enough plot content and resolution to be finished by page 300, though it runs close to 800 pages in length?
I've answered 'yes' to these before. Probably the most memorable example was the recent re-translation of the Count of Monte Cristo, a book that ran 1400 pages. I loved it, though it took me three months to read. But there have also been many examples that I chose not to remember, books that were drastic bores or mammoth paperweights.
Dan Simmons' the Terror is closer to the Monte Cristo end, thankfully, though it may not be a classic. I'll wait until I finish to make a final call. It's a fictional retelling of the doomed John Franklin-led British expedition to find the Northwest Passage. There were no survivors; Simmons has another explanation for this, though. It's well-written and pretty captivating, but...golly, it is long. I was hoping to have it finished last week, and now I'm a day or two away from being half finished.
Maybe the main reason I'm thinking about this is is that--no matter how good the book--I sometimes get antsy and want to move onto something else. Maybe I should no longer do that.
posted, with grace and poise, by Jason @ 3/15/2007 09:40:00 AM,
