a thoughtful web.
Good ideas and conversation. No ads, no tracking.   Login or Take a Tour!
comment
_refugee_  ·  2850 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: 'bl00s Reviews #9: "A Prayer for Owen Meany" by John Irving

IT: If you have seen the movie, and enjoyed it, you will find the book a much more satisfying version of the same story. My $.02, as a King fan.

If I had to pick a single King book to recommend, it wouldn't be IT. That's not to say I haven't read it (heh) multiple times and enjoy it as/for what it is, it's just - damn it's a long novel. There's weird creepy bits outside of the horror narrative that, especially in our current society, could totally turn some readers off of the book. It lacks some sort of deeper "meaning" or "message" or "theme" that is generally relatable or ultimately raises questions and reflection in a reader; I guess what I'm trying to say is it's very much an entertaining story but that's about all.

I gave "Catcher" a solid 2.5 tries, with spacetime in between. Don't get it, won't get it, find the novel exasperating. Feel the same about "On the Road" and "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance," except I gave each novel successively fewer chances. A high school English teacher did commiserate with me about "Catcher" and commented that it is the kind of book that one either "gets" or totally doesn't. I totally doesn't.

After reading this review I thought, "What is my favorite book?" and compared that to "What book(s) do I recommend others to read?" It is funny, of the few I can name to answer each question, there is no overlap between the sets.

I have not read "Owen Meany" despite having had a copy for years; same with "Cider House Rules." That being said, I have often considered "The World According to Garp" one of my very favorite novels. So that's interesting.

I am not saying do not read "World According to Garp," but I am saying I care about it enough that it would be painful to read a negative, especially an intelligent and negative, review of it. And there are very, very few articles of media where that is the case. Usually I am a "destroy this utterly" sort of gal.