RE: Confession: A few books that went over my head
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How do I know thee? Let me count the ways.
I know it's a mixed quote, but the books I've given up on are legion. I've never been able to finish Moby Dick. Though I did mostly read Billy Budd I am really thankful for the movie that gave me a better grasp of what I'd read. That is usually NOT the case.
Ulysses. I know I should just pick it up and slug it. But I can't. Joyce's words are wonderful, no doubt. His concepts are out of my league. I actually read more for pleasure than pain. I'm funny that way.
Which brings me to De Balzac. I read enough of one of his works to get a grade out of a college class but have never gone back and have no memories of even which work it was. Nope. Sorry. Isn't happening.
There are many. In some ways, they are utter defeat. Or at least strategic psyche saving retreats. I had serious problems with Crime and Punishment that way. I think those characters overwhelmed me and it was pure grit to hang on to the end.
That's understandable, no funny business either. I think I will lean towards that perspective as well. These selected books can humiliate you or ascend to a higher throne themselves -- however you want to see it. But I go back to them again and again. I must like the taste of defeat. Or I'm a masochist!
I've been meaning to read Crime and Punishment. Read a bunch of short books by Dostoyevsky but left the big one for the last. I wonder how will I fare. I also didn't read Moby Dick yet.
I don't know why I keep going back to the 'classics'. I actually don't think it's masochism, I think it's an intense curiosity to know about the author and the work.
I'd guess I want to know what really good literature IS. I certainly didn't take the courses in college, I didn't care THAT much :) Maybe it's like the mountain climber that can't rest until he climbs Everest or K2. The sad part is I don't know the literature equivalent of those peaks, so I have to read them and see when I get done. Obviously I haven't found them yet.
That's a good analogy. And to find that peak, you have to keep reading and see what peak is steeper. And one lifetime is not enough. Perhaps, two or three aren't either.
I think my peak, for now, is Ulysses. How I want to conquer it!
I didn't take a literature course in college either and actually, looking back, I think I should have. We have a "science" craze in our country, to get better jobs, you have to pick a science discipline. While I'm very much a science lover, I think I'd love fine arts even more and perhaps literature too. But I was a different person and also a kid back then.
In all honesty? I was scared of a liberal arts education. Like you, I like Science and was happy to take those courses, but I did not like the required English courses that went with them, so I never even looked at lit.
My friend from San Diego's first degree was a Masters of English. She worked a very little as a reporter but was an Editor at a major newspaper for a few years until she got bored (or something else I don't know) and went sailing. She was on an all female crew in America's Cup qualifying :)
Then she got a PHD in Physics. She taught at a Liberal Arts University in So Cal. She's just retired due to CV from being a substitute HS teacher while she finishes up her PHD in ornithology. Next time I go hiking with her I'll ask about the literature degree. She'll tell me. I'll give her the Baron of the Trees then too. Yep, she is still an intense reader.