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comment by scarp
scarp  ·  4682 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: What book are you reading right now?
Underworld, by Don DeLillo. Although I'm more or less chipping away at it little by little when I can. This is actually my third attempt at reading it. It's not that I don't enjoy it, because I do. I just think I'm pacing myself a little too slowly, so that by the time I pick it up again I've forgotten who's who and what's what.




mk  ·  4681 days ago  ·  link  ·  
Argh, I hate that. I think part of the problem is how I read long names.

Exiting the cab, Th... long name... erby donned his hat and stepped into the crowd.

Tolstoy is the worst for that.

scarp  ·  4681 days ago  ·  link  ·  
I especially hate it when authors use very similar names for two important characters. Even worse when the names are both unconventional. I can't think of any examples off the top of my head, though.

The Kindle app on my phone has proven very useful in reading long books. Underworld is about 800 pages, so it's nice to be able to read a chapter or two while on the bus, train or toilet without having to actually lug the big thing around. Sorry, Franzen -- that's a convenience I just can't give up.

mk  ·  4681 days ago  ·  link  ·  
Sauron, Saruman.
thenewgreen  ·  4681 days ago  ·  link  ·  
I always thought of it as Tolkien's way of foreshadowing what Saruman would become. But I agree, it's annoying.
scarp  ·  4681 days ago  ·  link  ·  
That would drive me up the wall. Is that from Tolstoy?
mk  ·  4681 days ago  ·  link  ·  
Lord of the Rings; Sauron was the evil guy that made the ring, and Saruman was Gandalf's wizard pal that turned bad.