[John II]

Abyss, on 30 April 2019 - 04:40 PM, said:

acesn8s, on 29 April 2019 - 01:43 PM, said:

worry, on 26 April 2019 - 06:45 PM, said:

You should finish everything you start. And if you don't clean your plate (plate = book) you go to bed without dessert. Those are the rules.

If you don't eat your meat, you can't have any pudding.
How can you have any pudding, if you don't eat your meat?

All in all...

Your fat and psychopathic wife will thrash you to within inches of your life.

On topic:
So ya thought ya might like to start a series
To feel that warm thrill of payoff
That fantasy glow
I've got some bad news for you sunshine
... argh, I've got Pink Floyd disease. Now I feel one of my turns coming on... the worms are eating into my brain...

All right, I think I've shaken it off now. Back to the subject at hand, I don't see anything wrong with not finishing a series. Don't give me none of that do-goody-good bullshit.
NOOOOOOOOO! I guess I was cruising for a bruising. Hey you, don't tell me there's no hope at all.

[Abyss]

I do believe it's working.

Good.

[acesn8s]

You guys are filling me with the warm fill of confusion...

[Gorefest]

That'll keep you going through the show.

Come on, it's time to go.

This post has been edited by Gorefest: 01 May 2019 - 12:10 PM

[Maark Abbott]

TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 26 April 2019 - 02:27 PM, said:

Maark Abbott, on 26 April 2019 - 11:55 AM, said:

obviously considering I finished the abortive mess that was way of kings.

It's like weirdly specific Tourettes with you isn't it?

I used to be intent on finishing when I was younger, but I think as others have said now I have less time to read I'm much less inclined to continue if I'm not enjoying something. It doesn't necessarily mean I'll never go back and try them again though - discovered I actually liked both The Historian and Wuthering Heights when I tried them again after giving up the first time.

My current project is to go through alphabetised descriptions of the beleagueringly bad Way of Kings, A to Z, and then repeat the loop but with new adjectives.

[John II]

Maark Abbott, on 01 May 2019 - 12:54 PM, said:

TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 26 April 2019 - 02:27 PM, said:

Maark Abbott, on 26 April 2019 - 11:55 AM, said:

obviously considering I finished the abortive mess that was way of kings.

It's like weirdly specific Tourettes with you isn't it?

I used to be intent on finishing when I was younger, but I think as others have said now I have less time to read I'm much less inclined to continue if I'm not enjoying something. It doesn't necessarily mean I'll never go back and try them again though - discovered I actually liked both The Historian and Wuthering Heights when I tried them again after giving up the first time.

My current project is to go through alphabetised descriptions of the beleagueringly bad Way of Kings, A to Z, and then repeat the loop but with new adjectives.

You're like the primary school boy who picks on the girl he likes... You really should be more careful with that axe, Maark...

[John II]

Gorefest, on 01 May 2019 - 12:10 PM, said:

That'll keep you going through the show.

Come on, it's time to go.

There is no pain, you are receding...
This has stopped being a pun war and just degenerated into random Pink Floyd quotes.

Abyss, your post is so great I'm only disappointed I could only rep it once.

Can we just have a moment to appreciate how awesome the lyrics on The Wall are, though? I know it's nothing to do with the thread, but it's something that needs to be acknowledged.

Getting back on topic:

Tiste Simeon, on 26 April 2019 - 11:53 AM, said:

Hey all I was just thinking about coming across books that you start and never finish. I've started doing it a lot more over the past few years because I only read for fun now so I figure it's fine if I'm not enjoying it.

However I recently stopped reading a book called Tavern that I bought on Kindle after a guy posted on Reddit about how he felt an incredible sense of accomplishment. It sounded like something I could dig but it became very bland and generic and also it seems it hasn't been properly edited. I was bored so I started reading something else.

For some reason this bothered me. Maybe it's because it was an unsigned author and I want to support him or something similar but I kind of felt a bit bad. By all accounts it's doing OK and I saw that he said he had a lot of positive feedback about it so maybe it just wasn't for me? (Maybe, without trying to sound too pretentious, Malazan has spoiled me a bit?)

I dunno I'm not going to keep reading as I don't get much time for it at the moment and I'd rather not have to slog through it. Do you guys do this or are you a die hard "I've started so I'll finish" type?

Is this where we came in? (Actually I associate this more with the easter egg on Dream Theater's Octavarium than The Wall, because I'm weird like that)

[Maark Abbott]

John II, on 01 May 2019 - 07:29 PM, said:

Maark Abbott, on 01 May 2019 - 12:54 PM, said:

TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 26 April 2019 - 02:27 PM, said:

Maark Abbott, on 26 April 2019 - 11:55 AM, said:

obviously considering I finished the abortive mess that was way of kings.

It's like weirdly specific Tourettes with you isn't it?

I used to be intent on finishing when I was younger, but I think as others have said now I have less time to read I'm much less inclined to continue if I'm not enjoying something. It doesn't necessarily mean I'll never go back and try them again though - discovered I actually liked both The Historian and Wuthering Heights when I tried them again after giving up the first time.

My current project is to go through alphabetised descriptions of the beleagueringly bad Way of Kings, A to Z, and then repeat the loop but with new adjectives.

You're like the primary school boy who picks on the girl he likes... You really should be more careful with that axe, Maark...

I don't really know that trope because I hid in the library and read all through school.

Thankfully not anything as crabominable as Stormlight, though. And that's my C.

[Gem Windcaster]

I currently have Black Company lying on the bedside table - I know it probably will get interesting if I get into it, but a couple of chapters in, and I just can't do it. It feels so weird just letting it sit there, and I don't want to start another book either - not sure what to do, since I usually finishes books.

[Mentalist]

Russel Kirkpatrick- across the Face of the World- travelogue of the worst kind (poorly paced). Bailed after about a hundred pages and never looked back (and I donated the book to the library afterwards)

K.J.Parker's Engineer books- I think I stopped as some point in book 2? But I may not have gotten that far. It was a slog, and I can't stand reading about a supposed genius spending the whole book patting themselves on the back about how their elaborate scheme is all coming along marvelously. Pretty sure I gave those 2 away as well.

Generally, I do try to finish at least the 1st book in a series, but I yeah, these things happen.

[John II]

Gem Windcaster, on 03 May 2019 - 11:31 PM, said:

I currently have Black Company lying on the bedside table - I know it probably will get interesting if I get into it, but a couple of chapters in, and I just can't do it. It feels so weird just letting it sit there, and I don't want to start another book either - not sure what to do, since I usually finishes books.

IIRC the first Black Company rivals GotM for being a bad series starter. The rest of the series is great though - actually reminds me somewhat of MBotF. So once you've started, I don't think you'll have any problems finishing

This post has been edited by John II: 04 May 2019 - 09:40 AM

[Gem Windcaster]

John II, on 04 May 2019 - 09:39 AM, said:

Gem Windcaster, on 03 May 2019 - 11:31 PM, said:

I currently have Black Company lying on the bedside table - I know it probably will get interesting if I get into it, but a couple of chapters in, and I just can't do it. It feels so weird just letting it sit there, and I don't want to start another book either - not sure what to do, since I usually finishes books.

IIRC the first Black Company rivals GotM for being a bad series starter. The rest of the series is great though - actually reminds me somewhat of MBotF. So once you've started, I don't think you'll have any problems finishing

Ok, but when does it start to get interesting?

[Andorion]

Gem Windcaster, on 04 May 2019 - 04:08 PM, said:

John II, on 04 May 2019 - 09:39 AM, said:

Gem Windcaster, on 03 May 2019 - 11:31 PM, said:

I currently have Black Company lying on the bedside table - I know it probably will get interesting if I get into it, but a couple of chapters in, and I just can't do it. It feels so weird just letting it sit there, and I don't want to start another book either - not sure what to do, since I usually finishes books.

IIRC the first Black Company rivals GotM for being a bad series starter. The rest of the series is great though - actually reminds me somewhat of MBotF. So once you've started, I don't think you'll have any problems finishing

Ok, but when does it start to get interesting?

I disagree here. I think the first Black Company is great. Straight into the storm, no holding back. The second one is a slog.
But the third - The White Rose - that is a work of art.

[Salt-Man Z]

And see, I don't think BC really starts to get Eriksonian until the Glittering Stone quartet...

[Gem Windcaster]

See, at this point I wouldn't mind a spoiler or two, or a hint to what's really going on, because so far I'm just bored, which is unfortunate. I know these things can be about which mood you're in, so if I let it rest for a while and come back to it, I might feel differently, but who knows.

[Zeto Demerzel]

Andorion, on 04 May 2019 - 04:18 PM, said:

Gem Windcaster, on 04 May 2019 - 04:08 PM, said:

John II, on 04 May 2019 - 09:39 AM, said:

Gem Windcaster, on 03 May 2019 - 11:31 PM, said:

I currently have Black Company lying on the bedside table - I know it probably will get interesting if I get into it, but a couple of chapters in, and I just can't do it. It feels so weird just letting it sit there, and I don't want to start another book either - not sure what to do, since I usually finishes books.

IIRC the first Black Company rivals GotM for being a bad series starter. The rest of the series is great though - actually reminds me somewhat of MBotF. So once you've started, I don't think you'll have any problems finishing

Ok, but when does it start to get interesting?

I disagree here. I think the first Black Company is great. Straight into the storm, no holding back. The second one is a slog.
But the third - The White Rose - that is a work of art.

I disagree with the OP on book 1 for both series.

On the Malazan side, I thoroughly enjoyed GotM and had little trouble getting sucked into the series. I'd go so far as to say that if GotM had been as heavy as DG, I might never have finished the series.

Likewise, I enjoyed The Black Company (the book, not the series) a lot and saw definite parallels between the two series (literally read this right after GotM). As Andorion says, The White Rose is incredible. I didn't think Shadows Linger was that big a dropoff either.

[RACHEL]

In the past five years I have finally opened up to the idea of giving up on a book or series. My tastes have changed/matured and mostly there are so many books and so little time. I have struggled to get into a book/series that turned out to be amazing, but I have also started books/series with lots of enthusiasm and been underwhelmed at the end. I have had to "force" myself to commit time to a book/series that I totally loved, but I have also breezed through books that I find really weren't that great.

China Meiville - forced myself to finish Perdido Street Station, not really my thing. I tried and gave up on two other books of his and so I donated the four books I had of his and wrote him off my list.

Kameron Hurley - tried book one in the Bel Dame Apocrypha and could not get into it, tried again several months later and it just clicked with me and I loved the trilogy.

Robin Hobb - enjoyed Assassin's Apprentice, started to get annoyed in book two and I skim read the last 50 pages of book three just to finish, Hobb is off my list

Steven Erikson - read FOD and found a lot to like but it was too dense, when I did a re-read before FOL I really loved it

started Belgariad and gave up (thirteen year old me would have loved it), Lord Fouls Bane never drew me in at all and I gave up halfway, the first two Ririya books were good but not great enough for me to invest my time reading more, read R Scott Bakker's first trilogy and liked it but have no interest in reading any more, tried a re-read of Mercedes Lackey and Raymond Feist and gave away their books because they do nothing for me now that I'm not a teen, I set aside runelords because the magic system seemed so stupid

read first Shadows of the Apt book and was underwhelmed so I set it aside but I just recently read another of Tchaikovsky's books and loved it so I plan to give SOTA another whirl

I was loving the Lightbringer series but I stalled out on book four over a year ago and have yet to pick it back up even though I was enjoying it

I can't read everything so I have to narrow the field somehow.




@Gem Windcaster

As far as The Black Company books go here are some hints to help you get interested. I will spoiler them just in case.

Spoiler

I really enjoyed this series. Sometimes I had to "force" myself to sit down and read them but it was so worth it. I loved seeing how much these books influenced Erikson/Esslemont. Croaker as the narrator doesn't waste words so I realized I had to really slow down at times because every word counts and skim reading just won't work with Cook's books. Characters have secret plans and it isn't all spelled out for you, the magic system is vague, the characterization is a lot like Malazan. The Black Company has been around for 400 years and the books cover the most recent 40 years of the company. In later books the mystery of where the black company originated and why was super intriguing. In the third book you are introduced to something that you will recognize as the inspiration for the houses of the Azath. There are skywhales!!! It took me awhile to get into the rhythm of the first book but I am so glad I stuck with it.

[Gem Windcaster]

RACHEL, on 07 May 2019 - 04:52 PM, said:

@Gem Windcaster

As far as The Black Company books go here are some hints to help you get interested. I will spoiler them just in case.

Spoiler

I really enjoyed this series. Sometimes I had to "force" myself to sit down and read them but it was so worth it. I loved seeing how much these books influenced Erikson/Esslemont. Croaker as the narrator doesn't waste words so I realized I had to really slow down at times because every word counts and skim reading just won't work with Cook's books. Characters have secret plans and it isn't all spelled out for you, the magic system is vague, the characterization is a lot like Malazan. The Black Company has been around for 400 years and the books cover the most recent 40 years of the company. In later books the mystery of where the black company originated and why was super intriguing. In the third book you are introduced to something that you will recognize as the inspiration for the houses of the Azath. There are skywhales!!! It took me awhile to get into the rhythm of the first book but I am so glad I stuck with it.

Thanks! I think my problem with the way it's written is that there isn't anything for me to hang on to, story wise, not yet at least. For instance is there a character or characters that I might want to keep an eye on, specifically? Things like that would help a lot.

[RACHEL]

@Gem Windcaster

Spoiler

The Black Company is a lot like Malazan in that you are dropped into a story already happening. I did the same thing I did with Malazan, which was just kept reading until I started to get a feel for the story. In the beginning I felt pretty lost but after awhile it started to click. Goblin and One-eye are wizards and they usually have something up their sleeves like Quick Ben. BC is not convoluted like Malazan. If not for this site there would be a ton of things in Malazan that I would not have understood or figured out. Let me try to explain.

Malazan - characters are discussing an event and one says HE won't like the situation. Two books later you figure out who they were talking about when they said HE. Basically you need a great memory and great detective skills to put everything together on your first read. Re-reads bring constant, holy shit I missed that, moments.

Black Company - two characters have a private conversation in a muddy field and suspect they are being spied on, later you see a character wipe mud off his boots as he enters a building so you figure out he was the one spying. You should be able to put things together as you go along without any trouble as long as you aren't speed reading. In my fake example above you can easily figure out that muddy boot guy was spying but if you breezed through the sentence and only read that he entered the building you will have missed the fact that he was the spy.

The Lady is an evil wizard who runs the show in the North and the taken are her underlings who are evil wizards as well. The company fights for one of the taken and later the Lady against the rebels who want to do away with the evil wizards who are in charge. I don't want to say who is important because it might be too spoilery. I like these books on their own but seeing all the ways it influenced Malazan is awesome. Croaker is the medic so that is his nickname. Pretty much everyone goes by a nickname and some characters later go by different names. The first trilogy is all in the North and deals with The Lady's empire. The rest of the books deal with the company going South back to where the company originated to find out their history and where they came from and why the company was formed. Most of the characters are grey just like in Malazan and you can get a good feel for many of them with brief descriptions just like in Malazan. I am so glad that I pushed through and read all the books. Book one is short enough that it shouldn't be to hard to force yourself to read till the end. If you don't care for book one then give up. You can read a good synopsis of at least the first three books on Wikipedia so you can find out what happens without having to commit to three books.

[Gem Windcaster]

RACHEL, on 08 May 2019 - 03:28 PM, said:

@Gem Windcaster

Spoiler

The Black Company is a lot like Malazan in that you are dropped into a story already happening. I did the same thing I did with Malazan, which was just kept reading until I started to get a feel for the story. In the beginning I felt pretty lost but after awhile it started to click. Goblin and One-eye are wizards and they usually have something up their sleeves like Quick Ben. BC is not convoluted like Malazan. If not for this site there would be a ton of things in Malazan that I would not have understood or figured out. Let me try to explain.

Malazan - characters are discussing an event and one says HE won't like the situation. Two books later you figure out who they were talking about when they said HE. Basically you need a great memory and great detective skills to put everything together on your first read. Re-reads bring constant, holy shit I missed that, moments.

Black Company - two characters have a private conversation in a muddy field and suspect they are being spied on, later you see a character wipe mud off his boots as he enters a building so you figure out he was the one spying. You should be able to put things together as you go along without any trouble as long as you aren't speed reading. In my fake example above you can easily figure out that muddy boot guy was spying but if you breezed through the sentence and only read that he entered the building you will have missed the fact that he was the spy.

The Lady is an evil wizard who runs the show in the North and the taken are her underlings who are evil wizards as well. The company fights for one of the taken and later the Lady against the rebels who want to do away with the evil wizards who are in charge. I don't want to say who is important because it might be too spoilery. I like these books on their own but seeing all the ways it influenced Malazan is awesome. Croaker is the medic so that is his nickname. Pretty much everyone goes by a nickname and some characters later go by different names. The first trilogy is all in the North and deals with The Lady's empire. The rest of the books deal with the company going South back to where the company originated to find out their history and where they came from and why the company was formed. Most of the characters are grey just like in Malazan and you can get a good feel for many of them with brief descriptions just like in Malazan. I am so glad that I pushed through and read all the books. Book one is short enough that it shouldn't be to hard to force yourself to read till the end. If you don't care for book one then give up. You can read a good synopsis of at least the first three books on Wikipedia so you can find out what happens without having to commit to three books.

Thank you, that's really helpful.