I first got The Darkness That Comes Before about a decade ago. With the possible exception of Dracula, I found it the most detestable reading experience I could remember. The opaque nature of the background and story, the endless lore (more skirt than thigh, and more frustration than tantalising) really annoyed me.
I may've referred to (but not named) a book I really didn't get along with. And this was it.
It's a little while ago that I ventured forth from the cave on my isolated island in the North Sea and met some other persons from here, but during the course of that discussion SilentRoamer and I had a chat during the course of which (after I forgot the author name, initially) Bakker and The Book Of Doom came up.
I did look for it, in order to give it a second read, but didn't find it until some months down the line (it was buried in a box rarely opened, and I'm surprised I hadn't given it away). Anyway, I honoured my word and decided to subject myself to the torment again. I'm currently about halfway through.
Now, it's not my favourite book. But I am quite enjoying it. There's still a bit too much skirt, but I'm liking the story and characters, and the only reason my progress is slow is because I don't read a lot now.
And that got me thinking. I haven't changed drastically in the last decade (well, I don't think so), but clearly my perspective as a reader has shifted. We can argue the toss about whether I was more discerning in the past or more tolerant today, or whether my judgement/taste has improved or declined over time, but I can't recall such a substantial shift in opinion of the same book when re-reading.
It's a little perplexing. But also interesting. Before I fling any more books towards the charity shop, I may well give them another look (although I'll be astounded if I like the Story of the Stone. But then, I'd've said the same of The Book Of Doom).
I may've referred to (but not named) a book I really didn't get along with. And this was it.
It's a little while ago that I ventured forth from the cave on my isolated island in the North Sea and met some other persons from here, but during the course of that discussion SilentRoamer and I had a chat during the course of which (after I forgot the author name, initially) Bakker and The Book Of Doom came up.
I did look for it, in order to give it a second read, but didn't find it until some months down the line (it was buried in a box rarely opened, and I'm surprised I hadn't given it away). Anyway, I honoured my word and decided to subject myself to the torment again. I'm currently about halfway through.
Now, it's not my favourite book. But I am quite enjoying it. There's still a bit too much skirt, but I'm liking the story and characters, and the only reason my progress is slow is because I don't read a lot now.
And that got me thinking. I haven't changed drastically in the last decade (well, I don't think so), but clearly my perspective as a reader has shifted. We can argue the toss about whether I was more discerning in the past or more tolerant today, or whether my judgement/taste has improved or declined over time, but I can't recall such a substantial shift in opinion of the same book when re-reading.
It's a little perplexing. But also interesting. Before I fling any more books towards the charity shop, I may well give them another look (although I'll be astounded if I like the Story of the Stone. But then, I'd've said the same of The Book Of Doom).
). I think I felt it was quite slow, and didn't engage/interest me as well as others I'd been reading at the time.
