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Books that are given

As someone else said already, better tell the truth; otherwise you might get another boring book.

What I don't understand is why your friend goes to all that trouble. When I want to send something to my sister in America, I use American companies. It's cheaper and faster.
 
Somebody I know agreed to a book swap - I gave them Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose and they gave me something by Robert Rankin (I can't even remember the title - something about God, maybe) which I've read two chapters of an thrown on the floor. Not funny at all. Trying to be funny, yes; funny, no!

And jokes...old jokes...heard them all before...:mad:
 
I just can't see the humor in it. Yes, there are drunks wandering around but they don't seem to be doing anything really funny. My friend thinks it's howlingly funny, I just don't know how to tell him I didn't even crack a smile. Is it my imagination or does Rankin strike you as a misogynist? That word might be too strong, but so far if any women appear they're characterized unflatteringly.

And, while I didn't throw it on the floor, I have slammed it onto the seat next to me several times. If it hadn't been a gift (a brand-new paperback, too) I'd have tossed it in the garbage. I'm really not sure if I'll keep trying to read it.
 
A friend of mine recommended i read robert rankin, but now i'm getting second thoughts. Is it really that bad?
 
well, I don't know, perhaps if you're a middle class English guy you might get at least some of the humor. Rankin seems to have enough fans, and has written a lot of books, so somebody thinks he's pretty good. I'm just not one of them!
 
Short pararaphs, old jokes, and bad writing. I'll give it 1 Dan Brown out of 10. Worse then Dan Brown.
 
Oh, a new ratings system! Yay!

I think I'm going to email my friend and tell him I don't like the book, rather than getting trapped on IM talking about it. Maybe it's a coward's way out, but I'm getting sick of thinking about it and having it on my desk.
 
I don't know if this has been suggested, but do you know anyone else who WOULD like it? You may be able to deflect it with: "I started reading it, but its not my type. But so&so saw it and really seems interested in it, so Im going to let her read it instead - as its more her cup of tea."
 
Tough one Miss Shelf. but
somebody might be able to find one funny line in it. i.e. page no. line no..... but guess you should be diplomatic.. put it down to American sense of humour :p Well, it works when I say *Englilsh..* :D
 
If someone is raving about how brilliant a book or a movie is, your expections are raised & something you may have found mildly interesting otherwise is absolutely crap! :eek: Thankfully it doesn't always work like this but it sounds like the person who sent it to you really built it up into something it's not.

I've never read anything by this author so I don't have a clue what his books are like but from what you've said they aren't going to enrich my life in any way so I'll make sure I give them a miss! :)
 
Well, I'm not too sure about that reasoning. If someone raves about a book and you find you don't like it, can't the opposite be true-if someone doesn't like a book, you might like it! :)
 
Update

Well, I've been told to keep reading and after I've reached a certain point if I still don't find it funny, I'm excused from the rest of it. :rolleyes:
 
Miss Shelf said:
Well, I'm not too sure about that reasoning. If someone raves about a book and you find you don't like it, can't the opposite be true-if someone doesn't like a book, you might like it! :)
Click to expand...

Exactly. The person who said it wsn't particularly good has lowered your expectations.
 
How about asking the sender what made them laugh when they read this book? You can then say that the humor went right over your head, and you'll have to try it again one of these days. Your friend meant well, and you're kind to want to spare his feelings, but if they want you to read something, they have to be big enough to take it if you don't love it the way they do.
 
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