(no subject)

[redbird]

I suspect I'm the only person whose reaction to that "50 significant sf/fantasy books" list/meme is the increasing feeling that it's time I reread Dhalgren.

I am also wondering why Shiras's Children of the Atom is on there, since nobody is saying they've read it.

Comments

[firecat]

I've seen at least half a dozen folks mention as part of doing this quiz that they should read or finish Dhalgren. You're the first person I've seen say that you should reread it.

[oursin.livejournal.com]

It's been on my re-read someday list since before this list manifested.

[redbird]

I've only read it twice, and not in several years.

There's a theory ...

[the-magician.livejournal.com]

... that you can only read Dhalgren until you reach the age of 17 (or maybe 21), and after that you can only get to page 30 ...

... I scoffed at that theory and immediately went and got (one of) my dog eared copy/ies of Dhalgren and started reading ... I put it down at page 30 to go do something and never got back to reading it ... d'oh!

A bookselling friend saw me reading it in the first 30 pages (which is when he told me the above theory) and then went to check which printing I had ... and was startled to find that I had the first printing (something he'd never seen), but I think the scotch tape holding the front cover on probably reduced the value somewhat!

Re: There's a theory ...

[redbird]

I was in my late 20s or 30s the first time I picked up Dhalgren, so the theory is clearly untrue, or at least wildly overgeneralized: there may be some people for whom it's true, but there are many other books that are also much easier to read for, and more likely to be finished by, people of particular ages.

Re: There's a theory ...

[firecat]

I think I put it down at page 30 before I reached 17. Certainly before I reached 21. We'll see if I can finish it at 45.