Well, not exactly the first time. 10 years ago in school I was forced to read Goethe, Dürrenmatt, Kästner and others but I never enjoyed reading those. I hated it and I promised myself never to touch a book again…
Until recently when I watched The Shining and Dune and thought about their source material. These incredible movies are based on books. I thought to myself, that maybe I should give them a try. I can’t let one bad experience spoil something I’ve never really tried (willingly) before.
My issue is that I don’t really know where to start. I have a relatively small attention span and I don’t want to get bored immediately. I thought about reading Dune, but I’ve been told that it can get quite boring at the beginning and that might be off-putting for someone like me.
Maybe you have some recommendations for me 🙂
by xtoxical
5 Comments
Dune would be an excellent choice, though it of course is WAY more than just whatever the movies put out. It’s like a whole saga really.
I would start smaller if you can. Maybe trying some single-book novels first before diving into an author who’d written IDK like 40 books that are in some way connected? They are really meant more for the die-hard fans who’ve been reading fantasy forever it would seem like.
PLEASE note, I am NOT trying to say you shouldn’t check them out, but maybe wade in first instead of diving is all I’m saying lol.
I personally love Stephen King, but he’s a builder. He spends a lot of time getting you attached to the characters before anything substantial happens. (The Shining is my favorite Stephen King novel.) Dune is also an amazing book, but it’s also got a lot of world-building that may feel slow or overwhelming to you. I’d recommend you start with something shorter, maybe even graphic novels to ease in.
*A Scanner Darkly* – Dick is another good book to movie adaptation. It’s pretty short.
Dune isn’t really all that good, and I say that as someone who’s read it twice. If you want a good classic sci-fi novel, I’d recommend Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke or The Stars, My Destination by Alfred Bester. They’re both short and fast-paced right from the start.
I recommend checking out “Ender’s Game,” “Flowers for Algernon,” and “The Giver.” They are not only engaging but also easy reads. I think these stories will captivate you and provide a great introduction to the world of books.