in order to like any book you must understand it
352511
The Great Gatsby is a wonderful book. I fell in love with, and felt for Gatsby.  It is a love story with a lot of underlying themes and messages. I read a review that 'Textorcist "me" (saschatuan)' wrote and i wanted to point out that the book actually takes place in Long Island and Tom and Daisy's last name is Buchanan (not Buckhannon.) The fact that Gatby throws parties is a very important detail of the book, showing his devotion to reunite with Daisy.  I also noticed spelling and grammar errors. Maybe if this person ('Textorcist "me" (saschatuan)) was more educated and payed batter attention to the book he or she would like it more. In order to appreciate a book you must first understand it.
4306492
Professional reviewer and columnist for the Washington Post Book World, Michael Dirda has, "Set down some of what I've learned about life from my reading."

Avid readers and book lovers will appreciate and enjoy this. I found this somewhat over my head at times because although I do read a lot, I don't consider myself 'well read'. Mr. Dirda talks about many books I've never read, some I've never heard of. But, don't let that discourage you if your like me in that aspect, there was still much for me to enjoy in reading this book.

There are lists, quotes, thoughts, considerations, questions, observances, advice, comparisons and ramblings.  This for me, was an interesting and entertaining little book.

I loved his thoughts on rereading:
"Once we know the plot and it's surprises, we can appreciate a book's artistry without the usual confusion and sap flow of emotion, content to follow the action with tenderness and interest, all passion spent. Rather than surrender to the story or the characters -as a good first reader ought -we can now look at how the book works..."

This is a keeper for me because when I am more well read, I'll be able to enjoy the parts that I didn't get this time. And, all of that knowledge and understanding just leaves me in awe of the man. (and besides that, its so sexy, *ahem* I mean, attractive to be so intellectual about books/life.)I'm intrigued now and will have to read his memoir "An Open Book" next. Great gift for someone who is passionate about books.
158244
I love books - it's hard to rate , if this is your style of book - then it is very good , I really liked it
3361793
This is one of those books you can read over and over again
2865905
The absolute, hands down, best book I have ever had the pleasure of reading. It's as challenging as it is brilliant, and as such, it is not for the light reader or casual thinker.  You will need three bookmarks, a dictionary, and lot of free time. But when you finish it, you feel a deep sense of achievement, even if the book continues to haunt you and refuses to give you the nice and neat ending you might have wanted.  The ending, as David Foster Wallace made clear, lies beyond the last page.

I recommend reading it with a dedicated friend, because this is a book that you do not want to have locked up in your head, you want to talk about it with other readers, to plunge its depths, explore its themes, and speculate as to its meanings and implications. This is a work of high art; a work of pure genius.  Very few know about the book; of those who do, very few read the book; of those who do, very few finish the book; but of those who do, its an absolute treasure that will stay with you for life. If you are a madman, you might even read it twice! ;)
465187
Some books are long, and therefore too imposing to open.  Other books are long and imposing, but curiosity compels the reader to open the pages, which soon tells the reader the initial reaction was correct.  Others are long and imposing, but curiosity or word of mouth compels the reading, after which the reader is not fully satisfied.  And, then there are the great novels - look big to easily hold - but worth every page of reading.&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/War-and-Peace/dp/0199232768/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">War and Peace</a>,<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Don-Quixote/dp/1466247843/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Don Quixote</a>,<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Gone-with-the-Wind/dp/1451635621/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Gone with the Wind</a>&nbsp;are a few.

This is not another of the great novels. This is a very good novel - but the story is difficult to sell.  It is not about the greatest issues of life like pitting man in the most difficult of situations - e.g. war delivering young people into adulthood in nanoseconds.

This is about the northeast.  Many may not like that.  It is about tennis bums.  Others may not like that.  It has a lot of social commentary about the people around the main characters which remind me of J.D. Salinger.  Acidic prose of bile cleverly displaying great insight of the corroded mind of the perplexing young man.

After reading that last sentence, you may ask yourself - do I want to rifle through hundreds of pages of northeastern establishment sarcasm regarding people in the late 20th century?  And, the insider's angle of this novel is Joyce-esque - a glossary of many pages is at the end of the book to explain names, people, labels and more so that the reader can understand what the colloquial or extremely local references mean.

And, as someone who trudged through&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Ulysses/dp/0679722769/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Ulysses</a>&nbsp;and other novels by Joyce, I can say that passages of this meet that high level.  But, when it comes to lying down with a nice book to comfort me during a rainy day - endless pages about neurological paranoia trumped by sarcastic wit and other impersonal characteristics are not what I crave to read in my spare time.  So, like Joyce, this is not a novelist whose works  I seek to dive into.  But, I  must say such a novel is one people should attempt to read.  It is that extremely well written.

In the end, I was done.  I am no better a person for having read it, and probably all of my friends have not read it, and a majority of my friends have never heard of it.  And, that is not their loss nor is it my gain. And, for that reason, I will not recommend this to others.  This literary swim is a decision they must decide to make on their own.
2915174
There's so much to appreciate in this book, touching as it does on every subject you can think of. You won't be able to understand everything but for me at least, I don't feel a lot of pressure to try and understand everything, but I'm fine with just reading on and every page or so, something will click and open a new way of looking at things. I'm not an expert in Deleuze and Guattari, and this is my first book by any philospher in what people lump into the category of 'Postmodern'. So I can't compare it with others, but my sense is I've chosen the right book to read, or at least, place to start.
4338191
The purchase of Brideshead Revisited is one of sure investments in your library. You will revisit it very often because it is one of the books that will keep you in its thrall forever. Actually, I have a copy in my desk in the office and pick it up to read a few pages when my students are late for meeting.
This is a book which can be read in many ways - most of which open up a new perspective on its contents and some of which may help you understand yourself and those you choose to share it with. It may be read as a Christian treatise (Waugh took this quite seriously) and a memoir of studies at Oxford in the 1920s. A story of a misplaced homosexual affection and story of decline of British aristocracy. Whichever way you choose you will not be disappointed.
4824663
Any book that generates such a strong reaction from its detractors must be worth reading.
141282
As the title says, anyone can enjoy this book. For fans of fantasy titles, and sorcery books. I would recomend the book to anyone and everyone because it is simply a book that caters to every age. It introduces you to the character of Harry Potter and his struggles under the supervision of not so nice uncle and aunt Mr and Mrs. Dursley and their son Dudley. He recieves a letter from Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft and his life is changed forever. He also learns the fate of his parents.

Personally, I could read this book over and over again. Some people say it's overrated and it sucks but I think otherwise. A great intro to harry Potter, I wouldn not recomend seeing the movie first. Buy the book, it's waay better.
1856106
This was a fine book but something I could not really get into for some reason. It has everything, love , hate, violence, things that make a great book for me . But I will say that everyone should maybe try it and see for your self. My friend I  gave it to said she liked it.
4154488
I read a lot. A whole lot. A slow year of reading for me is about eighty books. And I'm really good about picking out the books I'll like. So, I read a whole lot of books that I really enjoy.

There are different kinds and levels of enjoyment though. I've read a lot of fantasy and swashbuckling adventure sorts of books, and I'm always amused by the brief escape they offer. They're like the old college buddies who you don't talk to much, but when they're in town, you have a good weekend. Then, you go back to your normal life a little more capable of handling it.

I read quite a few literary novels, too, and I usually end up feeling appreciation toward them. They taught me something, and I'm grateful for it, even though I'll never read any of them again if I can help it. It's sort of like those old friends from your hometown, I guess, who you love but also avoid when you go back home to visit.

Then there are those books that have provided me with a little of everything--the adventure and the laughs and the intellectual stimulation that have sustained me this far. Those, of course, are like the friends and family that are always there. I enjoy seeing these books on the shelves around me the moment I wake up or walk through my apartment door.

There's some other level though, too, I've noticed, which is more rare to find. Even having read as many books as I've read, I can only think of a handful of books that have provided such an experience. These books, I think, have offered me every gift those other books have and something a little more. They've touched my imagination in such a way so as to spark some senses of meaning and of communion with the rest of the world. Discovering "cosmos within chaos," I think Madeleine L'Engle once called this feeling. I'm not sure if that's exactly the right way to describe it. What I do know is that having finished such a book, I feel the profound urge (this sounds stupid) to hug people. And that is precisely what I feel, having finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

I guess this should be a warning to J.K. Rowling. Having finished the final Harry Potter book, I'm overwhelmed by a feeling of gratitude. If, by chance, I were to ever run into Mrs. Rowling, I would have difficulty fighting the urge to offer her a Hagrid-sized hug.
2112668
When I read this book for the first time I was 14 years old. Since than I read it so many times, that when I open the book I know exactly on which part I am. And I like it each time. This is one of the rare books that you find once in a while, and they change your approach to reading, completely. If I didn't read this book, I wouldn't thought about so many questions that John Irving puts in front of you. Do read this book. In the bunch of unpleasent and violent things that surround us, this will be the thing you will cherrish.
875578
This is one of my very favorite books.  I read it at least once a year, and as each year passes I see each character more clearly, I find one more little detail about a moment.  This is not instant gratification, you must be willing to open up and just let the book flow into your consciousness.  If you are willing, you will be richly, richly rewarded.
2894876
the book may have a high reading level and fairly difficult to understand at times, but if you stick with it I garuntee you will like this book.
3244418
When I finished reading this book, my first thought was 'Who will discuss this book with me?'  Every page opened my eyes to another world.  Every story made me more and more grateful of the evidently plush life I've led as a middle-class American.  This is one of those books I want to highly recommend, but as much as it's changed my outlook, I can't recommend it to just anybody.  I honestly think everyone needs to read it, but it's graphic nature (at points), and the fact that's it's narrated by children is almost too much to handle some times.  I realize it's fiction, but it's probably one of the best fiction books I've ever read.
103350
You need to have an inner disposition of a slower pace to read the book. It is a different era, everything is more innocent, everything is more respected .. it is a great book, but come with the right mood to it .. you will like it.